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An Act To Create a Contact Person Program in the Department of Public Safety
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  25 MRSA §2917  is enacted to read:
§ 2917. Contact person program
 
1.  Definitions.     As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
A.  "Contact person program" or "program" means the program developed and operated pursuant to this section.
 
B.  "Law enforcement officer" has the same meaning as in section 3701, subsection 3.
 
C.  "Participating person" means a person:
 
(1) Who voluntarily provides to a law enforcement agency contact information for a person or persons to assist with communications; or
 
(2) Who has a legal guardian under Title 18-C, section 5-301 or 5-701 and for whom the legal guardian provides to a law enforcement agency contact information to assist with communications.
 
2.  Contact person program.     The Department of Public Safety shall develop and implement a contact person program to assist a law enforcement officer with communications with a participating person during an encounter between the participating person and the law enforcement officer. The program must provide the law enforcement officer with access to contact information for a person that is voluntarily submitted by a participating person or the legal guardian of a participating person. The program must interface with the State's telecommunications and radio message switching system.
 
3.  Standards of procedure.     The program must include standards of procedure for law enforcement agencies consistent with policies adopted by the Department of Public Safety. The standards must address processing the application of a participating person or that person's legal guardian, determining the validity of identity and legal guardianship information, entering contact information into the State's telecommunications and radio message switching system, procedures for a participating person or that person's legal guardian to withdraw from the program and procedures for a law enforcement officer to access contact information.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
 
State Police 0291
 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for computer programming to create a database to identify participating persons who are part of the contact person program.

GENERAL FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$26,000	$0	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$26,000	$0	

HIGHWAY FUND	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$14,000	$0	
			
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL	$14,000	$0	

Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.