Title 22, Title 22

1. Release of information. Subject to section 3022, subsections 8 and 13, upon request of a procurement organization, the Chief Medical Examiner shall release to the procurement organization the name, contact information and available medical and social history of a decedent whos…

1. Registration. Except as provided under subsection 2, a recovery agency must be registered by the department prior to requesting, receiving or otherwise participating in an anatomical gift under this chapter. 2. Rulemaking. The department shall adopt rules governing the registr…

In applying and construing this uniform act, consideration must be given to the need to promote uniformity of the law with respect to its subject matter among states that enact it.

This Act modifies, limits and supersedes the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, 15 United States Code, Section 7001 et seq., but does not modify, limit or supersede Section 101(a) of that Act, 15 United States Code, Section 7001, or authorize electronic de…

This chapter takes effect January 1, 2009.

This chapter shall be referred to as the Medical Examiner Act.

1. Appointment and qualifications of the Chief Medical Examiner. There is created, in the Department of the Attorney General, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner for the State. The Chief Medical Examiner is appointed by the Governor for a term of 7 years and until the Chief Medi…

The Chief Medical Examiner shall appoint medical examiners, who have statewide jurisdiction and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Medical Examiner, subject to the Chief Medical Examiner's control and the rules adopted by the Chief Medical Examiner. Medical examiners are appointe…

The Chief Medical Examiner may appoint persons who are not physicians as medicolegal death investigators, who have statewide jurisdiction and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Medical Examiner, subject to the Chief Medical Examiner's control and rules adopted by the Chief Medica…

The salary of the Chief Medical Examiner of the State must be set by the Governor. Other nonsalaried medical examiners and nonsalaried medicolegal death investigators, upon the submission of their completed report to the Chief Medical Examiner, must be paid a fee of up to $150 fo…

1. Circumstances of death that must be reported. A medical examiner case may exist and must be reported as provided in section 3026 when remains are found that may be human and raise suspicion that death has occurred under any of the following circumstances: A. Death is suspected…

1. Persons suspecting medical examiner case. Any person who becomes aware of a suspected medical examiner case shall immediately notify a law enforcement officer or the Office of Chief Medical Examiner. As used in this subsection, "person" means a natural person, including a publ…

1. Movement or alteration of body prohibited. Except as otherwise provided in this section: A. In any medical examiner case a person may not move or alter the body or any objects at the scene of death prior to the arrival, or without the express authorization, of the medical exam…

1. Authority to conduct investigation. The medical examiner or medicolegal death investigator has authority to conduct an investigation and inquiry into the cause, manner and circumstances of death in a medical examiner case. The medical examiner or medicolegal death investigator…

Whenever unidentified human remains are recovered, the Chief Medical Examiner may store the remains, release them to an educational institution, inter them in an appropriate resting place or have them cremated. Ashes of remains cremated may be disposed of in any appropriate manne…

A medical examiner or the medical examiner's designated pathologist may retain body fragments or body fluids for evidence, further study or documentation.

1. Disposal of nonsubstantial body fragments and body fluids. Body fragments or body fluids retained for evidence, further study or documentation, or those that have been recovered after the body has been released from the custody of the medical examiner, may be disposed of accor…

1. Assumption of responsibility. The Chief Medical Examiner may assume responsibility for proper disposition of the identified human remains of a deceased nonresident of this State or unidentified human remains that are the subject of a medical examiner case if the Chief Medical …

1. Notification of district attorney or Attorney General. If in any medical examiner case: A. The body is buried: (1) Without inquiry or examination by the medical examiner; (2) Before the inquiry or examination has been completed to the satisfaction of the medical examiner; or (…

The facilities of all laboratories, under the control of any state agency or department and the services of the professional staffs thereof, shall be made available to the Chief Medical Examiner with the cooperation of the head of the agency involved.

The Chief Medical Examiner is authorized and empowered to carry into effect this chapter and, in pursuance thereof, to make and enforce such reasonable rules consistent with this chapter as the Chief Medical Examiner determines necessary. Rules adopted pursuant to this section ar…

1. Additional immunities. In addition to all existing tort immunities enumerated in the Maine Tort Claims Act: A. A medical examiner may not be held liable for damages for any injury or damage that results from the exercise and discharge of any of the medical examiner's official …

1. Files; information. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner shall maintain files on missing persons sufficient for the purpose of identification when there is reason to suspect that those persons may not be found alive. These files may include such material as medical and dental …

1. Fees. Except as provided in subsections 3 and 4, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner shall charge a fee for providing report documents, histological slides and other items or additional services sought by a person entitled to obtain that item or service relating to a medical …

The department is designated as the state agency to make determination of disability required under the Federal Social Security Act and acts amendatory thereof and additional thereto, and the commissioner, subject to the approval of the Governor, is authorized and empowered to en…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1987, c. 494 (NEW).] 1. Acquired brain injury. "Acquired brain injury" means an insult to the brain resulting directly or indirectly from trauma, anoxia, vascular…

The department shall, within the limits of its available resources, develop a comprehensive neurorehabilitation service system designed to assist, educate and rehabilitate the person with an acquired brain injury to attain and sustain the highest function and self-sufficiency pos…

Within the limits of its available resources, the department may enter into contracts with dedicated brain injury organizations based in the State or with brain injury organizations with an affiliate in the State established and directed by families, caregivers and individuals wi…

The department is designated as the official state agency responsible for acquired brain injury services and programs. [PL 2005, c. 229, §1 (NEW).] 1. Assessments and interventions. In addition to developing the comprehensive neurorehabilitation service system under section 3088,…

The Department of Health and Human Services shall investigate and inspect the whole system of public charities in the State which derive their support wholly or in part from state, county or municipal appropriations but not including any institution of a purely educational or ind…

The department shall have authority to enter into reciprocal agreements with corresponding agencies of other states, and to arrange with their local or county boards for the acceptance, transfer and support of persons going from one state to another and becoming public charges an…

The commissioner shall give to the Governor or to the Legislature or any committee thereof at any time upon their request information and advice with reference to any charitable or correctional institution about which the commissioner has information. The officers in charge of an…

1. Program required. The department shall: A. Administer a statewide program, referred to in this chapter as "the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," or "SNAP," in accordance with the related requirements and regulations of the United States Department of Agriculture, the…

1. Food assistance. The department shall provide food assistance to households that would be eligible for assistance under the federal Food Stamp Act of 1977, 7 United States Code, Section 2011 et seq. and under the federal Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 but for provisions of Sec…

The department may participate in the determination of eligibility for various subsidies of telephone costs for low-income people as established by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to Title 35‑A, section 7101.

The department, as part of its administration of the Women, Infants and Children Special Supplemental Food Program of the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, referred to in this section as "the program," shall adopt rules defining prohibited conduct under the program and establi…

When the department becomes aware of any decisions made by a public entity or an entity operating a publicly subsidized assistance program that adversely impacts eligibility for, or the amount of assistance to, households receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assi…

The department shall implement a system of accountability to measure access to and the performance of certain programs administered by the department under this Subtitle to ensure that those programs are working effectively to improve the health and well-being of program particip…

1. Information provided upon request. Upon request, the department shall provide timely access electronically to income records and program enrollment information of a recipient of assistance under this subtitle to state agencies, quasi-state agencies or other entities for purpos…

1. Aid. "Aid" means money payments to, or in behalf of, or medical care or any type of remedial care or any related services to needy individuals who qualify for such assistance under this chapter. 1-A. Application. "Application" is the action by which an individual indicates in …

The department is authorized to administer programs of aid, medical or remedial care and services for medically indigent persons. It is empowered to employ, subject to the Civil Service Law, such assistants as may be necessary to carry out this program and to coordinate their wor…

When therapy is nonreimbursable under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Medicare), the Department of Health and Human Services shall reimburse an intermediate care facility or skilled nursing facility directly for the costs of physical and occupational therapy to individual…

In determining what types of medical care shall be provided to "medically indigent" individuals, the department shall provide that medically necessary care in an intermediate care facility shall be included under the provisions of the medically needy program.

1. Authorization required. The department may not require any MaineCare member to make any payment toward the cost of a MaineCare service unless that payment is specifically authorized by this section, except that any copayment or premium expressly approved by the federal Secreta…

The department shall provide reimbursement, to the maximum extent allowable, under the United States Social Security Act, Title XIX, for substance use disorder treatment. Treatment must include, but need not be limited to, residential treatment and outpatient care as defined in T…

When determining eligibility for Medicaid, the department shall establish ownership of joint bank accounts in accordance with Title 18‑C, section 6‑211, subsection 2. If the department determines that funds were withdrawn from a joint account without the consent of the applicant …