CHAPTER 176

H.P. 1071 - L.D. 1466

An Act To Relocate the Prohibition of Use of State

Government Computer Systems for Political Purposes to the

Election Laws

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1972, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 388, §14, is repealed.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §1976, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 388, §14, is amended to read:

§1976. Use of State Government computer system

1. Confidentiality. Computer programs, technical data, logic diagrams and source code related to data processing or telecommunications are confidential and are not public records, as defined in Title 1, section 402, subsection 3, to the extent of the identified trade secrets. To qualify for confidentiality under this subsection, computer programs, technical data, logic diagrams and source code must:

A. Contain trade secrets, as defined in Title 10, section 1542, subsection 4, held in private ownership; and

B. Have been provided to a state agency by an authorized independent vendor or contractor under an agreement by which:

(1) All trade secrets that can be protected are identified without disclosing the trade secret;