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Abbreviations & Terms
Teacher Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Check Law in Maine
Updated through the 130th Legislature

Introduction

Maine enacted mandatory fingerprinting and background checks for teachers and educational personnel in 1995. This legislative history includes proposed and enacted legislation on this topic.

Browse by Session Law / LD:  

Year LD Amendments Final Disposition Legislative Record
Debate & Remarks		 Other Documents & News Clips Full LD
History
1995 LD 827

An Act to Provide for Record Checks of Elementary and Secondary Education Employees and Applicants		 Enacted with amendment:

H-724		 PL 1995, c. 547 No debate. Report:  Study Committee Report With Recommendations Pursuant to Public Law 1995, Chapter 547, Entitled "An Act to Provide for Record Checks of Elementary and Secondary Education Employees and Applicants" (Dec. 15, 1996)  

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1997 LD 503

An Act to Provide for State and Federal Criminal Record Checks on Educational Personnel in the State		 Enacted with amendments:

S-127
S-169		 PL 1997, c. 452 Senate, April 30, 1997
p. S-642

House, March 23, 1998
p. H-1825		 Report:  Study Committee Report with Recommendations Pursuant to Public Law 1995, Chapter 547, Entitled "An Act to Provide for Record Checks of Elementary and Secondary Education Employees and Applicants" (Dec. 15, 1996)

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
1998 LD 2163

An Act to Require the State to Be Responsible for the Costs of School Employee Record Checks and Fingerprinting		 Proposed amendments:

H-976
H-986
H-987		 Indefinitely postponed House, March 23, 1998
p. H-1825-H-1827		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1999 LD 741

An Act to Assist the Department of Public Safety in Implementing the Requirements of Fingerprint-based Background Checks		 Enacted with amendment:

H-152		 PL 1999, c. 110 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1999 LD 792

An Act to Allow Preliminary Steps to be Taken in Preparation for the Mandatory Use of Conviction Data in Teacher Screening		 N/A  PL 1999, c. 35 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
1999 LD 878

An Act to Require the State to Be Responsible for the Costs of School Employee Criminal History Records Checks and Fingerprinting		 Proposed amendment:

H-405		 Indefinitely postponed No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2000 LD 2490

An Act to Provide Funding for Background Checks and Fingerprinting for School District Employees and Volunteers		 Enacted with amendments:

S-474
S-801

Proposed amendments:

H-776     S-504
H-778     S-798
H-1181   S-805
S-475     
S-484		 PL 1999, c. 791 House, May 11, 2000
p. H-2713-H-2714

Senate, May 11, 2000
p. S-2490-S-2492		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2000 LD 2510

An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government...for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2000 and June 30, 2001		 Enacted with amendments:

H-1140
H-1164

Proposed amendments:

See Full LD History
 PL 1999, c. 731

See appropriations pgs. 1602, 1723		 House, April 24, 2000
p. H-2610-H-2627

House, April 24, 2000
p. H-2631

House, April 24, 2000
p. H-2632-H-2633

Senate, April 24, 2000
p. S-2369-S-2377

House, April 25, 2000
p. H-2654

Senate, April 25, 2000
p. S-2382-S-2389		 Report:  Final Report of the Joint Select Committee on the Psychiatric Treatment Initiative (Nov. 1, 2000)

Report:  Final Report of the Task Force to Study Growth Management (Dec. 2000)

Report:  Annual Report on Utilization of State Research & Development Appropriations for Operations and State Research Capital Bonds: Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2000 (FY2000) (Dec. 29, 2000)

Report:  Teaching and Learning for Tomorrow: a Learning Technology Plan for Maine's Future: Final Report of the Task Force on the Maine Learning Technology Endowment (Jan. 2001)

Report:  Final Report of the Commission to Study Long-Term Care Facilities (Dec. 2013)

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2000 LD 2540

An Act Concerning Fingerprinting and Background Checks for School Employees		 Enacted with amendments:

S-692
S-735

Proposed amendments:

H-1116     H-1138
H-1117     H-1163
H-1118     S-691
H-1120     S-693
H-1130		 Veto sustained Senate, April 11, 2000
p. S-2269-S-2276

House, April 12, 2000
p. H-2500-H-2522

House, April 13, 2000
p. H-2567-H-2579

Senate, April 24, 2000
p. S-2366-S-2368

House, April 25, 2000
p. H-2634-H-2640

House, April 25, 2000
p. H-2641-H-2648

House, April 25, 2000
p. H-2651-H-2653

House, April 26, 2000
p. H-2663-H-2665

Senate, April 26, 2000
p. S-2414-S-2418		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2001 LD 1090

An Act to Repeal the Requirement that School Employees be Fingerprinted		 Proposed amendments:

H-701
H-706
H-711
H-721
S-347		 Veto sustained House, May 23, 2001
p. H-1019

Senate, May 31, 2001
p. S-1047-S-1048

House, June 8, 2001
p. H-1363

House, June 11, 2001
p. H-1380-H-1382

Senate, June 11, 2001
p. S-1147-S-1148

House, June 13, 2001
p. H-1393-H-1396

House, June 13, 2001
p. H-1401-H-1402

House, June 13, 2001
p. H-1416-H-1426

House, June 13, 2001
p. H-1426-H-1428

Senate, June 18, 2001
p. S-1196-S-1199

Senate, June 21, 2001
p. S-1250-S-1251

Senate, June 21, 2001
p. S-1262		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2001 LD 1765

An Act to Authorize Release of Certain Information Pertaining to the Certification, Authorization and Approval of Educational Personnel		 Proposed amendments:

H-532     H-755
H-553     S-311
H-570     S-330
H-572
H-752		 Died on adjournment House, May 23, 2001
p. H-1017-H-1030

Senate, May 31, 2001
p. S-1039-S-1040

House, June 7, 2001
p. H-1339-H-1349

Senate, June 7, 2001
p. S-1126-S-1132

House, June 21, 2001
p. H-1545-H-1548		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 386

An Act to Exempt School Units From Liability When Releasing Information Regarding School Employees Accused of a Crime		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2003 LD 653

An Act To Repeal the Fingerprinting Requirement for Teachers and School Employees		 Proposed amendment:

H-481		 Died in concurrence House, May 27, 2003
p. H-812-H-813

Senate, May 28, 2003
p. S-838-S-843		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 822

An Act To Provide Greater Protection for School Children		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2003 LD 890

An Act To Restrict Fingerprinting of Educational Personnel to New Hires		 Proposed amendments:

H-520
S-240		 Veto sustained House, May 27, 2003
p. H-806-H-812

Senate, May 28, 2003
p. S-843-S-846

Senate, May 29, 2003
p. S-880-S-881

House, June 10, 2003
p. H-930-H-931
 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2003 LD 1032

An Act To Reduce the Processing Time for Substitute Teacher Fingerprinting		 Enacted with amendment:

H-200		 PL 2003, c. 184 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2003 LD 1198

An Act Regarding the Criminal History Record Check of School Employees		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2003 LD 1250

An Act To Provide an Exception to the Laws Governing Fingerprinting of Educational Personnel		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 1565

An Act Requiring Release of Aggregate Information from the Department of Education To Measure the Effectiveness of the Law Requiring Fingerprinting and Background Checks of Educational Personnel		 N/A ONTP House, May 16, 2005
p. H-569-H-571		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 1691

An Act To Eliminate Pension Cost Reduction Bonding and Provide Replacement Budgeting Measures		 Proposed amendments:

H-700     H-715
H-701     S-374
H-702     S-375
H-703     S-376
H-704     S-377
H-705     S-379
H-706		 PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. CC House, June 16, 2005
p. H-1030-H-1037

House, June 17, 2005
p. H-1044-H-1058

House, June 17, 2005
p. H-1068-H-1069

Senate, June 17, 2005
p. S-1297-S-1299

Senate, June 17, 2005
p. S-1299-S-1309

Senate, June 17, 2005
p. S-1327-S-1328		 Report:  Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Local and Regional Services. 2005 Annual Report (Oct. 1, 2005)

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2005 LD 1745

An Act To Provide State Funding for the Fingerprinting of School Personnel		 Proposed amendment:

S-520		 Died on adjournment No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2005 LD 1968

An Act To Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government...for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2006 and June 30, 2007		 Enacted with amendments:

H-878
H-901

Proposed amendments:

H-893     H-906
H-898     S-527
H-899     S-528
H-902     S-529
H-903    
PL 2005, c. 519,  §§I-1, I-2

See appropriations pgs. 1324, 1348		 House, March 28, 2006
p. H-1375-H-1382

House, March 29, 2006
p. H-1401

Senate, March 29, 2006
p. S-1709-S-1714		 Report:  University of Maine System. State Funded Research Annual Report (Dec. 2006)

Report:  Report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services on the Progressive Treatment Program (Jan. 2010)

Report:  Report to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services on the Progressive Treatment Program (Jan. 2012)

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2007 LD 90

An Act To Provide State Funding for Fingerprinting of Educational Personnel		 Proposed amendment:

S-64		 ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2007 LD 1031

An Act To Amend the Fingerprinting Law		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2009 LD 1299

An Act To Streamline the Fingerprinting Process		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2011 LD 296

An Act To Find Cost Savings and Efficiencies in the Fingerprinting System for Criminal History Background Checks		 Proposed amendments:

H-528
H-529		 Veto sustained House, June 28, 2011
p. H-1043-H-1044		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2011 LD 1767

An Act To Authorize the Commissioner of Education To Allow Access to Criminal History Record Information to Entities Providing Document Management and To Remove Applicants' Fingerprints from the Fingerprint File		 Enacted with amendment:

H-730		 PL 2011, c. 521 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2013 LD 1493

An Act To Revise the Laws Concerning Criminal History Record Information and Intelligence and Investigative Information		 Enacted with amendment:

H-360		 PL 2013, c. 267 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2014 LD 1681

An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Gambling and Criminal History Record Checks		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2014 LD 1782

An Act To Make Technical Amendments to the Criminal History Record Information Act and the Intelligence and Investigative Record Information Act and a Related Provision in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A		 Enacted with amendment:

S-427		 PL 2013, c. 507 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2014 LD 1797

An Act Expanding Access to Early Postsecondary Education		 Proposed amendment:

H-783		 Died on adjournment No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2014 LD 1805

An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Review Committee Established To Examine the Impact of Unfunded Education Mandates and Other Regulatory Burdens		 N/A PL 2013, c. 506 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2015 LD 1019

An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government...for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2017		 Enacted with amendments:

H-415
S-287
S-288

Proposed amendments:

H-416     S-289
H-439
H-448
H-449
H-451		 PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. SSS House, June 16, 2015
p. H-873-H-883

House, June 16, 2015
p. H-894-H-897

Senate, June 16, 2015
p. S-1101-S-1107

Senate, June 16, 2015
p. S-1107-S-1108

House, June 18, 2015
p. H-934-H-935

Senate, June 19, 2015
p. S-1191-S-1192

House, June 30, 2015
p. H-1099-H-1105

Senate, June 30, 2015
p. S-1331-S-1332		 Court Opinion:  Polk v. Longley (consent decision, 1976)

Report:  Janet C. Fairman & Amy F. Johnson, Maine Education Policy Research Institute. Recommendations and Resources for Evaluating Community School Programs (Apr. 2016)

Report:  Commission to Study the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund. Report (Dec. 2015)

Report:  Maine Affordable Housing Working Group. Report & Recommendations (Dec. 2015)

Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.

News Clips:  Please contact a Reference Librarian.		 Yes
2016 LD 1464

An Act To Revise the Educational Personnel Certification Statutes and To Direct the Department of Education To Review Department Rules Regarding Educational Personnel Certification		 Enacted with amendment:

H-525		 PL 2015, c. 395 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2017 LD 1104

An Act To Exempt School Resource Officers from Department of Education Background Check and Fingerprinting Requirements		 Enacted with amendment:

H-283		 PL 2017, c. 155 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2017 LD 1286

An Act To Require Background Checks for All School Employees		 Enacted with amendments:

S-221
S-510		 PL 2017, c. 426 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2017 LD 1569

An Act To Revise Certification Statutes for Educational Personnel		 Enacted with amendment:

H-515		 PL 2017, c. 235 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2019 LD 388

An Act To Recognize Employee Background Checks Conducted for Out-of-state Schools Eligible for Maine Tuition Assistance		 Enacted with amendment:

H-189		 PL 2019, c. 114 No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2019 LD 592

Resolve, To Establish a Background Check Consolidation Commission		 Proposed amendment:

H-35		 Died Upon Conclusion of the 129th Legislature House, March 26, 2019
p. H-287-H-288		 Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes
2021 LD 758

Resolve, To Study Streamlining the Background Check Process for State-licensed Professions That Require Background Checks		 N/A ONTP No debate. Committee File:  Please contact a Reference Librarian. Yes