Maine 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Maine House Bill LD719 Introduced / Bill

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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document	No. 719H.P. 458House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Amend the Share of State Funding for the County Jail 
Operations Fund
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Criminal Justice and Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook.
Cosponsored by Senator STEWART of Aroostook and
Representatives: DUCHARME of Madison, HASENFUS of Readfield, LAJOIE of Lewiston, 
LOOKNER of Portland. Page 1 - 132LR0852(01)
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2 as enacted by PL 2021, c. 732, Pt. A, §3 
3 and affected by §5, is amended to read:
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5 provide funding for county jails and the regional jail.  State funding must be appropriated 
6 annually for the fund in the an amount of $20,342,104 equal to 35% of the total cost of 
7 operating the county jails and the regional jail as needed to meet the standards established 
8 by the commissioner for county jails pursuant to sections 1208 and 1208-A, or otherwise 
9 required by law, plus any additional amount the Legislature may appropriate. For purposes 
10 of this section, the total cost of operating the county jails and the regional jail must reflect 
11 the total cost of operating the county jails and the regional jail for the most recently 
12 concluded fiscal year. The department shall administer the fund and shall distribute funds 
13 to the jails in accordance with this section for the purposes set forth in subsections 3 and 4 
14 and in accordance with the distribution formula set forth in subsection 9.  County jails and 
15 the regional jail may provide services that exceed the standards established pursuant to 
16 sections 1208 and 1208-A or otherwise required by law, but the cost of providing such 
17 services must be funded by the counties or from other sources outside of the fund.
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19 This bill provides that state funding for the County Jail Operations Fund must be 
20 appropriated annually in an amount equal to 35% of the total cost of operations for county 
21 jails and the regional jail as necessary to meet the standards for county jails as established 
22 by the Commissioner of Corrections or otherwise required by law. The bill further provides 
23 that county jails and the regional jail may provide services that exceed the standards 
24 established by the commissioner or otherwise required by law, but the cost of providing 
25 such services must be funded by the counties or from other sources outside of the County 
26 Jail Operations Fund.
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