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LD1866 • 2025

An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Senator Anne Carney
Last action
2025-06-17
Official status
Signed by the Governor
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 Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness Sponsor: Senator Anne Carney Reference committee: Health and Human Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness Sponsor: Senator Anne Carney Reference committee: Health and Human Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR1008(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1008(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 1866 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-17 Governor

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2025-06-11 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  3. 2025-06-10 House

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

  4. 2025-06-09 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2025-05-21 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-05-21 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2025-05-01 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Health and Human Services.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
Sponsor:
Senator Anne Carney
Reference committee:
Health and Human Services
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR1008(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
S.P. 736 - L.D. 1866
An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding the State-designated Agency
Advocating for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 34-B MRSA §3012 is enacted to read:
§3012. Advocacy services for individuals with serious mental illness
1. Legislative intent. It is the intent of the Legislature to effectuate the State's
commitment to protecting the rights of individuals with serious mental illness, as
demonstrated by the successful resolution and dismissal of the Augusta Mental Health
Institute Consent Decree, issued on December 3, 2024, by the Superior Court, Kennebec
County, Civil Action Docket No. 89-88. Independent advocacy was a key component of
the system improvements that supported that resolution, and the Legislature seeks to ensure
that those protections continue through the ongoing delivery of advocacy services in both
institutional and community settings.
2. Contract for protection and advocacy services. The department shall contract
with and make a good faith effort to obtain sufficient appropriations to fund the agency
designated under Title 5, section 19502 to carry out the duties related to protecting the
rights of individuals with serious mental illness in both institutional and community
settings. The contract must be consistent with the scope of authority and protections
provided in Title 5, chapter 511 and must ensure that advocacy services are provided
statewide through a presence in at least 5 geographically dispersed areas.
3. Access to state mental health institute records. In addition to the agency's
authority to access records under Title 5, chapter 511 and notwithstanding subsection 1207,
the agency contracted under subsection 2 may access medical records of individuals with
serious mental illness who are hospitalized in a state mental health institute as defined in
section 3801, subsection 9 when necessary to provide advocacy services as authorized
under Title 5.
4. Medical advice. Advocates providing services in accordance with this section are
prohibited from providing medical advice.
APPROVED
JUNE 17, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
349
PUBLIC LAW