Maine House Bill HP1524

Maine 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/14/26

Caption

Joint Order to Recall Legislative Document 1917 from the Governor's Desk

Summary

This joint order directs that Legislative Document 1917, titled "An Act to Allow the Sealing of Criminal History Record Information Related to Convictions for Conduct That Is No Longer a Crime in the State," be recalled from the Governor’s desk to the House, along with all accompanying papers. In practical terms, the order is a procedural measure rather than a substantive policy change: it reclaims the bill from the executive branch so the Legislature can further act on it. The underlying subject of the recalled bill concerns sealing criminal history record information for convictions based on conduct that Maine no longer criminalizes. If enacted, that policy would affect how certain past convictions are treated in state records, potentially limiting public access to those records and reducing collateral consequences for affected individuals. HP1524 itself does not change criminal law or record-sealing standards directly; it only reopens consideration of the underlying bill.

Impact

HP1524 would affect legislative procedure by returning L.D. 1917 from the Governor’s desk to the House, allowing lawmakers to reconsider, amend, or otherwise act on the measure before final disposition. It does not itself amend the Maine Revised Statutes, but it is tied to a bill that would likely affect criminal history record information, sealing procedures, and the treatment of convictions for conduct that is no longer illegal in Maine.

Sentiment

Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition specific to HP1524. The measure appears procedural and neutral on its face, suggesting the Legislature sought to preserve its ability to continue working on the underlying criminal-records bill rather than allow it to proceed without further review.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials for HP1524 itself. Any substantive disagreement would likely relate to the underlying policy in L.D. 1917—namely, whether people convicted of now-legal conduct should be able to seal those records, and how that might balance privacy, fairness, public safety, and access to criminal history information. However, the available record does not identify which legislators or stakeholders held those views.