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LD 1710

An Act Regarding The Authority To Transport Prisoners Confined In Jail And The Use Of Physical Force With Respect To Prisoners And Persons Who Have Been Arrested

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Donald Ardell and 4 co-sponsors

Updates who may transport jail prisoners and when force can be used by custodial or arresting staff.

Signed by Governor
#prisoners #procedures #transport
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Bill Summary · LD 1710

Summary — LD 1710 (132nd Maine Legislature)

Title: An Act Regarding The Authority To Transport Prisoners Confined In Jail And The Use Of Physical Force With Respect To Prisoners And Persons Who Have Been Arrested
Status: Signed by Governor (June 27, 2025)
Introduced: April 17, 2025
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsor: Rep. Salisbury of Westbrook
Enacted with Committee Amendment C "A" (H‑738)

Main purpose and intent

The bill updates Maine law governing (1) who may transport prisoners confined in jail and (2) the circumstances in which physical force may be used with respect to prisoners and persons who have been arrested. Its intent is to clarify statutory authority and procedures governing prisoner transport and the authorized use of force by custodial or arresting personnel.

Note: The summary below reflects the bill title, legislative history and fiscal analyses supplied. The enrolled (final) bill text should be consulted for precise statutory language and operative changes.

Key provisions (high level)

  • Revises statutory authority regarding the transport of persons confined in jail (who may transport and under what authority or conditions).
  • Revises standards or procedures concerning the use of physical force against prisoners and arrested persons (limits, permissions, or procedures for use of force).
  • Enacted as amended by Committee Amendment C (H‑738). The amendment was adopted in committee and by both chambers prior to enactment.

Because the full bill text is not provided here, specific changes to code sections, definitions, procedural steps, or penalties are not listed. Consult the enrolled bill for clause-level detail.

Who is affected

  • Prisoners confined in county jails and any persons subject to arrest.
  • Law enforcement officers, corrections officers, transport staff, and agencies responsible for arrests and jail custody (including the Maine Department of Public Safety and Department of Corrections).
  • Courts and prosecutors (possible small change in caseloads and charging related to any statutory decriminalization or reclassification that may be included).
  • State finances (see fiscal impacts below).

Fiscal and operational impact

  • Fiscal notes (preliminary and as amended) consistently estimate:
    • Minor cost increase to the General Fund.
    • Minor savings to the General Fund.
    • Minor revenue decreases to the General Fund and to Other Special Revenue Funds.
  • Corrections and judiciary impact statements note a possible small reduction in workload tied to a minimal number of cases that would no longer be filed; corresponding reductions in fine collections would reduce dedicated revenue modestly.
  • Any additional costs to the Departments of Corrections and Public Safety are expected to be minor and absorbable within existing budgets.

Legislative and procedural timeline (selected)

  • April 17, 2025 — Referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.
  • May 8, 2025 — Work session; committee issued a divided report (OTP/OTP‑AM).
  • June 16, 2025 — Committee Amendment "A" (H‑738) read and adopted; House and Senate concurred; bill passed to be engrossed as amended.
    • House roll calls: acceptance of Minority Ought to Pass as Amended (Yeas 76 – Nays 72); final passage to be enacted (Yeas 110 – Nays 38).
    • Senate roll call: Yeas 19 – Nays 16.
  • June 17, 2025 — Final legislative actions; enrolled for signature.
  • June 27, 2025 — Signed by the Governor.

Notes and next steps

  • This summary is based on bill metadata, legislative actions, and fiscal notes. For the specific statutory changes (exact language, affected statutory sections, implementation requirements, and effective dates), consult the enrolled/enacted bill text on the Maine Legislature website or the Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
  • If you would like, I can retrieve and summarize the specific statutory amendments and the precise language of Committee Amendment H‑738.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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