| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4622, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1997, c. 400, §2, is | further amended to read: |
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| | 1. Limitation. Attorney's fees under section 4614 and civil | penal damages or compensatory and punitive damages under section | 4613 may not be awarded to a plaintiff in a civil action under | this Act unless the plaintiff alleges and establishes that, prior | to the filing of the civil action, the plaintiff first filed a | complaint with the commission and the commission either: |
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| A. Dismissed the case under section 4612, subsection 2; |
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| B. Failed, within 90 days after finding reasonable grounds | to believe that unlawful discrimination occurred, to enter | into a conciliation agreement to which the plaintiff was a | party; or |
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| C. Issued a right-to-sue letter under section 4612, | subsection 6 and the action was brought by the aggrieved | person not more than 2 years after the act of unlawful | discrimination of which the complaint was made as provided | in section 4613, subsection 2, paragraph C. |
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| This subsection does not apply to or limit any remedies for civil | actions filed under subchapter V if one or more additional causes | of action are alleged in the same civil action that do not | require exhaustion of administrative remedies. |
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| This subsection does not apply to or limit any remedies for civil | actions filed under subchapter IV. |
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| | This bill amends the Maine Human Rights Act by removing | limitations of attorney's fees and damages for civil actions | based upon discrimination in housing. |
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