1. Confidential information. Records containing the following information are deemed confidential for the purposes of Title 1, section 402, subsection 3, paragraph A:
A. Any information acquired by a municipality or a member, officer, employee or agent of a municipality from an applicant for assistance provided by this chapter or from any 3rd person pertaining to an applicant for assistance provided pursuant to this chapter; and [PL 1997, c. 201, §1 (AMD).]
B. Any written or recorded financial statement of an applicant submitted to a municipality or a member, officer, employee or agent of a municipality in connection with an application for assistance pursuant to this chapter. [PL 1997, c. 201, §1 (AMD).]
The term “applicant” includes individuals, partnerships, limited partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations, but does not include partnerships, limited liability companies and corporations whose shares, interests or other evidence of proportional ownership are publicly traded upon a recognized exchange.

[PL 1997, c. 201, §1 (AMD).]

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 5205

  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Federal Government: means the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Municipality: means a city or town, except as provided in chapter 225. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, firm, organization or other legal entity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
2. Wrongful disclosure prohibited. A member, officer, employee or agent of a municipality may not knowingly divulge or disclose information declared confidential by this section, except that:
A. A municipality or its agent may make such full and complete reports concerning its administration of programs provided with state or federal funds as required by State Government or Federal Government; [PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]
B. A municipality or its agent may publish statistics or other information of a general nature drawn from information declared confidential by this section, provided that the publication is accomplished in a manner that preserves confidentiality; [PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]
C. A municipality or its agent may comply with a subpoena, request for production of documents, warrant or court order issued or made upon lawful authority; and [PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]
D. In any litigation or proceeding in which a municipality or its agent is a party, the municipality or its agent may introduce evidence based on any information deemed confidential that is within the control or custody of the municipality or its agent. [PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]

[PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]

3. Waiver. This section may not be construed to limit in any way the right of any person whose interest is protected by this section to waive, in writing or otherwise, the benefits of that protection.

[PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]

4. Penalty. A person violating any provision under subsection 2 commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more than $200 may be adjudged. Each separate act of disclosure is considered a separate offense.

[PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW).]

5. Application. Notwithstanding this section, the confidentiality of information provided to a municipality during the course of the application process with the Department of Economic and Community Development is governed by Title 5, sections 13119 to 13119?C.

[PL 1997, c. 201, §2 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1991, c. 322 (NEW). PL 1997, c. 201, §§1,2 (AMD).