Maine Revised Statutes Title 3. Legislature § 154. Nominations

The Governor shall, within 20 days after the convening of each legislative session, provide to each joint standing committee of the Legislature a list of all positions for which legislative confirmation is required that are within each committee's jurisdiction and that are vacant or have terms expiring before the convening of the next regular session of the Legislature. The chairs of each joint standing committee and the Governor, or their designees, shall negotiate in good faith to establish a schedule for nominations and consideration of nominations during the session.

When nominating a person to a position for which confirmation is required, the Governor shall post the nomination and simultaneously deliver to both the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives notification of the name of the nominee, the office to which that person is nominated and an information packet, which must include the background information and questionnaire provided to the Office of the Governor by the nominee and may include other information the Governor determines appropriate. The date of the posting and notice is referred to in this chapter as the “posting date.”

When the nomination is received, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall provide notice of the nomination and copies of accompanying materials to the chairs of the appropriate joint standing committee, to the Legislative Information Office and to the partisan staff assistants designated by the majority and minority parties of the Legislature. The Legislative Information Office shall establish an official file for each nominee, which is subject to the provisions of section 159. The file must include the information submitted by the Governor pursuant to this section.

The Governor may withdraw a nomination at any time before the Senate votes pursuant to section 158 by sending a written notice of withdrawal to the President of the Senate.

Notwithstanding the other provisions of this chapter, if the Governor posts a nomination within 30 days preceding the statutory date of adjournment, a legislative committee to whom a nominee is to be referred for confirmation review may, by 2/3 vote, request the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to delay this review in order to complete the committee's legislative work. If the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives approve the request, the time periods for legislative action under this chapter begin on the date the Legislature adjourns.