---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Support Constitutionally Required Public Defense By Creating The Maine Office Of Public Defense Services"
description: "An Act To Support Constitutionally Required Public Defense By Creating The Maine Office Of Public Defense Services"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 653"
citation: "Maine LD 653 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["APPOINTED COUNSEL", "CRIMINAL PROCEDURE", "PUBLIC DEFENSE SERVICES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Lisa KEIM"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 26
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-02-14"
last_action: "2024-03-21"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cffb7e3b-ebe3-4f6d-a136-c9580f62a38b"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280086241"
source_hash: "8a862f87add71159372cbd30992eb91730f9979deddfe6b9ed3deae30a3edada"
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 653 (131) — An Act To Support Constitutionally Required Public Defense By Creating The Maine Office Of Public Defense Services

## 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=SP0270&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0270&item=1&snum=131)
3. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0270&item=3&snum=131)

## Sponsors

- Lisa KEIM — primary (person)
- Adam LEE — cosponsor (person)
- David HAGGAN — cosponsor (person)
- Jennifer POIRIER — cosponsor (person)
- John ANDREWS — cosponsor (person)
- Lois RECKITT — cosponsor (person)
- Matthew MOONEN — cosponsor (person)
- Peter LYFORD — cosponsor (person)
- Rachel HENDERSON — 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.
- **2023-07-26** CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 847.
- **2024-03-19** Report READ and ACCEPTED.
- **2024-03-19** READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2024-03-19** Committee Amendment "A" (S-579) READ and ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2024-03-19** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-579). `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2024-03-19** Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence.
- **2024-03-20** CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- **2024-03-20** Under suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.
- **2024-03-20** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-579). `reading-3`
- **2024-03-20** In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-03-21** This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.
- **2024-03-21** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2024-03-21** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-03-21** PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2024-03-21** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-04-18T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-05-25T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Requested
- **2023-07-25T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Approved
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - OTP-AM
- **2024-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP-AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cffb7e3b-ebe3-4f6d-a136-c9580f62a38b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).