LD 129

132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
  FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document  No. 129
S.P. 60  In Senate, January 8, 2025
  An Act to Amend the Law Governing Dedimus Justices
   Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
   Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
  DAREK M. GRANT
  Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland.
  Printed on recycled paper
1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2     Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4, as amended by PL 1975, c. 771, §26, is repealed and the
3 following enacted in its place:
4 §4. Dedimus justices
5     1. Appointment; term. The Governor may appoint in each county persons who are
6 designated as dedimus justices, before whom the oath required by the Constitution of
7 Maine to qualify civil officers may be taken and subscribed. A person appointed under this
8 subsection shall exercise that person's powers and duties and is commissioned to act within
9 and for each county for a term of 7 years. A person already designated as a dedimus justice
10 prior to October 1, 2025 is exempt from the 7-year term.
11     2. Change of information of dedimus justice. Within 30 calendar days of the
12 occurrence of any of the following changes to a dedimus justice's status or information
13 previously submitted, a dedimus justice shall submit written notice to the Governor and the
14 Secretary of State:
15     A. A change of the dedimus justice's name by court order or marriage;
16     B. A change of the dedimus justice's residence or mailing address; or
17     C. A change of the dedimus justice's e-mail address or telephone number.
18      3. Resignation. A dedimus justice may resign the dedimus justice's commission at
19 any time by submitting written notice to the Governor and the Secretary of State of the
20 intent to resign. The resignation is effective as of the date of the written notice. Upon
21 resignation, a dedimus justice shall return the dedimus justice's certificate of commission
22 to the Secretary of State.
23SUMMARY
24     This bill amends the law governing dedimus justices in the following ways.
25     1. It sets the term of the dedimus justice's commission as a 7-year term. It exempts
26 dedimus justices appointed prior to October 1, 2025 from the 7-year term provision.
27     2. It requires dedimus justices to provide written notice to the Governor and the
28 Secretary of State of changes in name, residence or mailing address, e-mail address or
29 telephone number.
30    3. It provides a process for a dedimus justice to resign the dedimus justice's
31 commission.
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