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LD 404

An Act Regarding The Confidentiality Of Certain Lottery Winner Identities

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Jim Dill

LD 404 shields certain Maine Lottery prize winners' identities from public disclosure, protecting their privacy and safety by requiring the Bureau to treat them as confidential.

Signed by Governor
#lottery #operations #winnernames
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · LD 404

Summary — LD 404: An Act Regarding the Confidentiality of Certain Lottery Winner Identities

Overview

  • Bill number: LD 404
  • Title: An Act Regarding the Confidentiality of Certain Lottery Winner Identities
  • Status: Signed by the Governor (May 16, 2025)
  • Introduced: February 4, 2025
  • Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
  • Classification: bill (enacted)

Purpose and intent

The bill is intended to allow for the confidentiality of the identities of certain Maine Lottery winners. Its purpose is to protect the privacy and safety of individual winners by limiting public disclosure of their names or other identifying information in specified circumstances.

Key provisions (based on available documents)

The bill’s full text is not included in the materials provided. Based on the title, legislative actions, and fiscal notes, the enacted measure generally:

  • Authorizes or requires the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (the Bureau) to treat the identities of certain lottery prize winners as confidential (i.e., not publicly disclosed).
  • Likely establishes criteria or a process under which a winner’s identity qualifies for confidentiality (for example, by request or based on prize size or safety concerns). The specific eligibility criteria and procedural details are not available in the supplied documents.
  • Requires the Bureau to implement administrative procedures to carry out confidentiality protections (recordkeeping, staff procedures, response to public records requests), as implied by the fiscal note.

Note: Committee Amendment "A" (H-89) was adopted and the bill was passed and engrossed as amended; the amendment’s textual changes are not provided here.

Fiscal impact

  • Fiscal notes (approved March 10, 2025 and May 7, 2025) estimate a minor General Fund cost increase.
  • Any additional costs to the Bureau are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.

Who is affected

  • Lottery winners who may qualify to have their identities withheld from public disclosure.
  • The Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations (administrative adjustments).
  • The public, media, and entities relying on public records for information about lottery winners (reduced access to certain winner identities).
  • Potentially law enforcement or courts when identity information is needed (subject to any statutory exceptions).

Legislative and procedural timeline

  • Referred to and considered by the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs (suggested and ordered printed Feb 4, 2025).
  • Work session and committee approval as OTP-AM; Committee Amendment "A" (H-89) adopted May 7, 2025.
  • Passed both chambers (concurrence actions May 6–14, 2025).
  • Signed by Governor May 16, 2025.
  • Effective date: not specified in the provided documents.

Notes and limitations

  • The summary above is based on the bill title, legislative history, and fiscal notes provided. The bill text and the content of Committee Amendment "A" were not included, so specifics about eligibility criteria, definitions, exceptions (e.g., for law enforcement or public safety), and exact procedural requirements are not available here. For the exact statutory language and operational details, consult the enrolled bill text or the Maine Revised Statutes as amended by LD 404.

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

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