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An Act To Allow the Prohibition of Weapons at Public Proceedings and Voting Places
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  1 MRSA §415  is enacted to read:
§ 415. Regulation of weapons at public proceedings
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a political subdivision may adopt an ordinance, rule or policy that prohibits the carrying of a dangerous weapon at its public proceedings and voting places. An ordinance, rule or policy adopted pursuant to this section must provide an exception to allow the carrying of a handgun by an on-duty federal, state or local law enforcement officer. For the purposes of this section, "dangerous weapon" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 9, paragraph C, "law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in Title 17-A, section 2, subsection 17, "political subdivision" means any municipality, plantation, county, quasi-municipal corporation and special purpose district, including, but not limited to, any water district, sanitary district, hospital district, municipal transmission and distribution utility and school administrative unit, "school administrative unit" has the same meaning as in Title 20-A, section 1, subsection 26 and "voting place" has the same meaning as in Title 21-A, section 1, subsection 49.
Sec. 2. 25 MRSA §2011, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 359, is amended to read:
 
3. Exception.   This section does not prohibit an order, ordinance, rule or regulation of any political subdivision whichthat, with the exception of appropriate civil penalty provisions, conforms exactly with any applicable provision of state law or whichthat regulates the discharge of firearms within a jurisdiction or that regulates the carrying of firearms in accordance with Title 1, section 415.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows a political subdivision to prohibit the carrying of dangerous weapons at public proceedings and at voting places. It provides an exception to allow the carrying of a handgun by an on-duty law enforcement officer. It defines "political subdivision" as any municipality, plantation, county, quasi-municipal corporation and special purpose district, including, but not limited to, any water district, sanitary district, hospital district, municipal transmission and distribution utility and school administrative unit.