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Legal Framework for Responsibilities & Task Assignments

A LHO uses Maine’s laws, rules, and guidance documents to do his or her job. When you are investigating different issues, different statutes apply – so it’s important to know how to look up a law or a rule. Please note the link in the right panel that connects you to a searchable, current database of Maine laws and statutes.

 

Scale of justiceMaine Law: Titles of Statutes and Sections


Maine law is a numbered set of documents known as the Maine Revised Statutes Annotated (M.R.S.A.). It is updated annually and includes changes enacted by each Legislature. The laws are assembled by volumes, known as Titles. Titles describe a broad subject heading with the contents grouped under similar subjects. For example, human service laws are generally found in Title 22 and Environmental Protection laws are found in Title 38.
Examples of Title Numbers:

  • Title 22 M.R.S.A. is Health and Welfare.
  • Title 22-A M.R.S.A. is Health and Human Services (Department of).
  • Title 30-A M.R.S.A. is Municipalities and Counties.

The format for a statute is normally Title or T followed by the letters M.R.S.A. and a section (or the symbol §) followed by the section number. Frequently you will not be given a description – you will be simply given a Title and section.
Example of Statute Title followed by Section Number:

  • Title 22 §451 M.R.S.A.

Based on this information, you can find the law. In the example just given, you would go to the volume numbered 22, open the book and find the section numbered 451.

 

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