Resolve, to Establish a Task Force to Create a Court Navigation Program Plan

Page 1 - 132LR1872(05)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 772 - L.D. 1965
Resolve, to Establish a Task Force to Create a Court Navigation Program
Plan
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation needs to take effect before the expiration of the 90-day
period due to the rise in the number of litigants who are not represented by an attorney and
in order to provide the task force established by this resolve sufficient time to complete its
work; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore, be it
Sec. 1. University of Maine System to convene task force. Resolved: That
the University of Maine System shall convene a task force, referred to in this resolve as
"the task force," to create a court navigation program plan. The membership of the task
force must consist of at least one representative from each of the following:
1. The schools of social work of the University of Maine System;
2. The University of Maine School of Law;
3. Maine Pretrial Services, Inc.;
4. Pine Tree Legal Assistance;
5. Disability Rights Maine;
6. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Maine;
7. 211 Maine;
8. The Department of Health and Human Services; and
9. The judicial branch.
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

MARCH 22, 2026
CHAPTER
146
RESOLVES
Page 2 - 132LR1872(05)
Sec. 2. Court navigation program plan. Resolved: That the task force shall
examine court navigation programs nationwide, recommend a model for a court navigation
program for use in the State and create a plan for implementing the program. At a
minimum, the court navigation program model recommended by the task force must be
designed to:
1. Provide guidance and information about court processes and procedures to persons
involved with the court system;
2. Provide persons involved with the court system referrals to community-based
resources related to their behavioral health needs, such as mental health treatment and
substance use disorder treatment, and their economic and social service-related needs, such
as housing, employment, transportation and food, in order to address those needs; and
3. Be operated, in significant part, by social work students and law students who have
the opportunity to earn academic credit for their participation in the operation of the court
navigation program.
In pursuing its duties under this section, the task force shall consult with advocates for
persons who are unhoused, for survivors of domestic violence, for survivors of sexual
assault and for other identifiable populations who may particularly benefit from the
assistance of the court navigation program.
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That, no later than January 15, 2027, the task force shall
submit a report that includes the court navigation program plan required by section 2,
including a model for a court navigation program for use in this State, and that includes
suggested legislation to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction
over judiciary matters. The joint standing committee may report out legislation based on
the subject matter of the report to the 133rd Legislature in 2027.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.