Whereas, the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary, through its subcommittee, has been reviewing information relating to abuse claims by students of the Governor Baxter School for the Deaf; and

Whereas, much information, including records, relating to previous investigations of abuse at the school is confidential; and

Whereas, it is important that the investigative information be reviewed while the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary is developing a response to the claims of abuse; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. Access to information. Notwithstanding any Maine law prohibiting or limiting access to information, including records, described in this Act, the members of the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary, referred to in this Act as the "committee," may review such information solely for the purposes stated in this Act.

Sec. 2. Process. Review of the records must proceed as follows.

1. The members of the committee may review the information and may not disclose the contents except as provided in this Act. The committee shall treat all the information as confidential, unless otherwise instructed by the Attorney General or the court.

2. The following persons have the same access to the information, including records, subject to this Act as the committee and have the right to be present at executive sessions held by the committee: nonpartisan staff assigned to the committee, the Office of the Attorney General and other persons identified by the committee as being involved in previous investigations. A person who has access to confidential information and records under this Act may not make any disclosure outside of the executive session.