---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Facilitate Communication Between Pro Se Defendants And Assistant District Attorneys"
description: "An Act To Facilitate Communication Between Pro Se Defendants And Assistant District Attorneys"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 576"
citation: "Maine LD 576 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["APPOINTED COUNSEL", "CRIMINAL PROCEDURE", "UNREPRESENTED DEFENDANTS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Joseph BALDACCI"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-02-14"
last_action: "2023-06-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f539593e-1ec6-4737-9e3a-ad31273c99ea"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280086098"
source_hash: "7e2e778b65c45c14f60acba4088e551e48d499c3c9bb128ed7b571ac86fdb6e9"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-me"]
---

# Maine LD 576 (131) — An Act To Facilitate Communication Between Pro Se Defendants And Assistant District Attorneys

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Adopted Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0244&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0244&item=1&snum=131)
3. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0244&item=3&snum=131)

## Sponsors

- Joseph BALDACCI — primary (person)
- Danny COSTAIN — cosponsor (person)
- James DILL — cosponsor (person)
- Lois RECKITT — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-14** Committee on JUDICIARY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence
- **2023-02-14** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY. `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-14** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-03-30** CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to a subsequent special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 594.
- **2023-06-15** Reports READ
- **2023-06-15** On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report ACCEPTED
- **2023-06-15** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2023-06-15** Committee Amendment "A" (S-339) READ and ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-06-15** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-339) `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2023-06-15** Sent down for concurrence
- **2023-06-15** Reports READ.
- **2023-06-15** On motion of Representative MOONEN of Portland, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2023-06-15** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2023-06-15** Committee Amendment "A" (S-339) was READ and ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2023-06-15** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2023-06-15** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-339). `reading-3`
- **2023-06-15** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-20** This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.
- **2023-06-20** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-06-20** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-20** PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2023-06-28** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-03-15T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-05-25T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2023-05-25T04:00:00+00:00** Voted - Divided Report
- **2023-06-15T04:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP-AM/ONTP

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f539593e-1ec6-4737-9e3a-ad31273c99ea`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).