Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §194 is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§194.__Public charities

1.__Application; funds.__The Attorney General shall enforce due application of funds given or appropriated to public charities within the State and prevent breaches of trust in the administration of the funds.

2.__Party to proceedings.__The Attorney General must be made a party to all judicial proceedings in which the Attorney General is interested in the performance of the Attorney General's duties under of subsection 1.

3.__Investigation.__The Attorney General may conduct an investigation whenever the Attorney General believes that charitable funds have not been or are not being applied to charitable purposes or that breaches of trust have been or are being committed in the administration of a public charity, including, but not limited to, a charitable trust, a public benefit corporation or a mutual corporation holding assets in a charitable trust.__In conducting an investigation, the Attorney General may:

A.__Take testimony under oath;

B.__Examine or cause to be examined any documentary material relevant to the alleged misapplication of charitable funds or breach of trust; and

C.__Require attendance during the examination of documentary material of a person having knowledge of the documentary material and take testimony under oath.

4.__Taking testimony.__The taking of testimony and examination must take place in the county where the testifying person resides or has a place of business or, if the parties consent or the testifying person is a nonresident or has no place of business within the State, in Kennebec County.

A.__Notice of the time, place and cause of the taking of testimony, examination or attendance must be given by the Attorney General at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of testimony or examination.

B.__Service of a notice may be made by: