CHAPTER 250
S.P. 420 - L.D. 1376
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §191, as amended by PL 1993, c. 375, §1, is further amended to read:
§191. State Court Library Committee
The State Court Library Committee, as established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 23, consists of 9 voting members, 3 of whom must be members of the public, 2 of whom must be members of the judiciary and 4 of whom must be attorneys. Each attorney appointed to the committee must be actively engaged in the practice of law and have an established place of business in a county in which a law library established pursuant to section 193 is located and must be chosen so that each tier has an attorney representative. One of the 4 attorney members must be chosen from a county having a census population of from 45,000 to 120,000 and one of the 4 must be chosen from a county having a census population of less than 45,000 persons. The members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. The Chief Justice shall designate the chair. The State Law Librarian, the University of Maine School of Law Librarian and the State Court Administrator are ex officio nonvoting members. A quorum consists of 5 of the voting members. The committee shall meet at least 4 times each year. Secretarial assistance must be provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts.
Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §193, as amended by PL 1995, c. 55, §1 and affected by §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
There must be a system of law libraries accessible to all citizens within the State, under the supervision of the State Court Library Committee.
These libraries must be located in:
Androscoggin County, Auburn;
Aroostook County, Caribou;
Aroostook County, Houlton;
Cumberland County, Portland;
Franklin County, Farmington;
Hancock County, Ellsworth;
Kennebec County, Augusta;
Knox County, Rockland;
Lincoln County, Wiscasset;
Oxford County, South Paris;
Penobscot County, Bangor;
Piscataquis County, Dover-Foxcroft;
Sagadahoc County, Bath;
Somerset County, Skowhegan;
Waldo County, Belfast;
Washington County, Machias; and
York County, Alfred.
All funds appropriated by the Legislature for the use and benefit of the law libraries must be paid to the Administrative Office of the Courts and must be disbursed by that office under the direction of the State Court Library Committee.
The libraries located at Bangor and Portland are to serve as regional court law library centers. The State Court Library Committee shall allocate specific funds, in addition to the resources received by the other law libraries, to the regional court law library centers in Bangor and Portland to purchase legal resources, library equipment and supplies and necessary personnel. Both regional court libraries must receive the same funds.
All other law libraries must receive equal resources and services regardless of location and have access to the regional court law library centers for the resources not available locally.
Sec. 3. 4 MRSA §195, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 510, §1, is amended to read:
There is created must be a County Law Library Committee, of not less than 3 nor more than 7 members, in each county in which a county law library is located. The members of the committee shall must be appointed or elected by the county bar association, or other governing body, as its bylaws may provide. Membership on the committee need not be restricted to attorneys. The County Law Library Committee shall appoint a chairman chair, a treasurer and a clerk.
Sec. 4. 4 MRSA §196, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 510, §1, is amended to read:
§196. Duties, county committee
The County Law Library Committee shall, in conjunction with the State Court Library Committee, establish local operating policies, such as, but not limited to, hours, circulation policies, smoking rules, access and photocopy privileges. Each county committee shall exercise supervision over the expenditures of private and nonstate funds, including endowments, and may use those funds to upgrade its county law library. Each County Law Library Committee, together with the State Court Library Committee, shall develop its basic collection within guidelines established by the State Court Library Committee. Each county committee, in consultation with the State Court Library Committee, shall determine new acquisitions. Each county committee shall determine space requirements, with the advice and assistance of the State Court Library Committee.
Effective September 21, 2001, unless otherwise indicated.
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