Maine Senate sends Sen. Duson bill to strengthen privacy of Maine tenants to Governor’s desk

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, April 8, the Maine Senate passed LD 2176, “An Act to Safeguard Personal Information and Strengthen Tenant Rights in Maine” a bill sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jill Duson, D-Portland, that would bolster tenant privacy rights and provide guardrails against retaliation. The bill now goes to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

“I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for supporting this important bill, which addresses a real gap in state privacy and anti-retaliation law for Maine tenants,” said Sen. Duson. “Renters living in my district and across the state have limited protections that LD 2176 aims to strengthen. Everyone in Maine deserves a safe place to call home without fear of harassment or intimidation. I look forward to this bill making a real difference in the lives of all Maine people.”

The bill prohibits a landlord from disclosing personal information (such as name, phone number, sexual orientation, race or immigration status) about a tenant with the intent to harass, intimidate or get them to leave the property outside of a legal eviction process. The bill includes reasonable exceptions such as legitimate business purposes, judicial processes, property sales and certain requests by local law enforcement or municipal code officers.

LD 2176 now heads to the Governor’s desk for approval. She has 10 days from Senate passage to sign the bill, veto it or allow it to go into law without her signature.

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