Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §2497, as amended by PL 1991, c. 591, Pt. J, §4, is further amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:

When making the inspection of a lodging place, the department or an inspector authorized pursuant to section 2499 shall determine whether the lodging place complies with the requirements of Title 5, section 4593, subsection 1, paragraphs A to E.__If a lodging place does not meet the requirements of Title 5, section 4593, subsection 1, paragraphs A to E, the department or inspector shall make written recommendations to the owner or manager of the lodging place for alterations or renovations that would bring the lodging place into compliance.__The department or inspector may not take any other action regarding noncompliance.

SUMMARY

Current law requires the Department of Human Services to annually inspect lodging places, such as hotels, motels, guest homes and cottages open to the public.

This bill requires that, when the department performs the inspection, it also inspect the lodging place to determine whether it is in compliance with the standards for public access established under the Maine Human Rights Act. If the lodging place is not in compliance, the department is required to provide the owner or manager with a written recommendation for bringing the lodging place into compliance. The department may not take any other action regarding the noncompliance.