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Public Law
124th Legislature
First Regular Session
Chapter 235
H.P. 763 - L.D. 1108
An Act To Amend the Statute of Limitations under the Maine Human Rights Act
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.   5 MRSA §4611,  as amended by PL 1995, c. 393, §28, is further amended to read:
§ 4611.  Complaint
Any person who believes that the person has been subject to unlawful discrimination, or any employee of the commission, may file a complaint under oath with the commission stating the facts concerning the alleged discrimination, provided except that such complaints a complaint must be filed with the commission not more than 6 months 300 days after the alleged act of unlawful discrimination. In addition, any person may file a complaint pursuant to section 4632.
Sec. 2.   5 MRSA §4612, sub-§1, ¶B,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 243, §6, is further amended to read:
 
B.  The commission or its delegated commissioner or investigator shall conduct such preliminary investigation as it determines necessary to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that unlawful discrimination has occurred. In conducting an investigation, the commission, or its designated representative, must have access at all reasonable times to premises, records, documents, individuals and other evidence or possible sources of evidence and may examine, record and copy those materials and take and record the testimony or statements of such persons as are reasonably necessary for the furtherance of the investigation. The commission may issue subpoenas to compel access to or production of those materials or the appearance of those persons, subject to section 4566, subsections 4-A and 4-B, and may serve interrogatories on a respondent to the same extent as interrogatories served in aid of a civil action in the Superior Court. The commission may administer oaths. The complaint and evidence collected during the investigation of the complaint, other than data identifying persons not parties to the complaint, is a matter of public record at the conclusion of the investigation of the complaint prior to a determination by the commission. An investigation is concluded upon issuance of a letter of dismissal or upon listing of the complaint on a published commission meeting agenda, whichever first occurs. Prior to the conclusion of an investigation, all information possessed by the commission relating to the investigation is confidential and may not be disclosed, except that the commission and its employees have discretion to disclose such information as is reasonably necessary to further the investigation. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the complaint and evidence collected during the investigation of the complaint may be used as evidence in any subsequent proceeding, civil or criminal. The commission must conclude an investigation under this paragraph within 2 years after the complaint is filed with the commission.
Sec. 3.   5 MRSA §4613, sub-§2, ¶C,  as amended by PL 1975, c. 357, §2, is further amended to read:
 
C. The action shall must be commenced not more than either 2 years after the act of unlawful discrimination complained of or 90 days after any of the occurrences listed under section 4622, subsection 1, paragraphs A to D, whichever is later.
Subsection 2, paragraph C should end in a “; and”
Sec. 4.   5 MRSA §4622, sub-§1, ¶C,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 279, §2, is further amended to read:
 
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; or
 
Effective September 12, 2009