An Act To Require Education and Training Regarding Harassment for Legislators, Legislative Staff and Lobbyists

Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §170-B  is enacted to read:

§ 170-B.  Required training regarding harassment

All Legislators, legislative staff and lobbyists shall attend and complete a course of in-person education and training regarding harassment, including sexual harassment, at the beginning of each regular session of the Legislature. The Legislative Council shall develop and implement this course of education and training. For the purpose of this section, "lobbyist" has the same meaning as in section 312-A, subsection 10.

SUMMARY

This bill requires Legislators, legislative staff and lobbyists to attend and complete a course of in-person education and training regarding harassment, including sexual harassment, at the beginning of each regular session of the Legislature. It requires the Legislative Council to develop and implement the course.

This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government pursuant to Joint Order 2017, Senate Paper 685. The committee has not taken a position on the substance of the bill and by reporting this bill out the committee is not suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill. The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of turning the draft into a printed bill that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent processing in the normal course. The committee is taking this action to ensure clarity and transparency in the legislative review of this bill.