LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
120
JULY 15, 2021 RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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H.P. 1177 - L.D. 1588
Resolve, To Replace Certain Stigmatizing Language in the Maine Revised
Statutes with Respectful Language
Sec. 1. Identification of stigmatizing language; substitution of respectful
language. Resolved: That the Revisor of Statutes shall review the Maine Revised
Statutes, Titles 22, 22 A, 25 and 34 A for stigmatizing language in the laws governing the
Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Public Safety and the
Department of Corrections. The Revisor of Statutes shall report to the Joint Standing
Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety by January 15, 2022 and shall provide
draft legislation to amend the laws of the 3 departments in the Titles identified to change
stigmatizing language as described in this section to respectful language. The Revisor of
Statutes shall recommend editing the laws as necessary to accommodate singular and plural
forms, masculine and feminine forms and adult and minor forms and, when possible, shall
use so-called person-first language. The stigmatizing language to be changed includes
"prisoner," "inmate" and "convict," which must be changed to "resident of a correctional
facility" or "resident of a jail"; "drug user," which must be changed to "person who uses
drugs"; "probationer," which must be changed to "client of the Department of Corrections";
and "mentally ill person," which must be changed to "person with a mental illness."
Sec. 2. Legislation. Resolved: That based on the report from the Revisor of
Statutes pursuant to section 1, the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public
Safety may report out legislation to change stigmatizing language in the Maine Revised
Statutes, Titles 22, 22 A, 25 and 34 A to respectful language and direct the Department of
Health and Human Services, Department of Public Safety and Department of Corrections
to amend their rules, policies, procedures, forms and publications to conform to the
respectful language that is adopted by the Legislature.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. Resolved: That the following
appropriations and allocations are made.
LEGISLATURE
Legislature 0081
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to the Office of the Revisor of Statutes to contract
with an outside entity to review Titles 22, 22-A, 25 and 34-A of the Maine Revised Statutes
Page 1 - 130LR0890(03)
for stigmatizing language and to prepare a report to the Joint Standing Committee on
Criminal Justice and Public Safety by January 15, 2022, with draft legislation to amend the
laws to change the stigmatizing language to respectful language.
GENERAL FUND 2021-22 2022-23
All Other $11,400 $0
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GENERAL FUND TOTAL $11,400 $0
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