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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1743
H.P. 1161 House of Representatives, April 22, 2025
An Act to Allow Municipalities to Prohibit Firearms Within Their
Municipal Buildings and Voting Places and at Their Municipal
Public Proceedings
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ARFORD of Brunswick.
Cosponsored by Senator DUSON of Cumberland and
Representatives: BECK of South Portland, BRIDGEO of Augusta, CLOUTIER of Lewiston,
KUHN of Falmouth, MOONEN of Portland, ROLLINS of Augusta, Senators: CARNEY of
Cumberland, TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland.
Page 1 - 132LR0932(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2011, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 359, is amended to
3 read:
43. Exception. This section does not prohibit an order, ordinance, rule or regulation of
5 any political subdivision which that, with the exception of appropriate civil penalty
6 provisions, conforms exactly with any applicable provision of state law or which ; that
7 regulates the discharge of firearms within a jurisdiction; or that regulates the possession of
8 firearms within a municipality's buildings and voting places and at municipal public
9 proceedings within a municipality in accordance with Title 30-A, section 3015.
10Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §3015 is enacted to read:
11§3015. Regulation of firearms within municipality's buildings and voting places and
12at municipal public proceedings
13 Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, in accordance with this section,
14 a municipality may adopt an order, ordinance, policy or regulation that limits or prohibits
15 the possession of firearms within the municipality's buildings and voting places and at
16 municipal public proceedings within the municipality.
171. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, unless the context otherwise indicates,
18 the following terms have the following meanings.
19 A. "Firearm" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 12-A.
20 B. "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2,
21 subsection 17.
22 C. "Municipal public proceeding" means the transactions of any functions affecting
23 any citizens of the State by any board, commission, agency or authority of any
24 municipality or other political or administrative subdivision of a municipality.
25 D. "Voting place" has the same meaning as in Title 21-A, section 1, subsection 49.
262. Scope. An order, ordinance, policy or regulation adopted by a municipality pursuant
27 to this section must designate by common name and physical address all buildings and
28 voting places to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, which may include
29 buildings owned, leased, rented or otherwise occupied by the municipality and buildings
30 used temporarily as voting places or as venues for its municipal public proceedings held
31 within the municipality. Use of such buildings, or part of such buildings, by other private
32 or public entities does not preclude the applicability of the order, ordinance, policy or
33 regulation. For a municipal public proceeding that is conducted in a part of a nonmunicipal
34 building, the limitation or prohibition does not extend to those nonmunicipal parts or users
35 of the building. The order, ordinance, policy or regulation may impose a civil penalty of
36 not more than $1,000 per violation of the order, ordinance, policy or regulation.
373. Exceptions. An order, ordinance, policy or regulation adopted by a municipality
38 pursuant to this section must provide an exception to allow a federal, state, county or local
39 law enforcement officer to possess a firearm in the municipality's buildings and its voting
40 places and at municipal public proceedings and may not regulate the possession of a firearm
41 on school property in a manner that conflicts with the prohibition in Title 20-A, section
42 6552.
Page 2 - 132LR0932(01)
14. Posting. If a municipality adopts an order, ordinance, policy or regulation pursuant
2 to this section, it shall post, in a prominent location outside of all buildings and other places
3 to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, notice of the limitation or
4 prohibition against the possession of firearms, including any adopted exceptions to the
5 limitation or prohibition.
6SUMMARY
7 This bill permits a municipality to adopt an order, ordinance, policy or regulation that
8 limits or prohibits the possession of firearms within its buildings and voting places and at
9 municipal public proceedings within the municipality; if adopted, the order, ordinance,
10 policy or regulation may impose a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 per violation. The
11 bill provides an exception to allow a federal, state, county or local law enforcement officer
12 to possess firearms in a municipality's buildings and voting places and at municipal public
13 proceedings within the municipality. If a municipality adopts such an order, ordinance,
14 policy or regulation, it is required to post, in a prominent location outside of all buildings
15 and other places to which the order, ordinance, policy or regulation applies, notice of the
16 limitation or prohibition against the possession of firearms, including any adopted
17 exceptions to the limitation or prohibition. For a municipal public proceeding that is
18 conducted in a part of a nonmunicipal building, the limitation or prohibition does not extend
19 to those nonmunicipal parts or users of the building. The bill also establishes a definition
20 for "municipal public proceeding."
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