An Act To Establish Bail Officers To Administer The Maine Bail Code

LD 527 establishes "bail officers" as judicial branch employees trained to set and manage pretrial bail in Maine, alongside existing bail commissioners. The bill defines bail officers and grants them authority to set bail for most criminal cases, but requires them to collect specific victim information and complete a risk assessment before setting bail in domestic violence cases. It also prohibits bail officers from altering court-set bail amounts or setting bail for defendants already held without prior bail authorization. Bail officers and commissioners are granted immunity from civil liability for actions taken within their official duties.