Sen. Grohoski law to ensure due process in accessing State property, services to go into effect
AUGUSTA — A new law sponsored by Sen. Nicole Grohoski, D-Ellsworth, increases due process protections for people who have been restricted from State property or services. “An Act to Enhance Notice to Individuals Whose Access to State Property Has Been Restricted” goes into effect this Wednesday. The law strikes a careful and necessary balance between keeping Maine’s public spaces and employees safe and protecting the fundamental rights of the individuals who interact with them. LD 2150 ensures a person can understand, contest and potentially resolve any restriction on accessing State property or services issued against them.
“Through my work with constituents, it became clear to me that the State lacked a proper protocol for telling people why they’d been banned from public property. Someone facing that kind of restriction also deserves a clear way to challenge it,” said Sen. Grohoski. “A no trespass order can cut someone off from essential public services like applying for benefits, attending a public hearing or using resources like the State Library. This law will let law enforcement and State officials maintain safety while improving the due process rights of all Mainers.”
LD 2150, as amended by the Judiciary Committee and passed by the Legislature, establishes that if a State entity — such as the Department of Health and Human Services — restricts a person from State property or services, the entity must inform the person, in writing, of why they have been restricted and how they may challenge that restriction. The law does not change the State’s existing authority to restrict an individual from accessing state property or services.
“No person should be restricted from accessing state services, property or communications with staff without first going through a clear and fair process,” said ACLU of Maine Policy Director Michael Kebede. “LD 2150 will establish a transparent and consistent framework. The current informal practices are difficult to monitor, applied inconsistently and difficult to challenge.”
The law also requires the Maine Department of Public Safety to collect data on the frequency and nature of such restrictions and report back to the Legislature in 2028.
As non-emergency legislation, LD 2150 takes effect on July 29, 2026, which is 90 days after the Legislature completed its work.
Other laws sponsored by Sen. Grohoski that take effect this week include LD 1730, “An Act to Make Small Plug-in Solar Generation Devices Accessible for All Maine Residents to Address the Energy Affordability Crisis,” and LD 2155, “An Act to Exempt, for Licenses Issued Prior to December 21, 2025, Persons Holding a Majority Ownership Interest from the Restriction on the Number of Manufacturing Facility Licenses and On-premises Retail Licenses.” As emergency legislation, LD 2131,“Resolve, Regarding the Nursing Facility Reform Transition Fund,” went into effect when it was signed on April 13, 2026.
###