Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §2396, sub-§7, as amended by PL 1997, c. 728, §20, is further amended to read:

7. Other duties. The performance of such other duties as are set forth in this and other sections of the statutes and as may be conferred or imposed from time to time by law. The State Fire Marshal, the State Fire Marshal's deputy and investigators appointed under this Title shall carry out those functions that the Commissioner of Public Safety may direct and in so doing have the same enforcement powers and duties throughout the State as sheriffs have in their respective counties. The enforcement powers are to be limited in scope to enforcement of statutes, ordinances and rules concerned with fire prevention, arson and other burnings and enforcement of such other specific areas of responsibility as are assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal by statute, and to arrest for impersonation of or interference with, the State Fire Marshal, the State Fire Marshal's deputy or their designees.

SUMMARY

Under current law, the State Fire Marshal and the State Fire Marshal's deputy and investigators are granted the same enforcement power and duties as sheriffs have in their respective counties, except that those powers are limited to enforcement of laws, rules and ordinances concerned with issues such as fire prevention and arson. This bill removes this limitation.