Bill > LD273

This bill amends existing Maine state law regarding legislative investigating committees by clarifying the Legislature's authority over committees granted specific investigative powers. Specifically, when the Legislature delegates to a committee the power to administer oaths, issue subpoenas, and take depositions as part of a study or investigation, that committee automatically becomes an investigating committee subject to certain legal provisions. The key addition to the law is that in such cases, the Legislature retains the sole right to determine the committee's membership and scope. This change ensures that the legislative body maintains direct control over the composition and boundaries of investigative committees when they are granted significant legal powers like compelling testimony or gathering evidence. The bill makes minor linguistic updates to the existing statute, such as replacing words like "such" with "that" and "shall" with "is" to improve clarity and modernize the language.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=273&snum=132