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LD1797 • 2025

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Last action
2025-06-08
Official status
Became Law without Governor's Signature
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests Reference committee: Judiciary Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests Reference committee: Judiciary Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-08 Governor

    Became Law without Governor's Signature

  2. 2025-05-27 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-05-27 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  4. 2025-05-19 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

  5. 2025-05-06 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-05-06 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  7. 2025-04-24 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests
Reference committee:
Judiciary
Governor action:
Became Law without Governor's Signature

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR2469(02)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 1203 - L.D. 1797
An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Right to Know Advisory
Committee Concerning Denials of Public Records Requests
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §408-A, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c. 494, Pt.
A, §1, is amended to read:
4. Refusals; denials. If a body or an agency or official having custody or control of
any public record refuses permission to inspect or copy or abstract a public record, the body
or agency or official shall provide, within 5 working days of the receipt of the request for
inspection or copying, written notice of the denial, stating the reason for the denial or the
expectation that the request will be denied in full or in part following a review. A written
notice of a denial must contain a citation to the statutory authority used as the basis for the
denial. A request for inspection or copying may be denied, in whole or in part, on the basis
that the request is unduly burdensome or oppressive if the procedures established in
subsection 4‑A are followed. Failure to comply with this subsection is considered failure
to allow inspection or copying and is subject to appeal as provided in section 409.
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

JUNE 8, 2025
CHAPTER
186
PUBLIC LAW