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PUBLIC LAWS OF MAINE
First Regular Session of the 121st

PART T

     Sec. T-1. 3 MRSA §959, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. EEEE, §1, is further amended to read:

     Sec. T-2. 3 MRSA §959, sub-§1, ¶J, as amended by PL 1999, c. 127, Pt. C, §11, is further amended to read:

     Sec. T-3. 5 MRSA §10051, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1999, c. 547, Pt. B, §19 and affected by §80, is further amended to read:

     3. Appellate jurisdiction. The District Court has exclusive jurisdiction to review disciplinary decisions of occupational licensing boards and commissions taken pursuant to Title 10, section 8003 and licensing decisions of the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement Department of Public Safety taken pursuant to Title 28-A, sections 453-A, 458 and 653. Chapter 375, subchapter VII 7 governs these proceedings as far as applicable, substituting "District Court" for "Superior Court."

     Sec. T-4. 25 MRSA §2901, as amended by PL 1999, c. 668, §114, is further amended to read:

§2901. Department; commissioner

     There is created and established the Department of Public Safety to coordinate and efficiently manage the law enforcement and public safety responsibilities of the State, to consist of the Commissioner of Public Safety, in this chapter called "commissioner," who is appointed by the Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice matters and to confirmation by the Legislature, to serve at the pleasure of the Governor, and the following: the Bureau of State Police, the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, the Bureau of Highway Safety and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency.

     Sec. T-5. 25 MRSA §2902, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 559, Pt. KK, §4, is repealed.

     Sec. T-6. 25 MRSA Pt. 10, as amended, is repealed.

     Sec. T-7. 28-A MRSA §2, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1993, c. 730, §4, is further amended to read:

     6. Bureau. "Bureau" means the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, which includes the Liquor Licensing and Tax Division, division within the Department of Public Safety designated by the commissioner to enforce the law relating to the manufacture, importation, storage, transportation and sale of all liquor and to administer those laws relating to licensing and collection of taxes on malt liquor and wine.

     Sec. T-8. 28-A MRSA §2, sub-§8-A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §12, is repealed.

     Sec. T-9. 28-A MRSA §82, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1997, c. 571, §1, is further amended to read:

     5. Appeals. Review all appeals from the decisions of municipal officers. The chief commissioner may conduct appeal hearings or appoint a hearings officer to conduct appeal hearings. Except as provided in section 805, the decision of the chief commissioner is final.

The chief commissioner or the hearings officer may conduct hearings in any licensing matter pending before the bureau. If a hearings officer conducts the hearing, the hearings officer, after holding the hearing, shall file with the bureau all papers connected with the case and report the findings to the chief commissioner. The chief commissioner shall render a final decision based upon the record of the hearing.
The chief commissioner or the hearings officer may administer oaths and issue subpoenas for witnesses and subpoenas duces tecum to compel the production of books and papers relating to any license question in dispute before the bureau or to any matter involved in a hearing. Witness fees in all proceedings are the same as for witnesses before the Superior Court and must be paid by the bureau, except that, notwithstanding Title 16, section 253, the bureau is not required to pay the fees before the travel and attendance occur;

     Sec. T-10. 28-A MRSA §161, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 45, Pt. A, §4, is amended to read:

     7. Right of access. Every bottle club shall allow liquor enforcement officers and other law enforcement officers to enter the premises at reasonable times for the purpose of investigating compliance with this Title.

     Sec. T-11. 28-A MRSA §714, sub-§3, ¶¶A and B, as amended by PL 1993, c. 730, §35, are further amended to read:

     Sec. T-12. 28-A MRSA §803, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §76 and 1999, c. 547, Pt. B, §78 and affected by §80, is further amended to read:

     1. Violation of law or rule. Upon discovering a violation of federal or state law, rule or regulation relating to liquor, or an infraction of a rule adopted by the bureau, the chief commissioner, or the chief's commissioner's designee, shall:

     Sec. T-13. 28-A MRSA §803, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §79 and 1999, c. 547, Pt. B, §78 and affected by §80, is further amended to read:

     6. Warnings. Upon the written recommendation of the chief commissioner, or the chief's commissioner's designee, the District Court Judge, instead of notifying a licensee against whom a complaint is pending to appear for hearing, may send the licensee a warning. Warnings must be sent by registered or certified mail and contain a copy of the complaint. A licensee to whom a warning is sent may demand a hearing by notifying the District Court Judge by registered or certified mail within 10 days from the date the warning was mailed.

     Sec. T-14. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 360, §5, is further amended to read:

     Sec. T-15. 36 MRSA §172, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1997, c. 373, §171, is further amended to read:

     1. Liquor licensee. If the taxpayer is a liquor licensee, to the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Liquor Enforcement, which shall construe that liability and lack of cooperation to be a ground for denying, suspending or revoking the taxpayer's liquor license in accordance with Title 28-A, section 707 and chapter 33; or

     Sec. T-16. Transition provisions.

     1. All references in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 28-A to the functions performed by the Chief of the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement within the Department of Public Safety are deemed to refer to functions of the Commissioner of Public Safety, and all references to functions performed by the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement are deemed to refer to functions of the division within the Department of Public Safety designated by the commissioner to enforce the law relating to the manufacture, importation, storage, transportation and sale of all liquor and to administer those laws relating to licensing and the collection of taxes on malt liquor and wine. It is the express intent of the Legislature that all provisions of Title 28-A remain fully enforceable and, in order to effectuate this intent, the Commissioner of Public Safety or officials designated by the commissioner may enforce any provision of Title 28-A.

     2. All existing rules and procedures in effect, in operation or adopted by the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement or the Chief of the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement remain in effect and continue in effect until rescinded, revised or amended by the proper authority.

     3. All existing forms, licenses, letterheads and similar items bearing the name of or referring to the Bureau of Liquor Enforcement may be utilized by the division designated by the Commissioner of Public Safety pursuant to this section until existing supplies of those items are exhausted.

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