KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Maine

LD2195 • 2025

An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent

An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Last action
2026-04-03
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 Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent

An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent Reference committee: Judiciary Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent Reference committee: Judiciary 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 - 132LR3017(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR3017(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 2195 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3JUDICIARY 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8SECOND REGULAR SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-03 Governor

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2026-03-25 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  3. 2026-03-24 House

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

  4. 2026-03-12 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2026-02-26 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2026-02-26 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2026-02-10 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent
Reference committee:
Judiciary
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR3017(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
S.P. 896 - L.D. 2195
An Act to Prohibit the Appointment or Assignment of an Attorney to Provide
Indigent Legal Services Without That Attorney's Consent
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §1802-A, as repealed and replaced by PL 2025, c. 511, §2, is
amended by amending the section headnote to read:
§1802-A. Employed counsel and public defender; direct assignment prohibited court
appointment and assignment of counsel
Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §1802-A, sub-§3 is enacted to read:
3. Compensation of attorneys appointed or assigned by court to provide indigent
legal services. The commission is not required to reimburse the expenses of or to
compensate an attorney appointed or assigned by a court to provide indigent legal services
unless the attorney is an assigned counsel; the commission has determined that the attorney
is eligible for appointment or assignment in the type of court proceeding to which the
attorney has been appointed or assigned; and the attorney consents in advance to the
appointment or assignment.
APPROVED
APRIL 3, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
639
PUBLIC LAW