Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                                 APPROVED                 CHAPTER
                                                                 MAY 29, 2025                  140
                                                                BY GOVERNOR              PUBLIC LAW
                                  STATE OF MAINE
                                          _____
                          IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                        TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
                                          _____
                                   S.P. 221 - L.D. 503
     An Act Regarding the Substance Use Disorder Services Commission
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
    Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
    1. Members; appointment. The Substance Use Disorder Services Commission, as
established by section 12004‑G, subsection 13‑C, consists of 18 19 members.
    Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
     2. Qualifications. To be qualified to serve, members must have education, training,
experience, knowledge, expertise and interest in substance use disorder in the areas of
intervention, harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery. Members must reflect
experiential diversity from across the State and must have demonstrated active participation
in issues related to substance use disorder.
    Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§3, ¶C, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
    C. One public school administrator representative from the field of education who has
    experience with school-based substance use disorder intervention, prevention and
    education programs, appointed by the Governor;
    Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§3, ¶D, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. LL, §12,
is repealed.
    Sec. 5. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§3, ¶H, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
    H. One substance use disorder intervention practitioner, one substance use disorder
    harm reduction practitioner, one substance use disorder prevention practitioner, one
    substance use disorder treatment practitioner and one substance use disorder recovery
    practitioner, appointed by the Governor;
    Sec. 6. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§3, ¶J, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
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    J. Three Four members of the public with experience in substance use disorder,
    appointed by the Governor. In appointing these 3 4 members, the Governor shall select
    members who are actively involved in the areas of:
           (6) Co-occurring disorder services;
           (7) Employment; and
           (8) Substance use disorder recovery.; and
           (9) Representation of federally recognized Indian nations, tribes or bands.
    Sec. 7. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§4, ¶A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §1, is further
amended to read:
    A. The terms of the 3 4 public members appointed under subsection 3, paragraph J are
    for terms of 3 years, except that a member appointed to fill a vacancy in an unexpired
    term serves only for the remainder of that term. Members hold office until the
    appointment and confirmation of their successors. A public member may not be
    appointed for more than 2 consecutive, 3-year terms.
    Sec. 8. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. LL, §12, is
amended to read:
    6. Officers; bylaws. The Governor shall designate one member to chair the
commission. The commission may elect other officers from its members as it considers
appropriate. The commission shall adopt bylaws for the operations of the commission.
    Sec. 9. 5 MRSA §20065, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. LL, §12, is
amended to read:
     7.   Subcommittees.      The commission may appoint from its membership
subcommittees relating to particular problem areas or other matters, provided that as long
as the commission functions as an integrated committee as set forth in the bylaws.
    Sec. 10. 5 MRSA §20066, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. LL, §12, is amended
to read:
§20066. Meetings; compensation; quorum
    1. Calling meetings. The commission shall meet at the call of the chair or at the call
of at least 1/4 of the members appointed and currently holding office.
     2. Frequency of meetings. The commission shall meet at least 12 6 times a year and
at least once a every other month.
    3. Minutes. The commission shall keep minutes of all full commission meetings,
including a list of people in attendance. The commission shall immediately send post
copies of the approved minutes to the Governor and the leadership of the Legislature, who
shall provide for their appropriate distribution and retention in a place of safekeeping a
publicly accessible website.
   4. Compensation. Members of the commission are entitled to compensation under
chapter 379.
   5. Quorum; council action. A majority of the commission members constitutes a
quorum for the purpose of conducting the business and exercising all the powers of the
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commission. A vote of a majority of the members present is sufficient for all actions of the
commission.
    Sec. 11. 5 MRSA §20067, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 407, Pt. A, §44, is
further amended to read:
     2. Advise, consult and assist. The commission shall advise, consult and assist the
Governor, the executive and legislative branches of State Government and the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Judicial Court with activities of State Government related to substance use
disorder prevention, intervention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.
    Sec. 12. 5 MRSA §20067, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §2, is further
amended to read:
    3. Serve as advocate; review and evaluate; inform the public. The commission
shall serve as an advocate and resource for the State on substance use disorder intervention,
harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery. The commission shall promote and
assess activities designed to meet and remediate challenges of substance use disorder in the
State. With the support of the department, the commission shall review and evaluate on a
continuing basis state and federal policies and programs relating to substance use disorder.
In cooperation with the department, the commission shall keep the public informed by
collecting and disseminating information, by conducting or commissioning studies and
publishing the results of those studies, by issuing publications and reports and by providing
public forums, including conferences and workshops. The commission, based on its
activities pursuant to this subsection, shall make recommendations relating to substance
use disorder to the department and, the Governor and the Legislature.
    Sec. 13. 5 MRSA §20067, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2019, c. 432, §2, is further
amended to read:
    4. Report to the Legislature. The commission shall report annually to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services
matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over
appropriations and financial affairs on or before the last business day of each year. The
report must include developments and needs related to substance use disorder intervention,
harm reduction, prevention, treatment and recovery in the State.
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Statutes affected: 
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 140: 5.20065, 5.20066, 5.20067