This electronic version of the Laws of the State of Maine is a translation of the 1997 official publication of the Session Laws of the State of Maine enacted by the 118th Legislature and is compiled and published under the authority of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 163-A. The Laws of Maine has been in continuous publication since 1820, when the Acts and Resolves adopted by the First Legislature were published by the Secretary of State under the authority of Resolve 1820, chapter 25.

This web site contains the public laws, private and special laws, resolves and constitutional resolutions enacted at the First Regular Session, First Special Session, Second Regular Session and Second Special Session of the 118th Legislature, as well as the subject indices to the laws enacted during the First Regular and First Special sessions and the Second Regular and Second Special sessions.

The hardcopies of Volumes 1 and 2 were published in September 1997 and contain legislation enacted during the First Regular Session and the First Special Session of the 118th Legislature. Volume 3 was published in July 1998 and contains legislation enacted during the Second Regular Session and Second Special Session of the 118^th Legislature.

The following conventions are used throughout the series.

1. At the top of each page is a heading that indicates the individual classification of each law, the year and session of passage and its chapter number.

2. When a word or phrase is deleted from the statutes, it is shown stricken through. When an entire section or larger segment is repealed, the text that is repealed is not shown stricken but its repeal is indicated by express language.

3. When new words or sections are added to the statutes, they are underlined.

4. Citations to a Legislative Document are printed beneath the chapter number heading to assist in locating the original source of each chapter.

5. The effective date for Maine laws is provided in the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 16, which specifies that, except for certain emergency legislation, an act or resolve enacted into law takes effect 90 days after the adjournment of the session in which it passed. The general effective date of nonemergency laws passed at the First Regular Session of the 118th Legislature is June 26, 1997 and at the First Special Session of the 118th Legislature is September 19, 1997. The general effective date of nonemergency laws passed at the Second Regular Session of the 118th Legislature is June 30, 1998 and at the Second Special Session of the 118th Legislature is July 9, 1998. The effective dates of emergency legislation vary and are provided at the end of the chapters that were enacted as emergencies.

Copies of a specific chaptered law may be obtained by contacting the Engrossing Division of this office. Copies of the original Legislative Document and any amendments may be obtained from the Legislative Document Room administered by the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

This edition of the Laws of Maine and its predecessors have been prepared for the convenience of the people of the State of Maine and any comments or suggestions for improvements in subsequent editions would be appreciated.

Margaret E. Matheson
Revisor of Statutes
July 1998

LEGISLATIVE STATISTICS

FIRST REGULAR SESSION
118th Legislature

*Pursuant to Joint Order H.P. 1354 matters before the 118th First Regular Session were held over to the First Special Session.

LEGISLATIVE STATISTICS

FIRST SPECIAL SESSION
118th Legislature

LEGISLATIVE STATISTICS

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
118th Legislature

*Pursuant to Joint Order H.P. 1672 matters before the 118th Second Regular Session were held over to the Second Special Session.

LEGISLATIVE STATISTICS

SECOND SPECIAL SESSION
118th Legislature

Contact the Office of the Revisor of Statutes