Sec. AA-2. 22 MRSA §1602, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1977, c. 347, §3, is amended to read:

1. Written application. The Commissioner of Human Services shall issue a permit for a mass outdoor gathering upon receipt of a written application and fee therefor unless, after the consideration of the factors listed in subsection 2, it appears to the commissioner within a reasonable certainty that the gathering will present a grave and imminent danger to the public health or to the public safety. The application for such a permit must be submitted no later than 120 days prior to the anticipated gathering.__The department shall respond within 30 days, communicating approval, disapproval or any necessary conditions or terms.__The applicant shall submit all additional information requested by the department no later than 60 days prior to the anticipated gathering.__Final approval or disapproval by the department may not be made later than 30 days prior to the gathering.

Sec. AA-3. 22 MRSA §1602, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1987, c. 402, Pt. A, §139 and PL 1999, c. 547, Pt. B, §78 and affected by §80, is further amended to read:

4. Permit denied; appeal. An applicant who has been aggrieved by the department's decision to deny a permit under this chapter may file within 5 30 days of the notice of the denial, a complaint with the District Court, as provided in Title 5, chapter 375. Such an applicant shall must be granted a prompt hearing before the District Court for reconsideration of the denial.

Sec. AA-4. 22 MRSA §1604, as amended by PL 1977, c. 347, §5, is further amended to read:

§1604. Permit, bond

The Department of Human Services may also require, prior to the issuance of a permit, that the applicant furnish to the department a bond of a surety company qualified to do business in this State in such an amount as the department shall determine, but in no event more than $5,000, to ensure the public peace, safety and compensation of damage to property, public or private. This requirement for a bond does not preclude the applicant or any other persons from obtaining personal liability insurance for a mass outdoor gathering. Cash or negotiable securities of equivalent value may be furnished in lieu of the bond. The bond