Legislation of Interest
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce regularly posts legislation of interest to Maine businesses during legislative session. Maine Chamber staff has studied each of these recently printed bills to assess potential impact on business trends. If you have concerns regarding any bill, please communicate those concerns to a member of our advocacy department by calling (207) 623-4568.
A total of 69 business-related bills have been tracked to date
since the session began on January 6, 2021!
since the session began on January 6, 2021!
Bond Issues Legislation...
LD 218, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Accelerate Weatherization Efforts in the State. (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, are to be used to accelerate weatherization efforts in the State, with the funds directed to Efficiency Maine Trust's Heating Fuels Efficiency and Weatherization Fund.
LD 218, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Accelerate Weatherization Efforts in the State. (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, are to be used to accelerate weatherization efforts in the State, with the funds directed to Efficiency Maine Trust's Heating Fuels Efficiency and Weatherization Fund.
Education Legislation...
LD 19, An Act To Amend the Maine Education Savings Program. Emergency (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill conforms elements of the Maine Education Savings Program to recent changes to federal law affecting so-called Section 529 plans. It also makes certain other needed updates to the program and makes permissive rather than mandatory the investment of program fund dollars by the Finance Authority of Maine in state-based financial institutions.
LD 23, An Act To Reinstate and Increase the Income Tax Deduction for Contributions to Education Savings Plans. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill reinstates and increases the income tax deduction for contributions to so-called Section 529 education savings plans, providing a deduction up to $1,000 per designated beneficiary. A deduction up to $250 was in effect from 2007 to 2015.
LD 44, An Act To Establish the Summer Success Pilot Program Fund. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Summer Success Pilot Program Fund and requires the Commissioner of Education to use the fund to encourage the facilitation of high-quality summer success pilot programs in school administrative units throughout the State and does the following:
1. It provides that the fund is established as a General Fund carrying account within the Department of Education to be directed and administered by the commissioner and held by the Treasurer of State and that only General Fund appropriations may be paid into the fund;
2. It requires the commissioner to establish standards and approval for the allocation and use of fund money for summer success pilot programs offered at elementary and secondary schools in the State. It also allows the commissioner to include the following in the standards:
A. Guidelines similar to those of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to close the achievement gap between high-performing and low performing students;
B. Effective models of summer success programs that involve networking and partnerships with community-based organizations that provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development; and
C. Implementation of the formative and summative assessment methods to measure student achievement in order to monitor the progress of students participating in summer success pilot programs;
3. It provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2021-22, the department is required to provide grant funding from the fund, through a grant application process, to cover 90% of the costs of summer success pilot programs and that the department must prioritize distribution of funding to school administrative units with greater than 50% student participation in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program;
4. It adds the fund to the enhancing student performance and opportunity provisions of the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act; and
5. It requires the commissioner to annually report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs on the number of school administrative units administering summer success pilot programs, the nature of the summer success pilot programs receiving money from the fund, the amount of money distributed and the number of children participating in a summer success pilot program.
The report must also include a recommendation on whether the pilot program should continue as a pilot program, be modified or become a permanent program.
LD 68, An Act To Introduce a Career and Fiscal Management Elective Course at the High School Level. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires school administrative units operating a secondary school to offer a career and fiscal management course to students.
LD 134, An Act To Increase the Minimum Grant Award under the Maine State Grant Program. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill provides ongoing funds of $10,000,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2021-22 to the Maine State Grant Program within the Finance Authority of Maine to increase the minimum grant award from $1,000 to $2,500. This bill also amends the law to specify that the minimum grant award under the program may not be less than $2,500 if sufficient funds are appropriated for that purpose.
LD 135, An Act To Address Issues in Funding Prekindergarten Programs. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would direct the Department of Education to develop solutions to the challenges coronavirus disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, has brought to ensuring equitable funding for prekindergarten programs.
LD 138, An Act To Increase Student Reading Proficiency. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish benchmarks for reading proficiency for elementary students. The benchmarks must provide that by 2025 75% of students entering grade 4 will be proficient in reading.
LD 176, An Act To Facilitate a Grade 9 to 16 School Project. (Rep. Stearns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to facilitate a grade 9 to 16 school project.
LD 247, An Act To Improve Maine’s Education System. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures to improve kindergarten to grade 12 education.
LD 255, An Act To Ensure Student Success. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would make changes to the law to help ensure the success of students.
LD 261, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Study Truancy Trends in the State and Develop Recommendations for Increasing Student Attendance and Reducing Truancy. (Rep. Roberts, D-South Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the Department of Education to conduct a study on truancy trends in the State and develop recommendations for supporting school administrative units in increasing student attendance and reducing truancy and to submit a report with suggested legislation by January 4, 2022 to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, which may submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 281, An Act To Address Student Achievement Gaps. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds a provision to the school funding formula to provide an additional allocation of state funding to school administrative units to address student academic achievement gaps based on student race or economic status. It requires the Commissioner of Education to specify data and metrics to calculate student academic achievement gaps, to establish eligibility criteria for the adjustment and to determine the adjustment amount or method for computing the amount. It also requires eligible school administrative units to submit a plan to address academic achievement gaps prior to receipt of the adjustment each year. It authorizes the commissioner to disburse up to $10,000,000 per fiscal year to provide the adjustments.
LD 313, An Act To Advance Career and Technical Education Opportunities in Maine. (Sen. Woodsome, R-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a process that allows all high school students, including freshmen and sophomores, to explore their interest in career and technical education. Beginning with a student’s freshman year, hours in class will count toward the hourly requirement to enroll in career and technical education, which is currently 350 hours of class time. By allowing so-called “drop-in” students to try out different skill areas, the bill will enable the State to create a realistic picture of student interest and the programs needed to meet those interests and to develop a comprehensive program to fulfill workforce needs. The bill will authorize a thorough inventory of classes available across the State and an analysis of the need for more satellite programs and methods for meeting the goal of expanding satellite programs in high schools. The bill will also create a career and technical education business roundtable, where interested employers would identify their workforce needs now and in the future, including required skill sets, ensuring that the State’s career and technical education programs fit business needs and providing partners in on-the-job training. The bill will address existing barriers to expanding comprehensive career and technical education programs by developing a process to eliminate half-day career and technical education, which creates busing costs and interrupts instruction, and instead bring teachers to career and technical education students. The bill will also address the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, courses in the career and technical education setting. The bill will recommend changes to the career and technical education certification process to address the shortage of career and technical education teachers by acknowledging skills demonstrated in a trade or profession. Overall, the bill will help to create multiple pathways for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge in the career and technical education setting while creating programs that address the State’s critical workforce shortage.
LD 325, An Act To Expand the Definition of “Education Disruption” To Include States of Emergency That Limit Students’ Access to On-site Education for Longer Than 15 School Days. Emergency. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill allows students whose access to on-site education is limited as a result of a state of emergency, such as that resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, to be classified as having experienced education disruption and eligible for school work recognition plans that will demonstrate achievement under Maine’s system of learning results.
LD 334, An Act To Help Maine Students Catch Up and Keep Up by Providing Remedial and Compensatory Assistance in Response to Education Disruption. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill, as emergency legislation, would establish methods, services and programs to help provide students with remedial and compensatory assistance in response to education disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
LD 380, An Act To Change the Statutory Cap on Virtual Public Charter School Enrollment. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill changes the maximum total enrollment at all virtual public charter schools from 1,000 students to 2% of the total statewide enrollment for the grade levels served by the virtual public charter schools.
LD 386, An Act To Improve Operations at the Department of Education. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would correct problems at the Department of Education.
LD 406, An Act To Study the Costs and Feasibility of Requiring Industrial Arts To Be Offered in All Maine Public High Schools. (Rep. Ordway, R-Standish) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would study the costs and feasibility of requiring industrial arts to be offered in all public high schools in the State.
LD 407, An Act To Improve Education Funding through Lottery Proceeds. (Rep. Alley, D-Beals) Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a new lottery game with the proceeds dedicated to support education funding.
LD 19, An Act To Amend the Maine Education Savings Program. Emergency (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill conforms elements of the Maine Education Savings Program to recent changes to federal law affecting so-called Section 529 plans. It also makes certain other needed updates to the program and makes permissive rather than mandatory the investment of program fund dollars by the Finance Authority of Maine in state-based financial institutions.
LD 23, An Act To Reinstate and Increase the Income Tax Deduction for Contributions to Education Savings Plans. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill reinstates and increases the income tax deduction for contributions to so-called Section 529 education savings plans, providing a deduction up to $1,000 per designated beneficiary. A deduction up to $250 was in effect from 2007 to 2015.
LD 44, An Act To Establish the Summer Success Pilot Program Fund. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Summer Success Pilot Program Fund and requires the Commissioner of Education to use the fund to encourage the facilitation of high-quality summer success pilot programs in school administrative units throughout the State and does the following:
1. It provides that the fund is established as a General Fund carrying account within the Department of Education to be directed and administered by the commissioner and held by the Treasurer of State and that only General Fund appropriations may be paid into the fund;
2. It requires the commissioner to establish standards and approval for the allocation and use of fund money for summer success pilot programs offered at elementary and secondary schools in the State. It also allows the commissioner to include the following in the standards:
A. Guidelines similar to those of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to close the achievement gap between high-performing and low performing students;
B. Effective models of summer success programs that involve networking and partnerships with community-based organizations that provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development; and
C. Implementation of the formative and summative assessment methods to measure student achievement in order to monitor the progress of students participating in summer success pilot programs;
3. It provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2021-22, the department is required to provide grant funding from the fund, through a grant application process, to cover 90% of the costs of summer success pilot programs and that the department must prioritize distribution of funding to school administrative units with greater than 50% student participation in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program;
4. It adds the fund to the enhancing student performance and opportunity provisions of the Essential Programs and Services Funding Act; and
5. It requires the commissioner to annually report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs on the number of school administrative units administering summer success pilot programs, the nature of the summer success pilot programs receiving money from the fund, the amount of money distributed and the number of children participating in a summer success pilot program.
The report must also include a recommendation on whether the pilot program should continue as a pilot program, be modified or become a permanent program.
LD 68, An Act To Introduce a Career and Fiscal Management Elective Course at the High School Level. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires school administrative units operating a secondary school to offer a career and fiscal management course to students.
LD 134, An Act To Increase the Minimum Grant Award under the Maine State Grant Program. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill provides ongoing funds of $10,000,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2021-22 to the Maine State Grant Program within the Finance Authority of Maine to increase the minimum grant award from $1,000 to $2,500. This bill also amends the law to specify that the minimum grant award under the program may not be less than $2,500 if sufficient funds are appropriated for that purpose.
LD 135, An Act To Address Issues in Funding Prekindergarten Programs. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would direct the Department of Education to develop solutions to the challenges coronavirus disease 2019, also known as COVID-19, has brought to ensuring equitable funding for prekindergarten programs.
LD 138, An Act To Increase Student Reading Proficiency. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish benchmarks for reading proficiency for elementary students. The benchmarks must provide that by 2025 75% of students entering grade 4 will be proficient in reading.
LD 176, An Act To Facilitate a Grade 9 to 16 School Project. (Rep. Stearns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to facilitate a grade 9 to 16 school project.
LD 247, An Act To Improve Maine’s Education System. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures to improve kindergarten to grade 12 education.
LD 255, An Act To Ensure Student Success. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would make changes to the law to help ensure the success of students.
LD 261, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Study Truancy Trends in the State and Develop Recommendations for Increasing Student Attendance and Reducing Truancy. (Rep. Roberts, D-South Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the Department of Education to conduct a study on truancy trends in the State and develop recommendations for supporting school administrative units in increasing student attendance and reducing truancy and to submit a report with suggested legislation by January 4, 2022 to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, which may submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 281, An Act To Address Student Achievement Gaps. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds a provision to the school funding formula to provide an additional allocation of state funding to school administrative units to address student academic achievement gaps based on student race or economic status. It requires the Commissioner of Education to specify data and metrics to calculate student academic achievement gaps, to establish eligibility criteria for the adjustment and to determine the adjustment amount or method for computing the amount. It also requires eligible school administrative units to submit a plan to address academic achievement gaps prior to receipt of the adjustment each year. It authorizes the commissioner to disburse up to $10,000,000 per fiscal year to provide the adjustments.
LD 313, An Act To Advance Career and Technical Education Opportunities in Maine. (Sen. Woodsome, R-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a process that allows all high school students, including freshmen and sophomores, to explore their interest in career and technical education. Beginning with a student’s freshman year, hours in class will count toward the hourly requirement to enroll in career and technical education, which is currently 350 hours of class time. By allowing so-called “drop-in” students to try out different skill areas, the bill will enable the State to create a realistic picture of student interest and the programs needed to meet those interests and to develop a comprehensive program to fulfill workforce needs. The bill will authorize a thorough inventory of classes available across the State and an analysis of the need for more satellite programs and methods for meeting the goal of expanding satellite programs in high schools. The bill will also create a career and technical education business roundtable, where interested employers would identify their workforce needs now and in the future, including required skill sets, ensuring that the State’s career and technical education programs fit business needs and providing partners in on-the-job training. The bill will address existing barriers to expanding comprehensive career and technical education programs by developing a process to eliminate half-day career and technical education, which creates busing costs and interrupts instruction, and instead bring teachers to career and technical education students. The bill will also address the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, courses in the career and technical education setting. The bill will recommend changes to the career and technical education certification process to address the shortage of career and technical education teachers by acknowledging skills demonstrated in a trade or profession. Overall, the bill will help to create multiple pathways for students to learn and demonstrate their knowledge in the career and technical education setting while creating programs that address the State’s critical workforce shortage.
LD 325, An Act To Expand the Definition of “Education Disruption” To Include States of Emergency That Limit Students’ Access to On-site Education for Longer Than 15 School Days. Emergency. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill allows students whose access to on-site education is limited as a result of a state of emergency, such as that resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, to be classified as having experienced education disruption and eligible for school work recognition plans that will demonstrate achievement under Maine’s system of learning results.
LD 334, An Act To Help Maine Students Catch Up and Keep Up by Providing Remedial and Compensatory Assistance in Response to Education Disruption. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill, as emergency legislation, would establish methods, services and programs to help provide students with remedial and compensatory assistance in response to education disruption resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
LD 380, An Act To Change the Statutory Cap on Virtual Public Charter School Enrollment. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill changes the maximum total enrollment at all virtual public charter schools from 1,000 students to 2% of the total statewide enrollment for the grade levels served by the virtual public charter schools.
LD 386, An Act To Improve Operations at the Department of Education. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would correct problems at the Department of Education.
LD 406, An Act To Study the Costs and Feasibility of Requiring Industrial Arts To Be Offered in All Maine Public High Schools. (Rep. Ordway, R-Standish) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would study the costs and feasibility of requiring industrial arts to be offered in all public high schools in the State.
LD 407, An Act To Improve Education Funding through Lottery Proceeds. (Rep. Alley, D-Beals) Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a new lottery game with the proceeds dedicated to support education funding.
Environmental Legislation...
LD 39, An Act To Remove the Plastic Bag Ban. (Sen. Guerin, R-Penobscot) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.
LD 49, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Invest in Infrastructure To Address Sea Level Rise. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $50,000,000, will be used to improve waterfront and coastal infrastructure in municipalities to address sea level rise.
LD 57, An Act To Reduce the Landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the existing $2 per ton municipal solid waste surcharge statute in the laws governing solid waste management. It also amends the State's waste handling fee statute to impose a $1 per ton disposal fee on all municipal solid waste disposed of at a commercial, municipal, state-owned or regional association landfill.
LD 64, RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding Environmental Rights. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to provide that every person has a right to a clean and healthy environment. This includes the right to clean air, pure water and healthy habitats. The amendment requires the State to preserve public natural resources.
LD 92, An Act To Amend the Waste Motor Oil Disposal Site Remediation Program. Emergency (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill amends the Finance Authority of Maine's waste motor oil disposal site remediation program by directing all remaining funds in the Waste Motor Oil Revenue Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection's Uncontrolled Sites Fund and by repealing the laws governing the program. Except for the statutory provision regarding the premium imposed on the sale or distribution of motor vehicle oil, the laws governing the program are repealed September 30, 2021. The premium imposed on the sale or distribution of motor vehicle oil was previously terminated by operation of law, and the repeal of the corresponding statutory provision is effective when the legislation is approved. The bill also amends other sections of law by correcting cross-references and making technical changes resulting from the repeal of the laws governing the program.
LD 99, An Act To Require the State To Divest Itself of Assets Invested in the Fossil Fuel Industry. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the State to divest itself of assets invested in the fossil fuel industry.
LD 108, An Act To Improve Public Safety by Repealing the Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Ban. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.The purpose of this repeal is to allow the use of single-use bags instead of reusable bags and prevent the spread of disease that may exist on reusable bags.
LD 163, An Act To Revise Maine's Environmental Laws. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to revise laws governing environmental protection
LD 226, An Act To Limit the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons To Fight Climate Change. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill prohibits the sale, lease, rent, installation, use or entering into commerce of any product or equipment that uses or will use a substance that is a hydrofluorocarbon with high global warming potential intended for any air conditioning, refrigeration, foam or aerosol propellant end use as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection in rules. It directs the department to adopt rules to implement the prohibition and specifies the substances and end uses that are to be addressed in the rules. In adopting the initial rules, the department must regulate each substance and end use as specifically provided for in the bill and may not regulate any substance or end use not addressed in the bill. In the future, the department may adopt rules adding or removing substances from the list of prohibited substances or adding or removing end uses.
LD 244, An Act To Repeal Maine's Single-use Plastic Bag Law. (Sen. Davis, R-Piscataquis) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.
LD 259, An Act To Improve Solid Waste Management. (Rep. McDonald, D-Stonington) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures to improve solid waste management.
LD 260, An Act To Clarify the Establishment, Collection and Use of Certain Fees for Nonwetland Habitat Mitigation Required by the Department of Environmental Protection for Project Permitting. (Rep. Grohoski, D-Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to clarify how fees for habitat or species mitigation required by state agencies for project permitting are established, collected and spent to achieve appropriate mitigation goals outside the existing program established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 480-Z.
LD 316, An Act To Prohibit the Use of Chlorpyrifos. (Rep. Doudera, I-Camden) Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. This bill prohibits the use of pesticides containing chlorpyrifos as an active ingredient beginning January 1, 2022. From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 the Board of Pesticides Control may grant a temporary permit authorizing a pesticides applicator licensed by the State to use or apply a pesticide containing chlorpyrifos as an active ingredient, as long as that licensed pesticides applicator possessed the pesticide in the State before January 1, 2022. The board is required to post on its publicly accessible website information on the temporary permits issued.
LD 359, An Act To Promote Energy Production from Recyclable Plastics. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures that promote the production of energy by waste to-energy facilities in the State through the incineration of collected recyclable plastics that cannot be profitably sold as a recycled commodity.
LD 39, An Act To Remove the Plastic Bag Ban. (Sen. Guerin, R-Penobscot) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.
LD 49, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Invest in Infrastructure To Address Sea Level Rise. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $50,000,000, will be used to improve waterfront and coastal infrastructure in municipalities to address sea level rise.
LD 57, An Act To Reduce the Landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the existing $2 per ton municipal solid waste surcharge statute in the laws governing solid waste management. It also amends the State's waste handling fee statute to impose a $1 per ton disposal fee on all municipal solid waste disposed of at a commercial, municipal, state-owned or regional association landfill.
LD 64, RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine Regarding Environmental Rights. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to provide that every person has a right to a clean and healthy environment. This includes the right to clean air, pure water and healthy habitats. The amendment requires the State to preserve public natural resources.
LD 92, An Act To Amend the Waste Motor Oil Disposal Site Remediation Program. Emergency (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill amends the Finance Authority of Maine's waste motor oil disposal site remediation program by directing all remaining funds in the Waste Motor Oil Revenue Fund to the Department of Environmental Protection's Uncontrolled Sites Fund and by repealing the laws governing the program. Except for the statutory provision regarding the premium imposed on the sale or distribution of motor vehicle oil, the laws governing the program are repealed September 30, 2021. The premium imposed on the sale or distribution of motor vehicle oil was previously terminated by operation of law, and the repeal of the corresponding statutory provision is effective when the legislation is approved. The bill also amends other sections of law by correcting cross-references and making technical changes resulting from the repeal of the laws governing the program.
LD 99, An Act To Require the State To Divest Itself of Assets Invested in the Fossil Fuel Industry. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the State to divest itself of assets invested in the fossil fuel industry.
LD 108, An Act To Improve Public Safety by Repealing the Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bag Ban. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.The purpose of this repeal is to allow the use of single-use bags instead of reusable bags and prevent the spread of disease that may exist on reusable bags.
LD 163, An Act To Revise Maine's Environmental Laws. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to revise laws governing environmental protection
LD 226, An Act To Limit the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons To Fight Climate Change. (Rep. Tucker, D-Brunswick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill prohibits the sale, lease, rent, installation, use or entering into commerce of any product or equipment that uses or will use a substance that is a hydrofluorocarbon with high global warming potential intended for any air conditioning, refrigeration, foam or aerosol propellant end use as determined by the Department of Environmental Protection in rules. It directs the department to adopt rules to implement the prohibition and specifies the substances and end uses that are to be addressed in the rules. In adopting the initial rules, the department must regulate each substance and end use as specifically provided for in the bill and may not regulate any substance or end use not addressed in the bill. In the future, the department may adopt rules adding or removing substances from the list of prohibited substances or adding or removing end uses.
LD 244, An Act To Repeal Maine's Single-use Plastic Bag Law. (Sen. Davis, R-Piscataquis) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the law restricting the use of single-use carry-out plastic bags by retail stores and instead allows a retailer to use plastic bags to bag products at the point of retail sale if the retailer locates inside the store or within 20 feet of the main entrance to the store a receptacle for collecting any used plastic bags and ensures that the plastic bags collected are recycled or delivered to a person engaged in recycling plastics.
LD 259, An Act To Improve Solid Waste Management. (Rep. McDonald, D-Stonington) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures to improve solid waste management.
LD 260, An Act To Clarify the Establishment, Collection and Use of Certain Fees for Nonwetland Habitat Mitigation Required by the Department of Environmental Protection for Project Permitting. (Rep. Grohoski, D-Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to clarify how fees for habitat or species mitigation required by state agencies for project permitting are established, collected and spent to achieve appropriate mitigation goals outside the existing program established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 480-Z.
LD 316, An Act To Prohibit the Use of Chlorpyrifos. (Rep. Doudera, I-Camden) Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. This bill prohibits the use of pesticides containing chlorpyrifos as an active ingredient beginning January 1, 2022. From January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 the Board of Pesticides Control may grant a temporary permit authorizing a pesticides applicator licensed by the State to use or apply a pesticide containing chlorpyrifos as an active ingredient, as long as that licensed pesticides applicator possessed the pesticide in the State before January 1, 2022. The board is required to post on its publicly accessible website information on the temporary permits issued.
LD 359, An Act To Promote Energy Production from Recyclable Plastics. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to enact measures that promote the production of energy by waste to-energy facilities in the State through the incineration of collected recyclable plastics that cannot be profitably sold as a recycled commodity.
Health Care Legislation...
LD 1, An Act To Establish the COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights. Emergency (President Ttroy Jackson, D-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill establishes certain requirements for the protection of health care consumers with regard to testing, treatment and immunization for COVID-19. Part A of the bill requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for COVID-19 screening, testing and immunization services and prohibits a carrier from imposing any cost-sharing requirements on consumers for those services. Part B of the bill authorizes a pharmacist to administer COVID-19 vaccines licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration that are recommended by the United 19States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for administration to a person 16 years of age or older. Part B also provides that registered nurses, providers of osteopathic medicine, providers of allopathic medicine, podiatrists and dentists may prescribe to a patient a prescription drug for an extended period of time, not to exceed a 180-day supply, during a state of emergency declared by the Governor. Part C of the bill authorizes the delivery of health care services through telehealth by audio-only telephone.
LD 1, An Act To Establish the COVID-19 Patient Bill of Rights. Emergency (President Ttroy Jackson, D-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill establishes certain requirements for the protection of health care consumers with regard to testing, treatment and immunization for COVID-19. Part A of the bill requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for COVID-19 screening, testing and immunization services and prohibits a carrier from imposing any cost-sharing requirements on consumers for those services. Part B of the bill authorizes a pharmacist to administer COVID-19 vaccines licensed by the United States Food and Drug Administration that are recommended by the United 19States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for administration to a person 16 years of age or older. Part B also provides that registered nurses, providers of osteopathic medicine, providers of allopathic medicine, podiatrists and dentists may prescribe to a patient a prescription drug for an extended period of time, not to exceed a 180-day supply, during a state of emergency declared by the Governor. Part C of the bill authorizes the delivery of health care services through telehealth by audio-only telephone.
Labor Legislation...
LD 61, An Act To Include Grandparents under Maine's Family Medical Leave Laws. (Rep. Paul Sterns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows a grandparent to request employee family medical leave in order to care for a grandchild who has a serious health condition.
LD 137, An Act Regarding Absence from Work for Emergency Response. (Rep. Grohoski, D- Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. Current law requires that, in order to avoid being subject to discharge or discipline for failure to report for work or being absent when responding to an emergency, an employee who is also a firefighter or emergency medical services person must have presented to the employer within 30 days of employment a copy of a fire department or emergency medical services provider policy that specifies the circumstances under which the employee is needed to respond to an emergency and that affirms that the employee will be released as soon as practicable.This bill removes the requirement that the employee present the copy within 30 days of employment and instead requires that the employee present the copy within 30 days of notifying the employer of the employee's status as a firefighter or emergency medical services person.
LD 177, An Act To Improve Labor Laws for Workers in Maine. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to improve labor laws for workers in Maine
LD 182, An Act To Expand the Definition of "Essential Worker" To Include Retail and Food Service Workers. (Rep. Paulhus, D-Bath) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to expand the definition of "essential worker" during a pandemic or other emergency to include retail and food service workers.
LD 225, This bill proposes to expand the definition of "essential worker" during a pandemic or 6other emergency to include retail and food service workers. (Rep. Roeder, D-Bangor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill amends the law governing the provision of vacation pay on cessation of employment. Under current law, on cessation of employment, if the terms of employment or established practice includes provisions for paid vacations, vacation pay has the same status as wages earned. This bill provides that on cessation of employment all accrued vacation pay must be paid to the employee.
LD 61, An Act To Include Grandparents under Maine's Family Medical Leave Laws. (Rep. Paul Sterns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows a grandparent to request employee family medical leave in order to care for a grandchild who has a serious health condition.
LD 137, An Act Regarding Absence from Work for Emergency Response. (Rep. Grohoski, D- Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. Current law requires that, in order to avoid being subject to discharge or discipline for failure to report for work or being absent when responding to an emergency, an employee who is also a firefighter or emergency medical services person must have presented to the employer within 30 days of employment a copy of a fire department or emergency medical services provider policy that specifies the circumstances under which the employee is needed to respond to an emergency and that affirms that the employee will be released as soon as practicable.This bill removes the requirement that the employee present the copy within 30 days of employment and instead requires that the employee present the copy within 30 days of notifying the employer of the employee's status as a firefighter or emergency medical services person.
LD 177, An Act To Improve Labor Laws for Workers in Maine. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to improve labor laws for workers in Maine
LD 182, An Act To Expand the Definition of "Essential Worker" To Include Retail and Food Service Workers. (Rep. Paulhus, D-Bath) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to expand the definition of "essential worker" during a pandemic or other emergency to include retail and food service workers.
LD 225, This bill proposes to expand the definition of "essential worker" during a pandemic or 6other emergency to include retail and food service workers. (Rep. Roeder, D-Bangor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill amends the law governing the provision of vacation pay on cessation of employment. Under current law, on cessation of employment, if the terms of employment or established practice includes provisions for paid vacations, vacation pay has the same status as wages earned. This bill provides that on cessation of employment all accrued vacation pay must be paid to the employee.
Taxation...
LD 42, An Act Making Certain Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and Changes Certain Provisions of Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is the Supplemental Budget bill for FY 2021. The bill as amended by the change package does not fully conform with the federal government on certain provisions such as the treatment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, the Federal Derived Intanguible Income Provision, the treatment of net operating losses and other business provisions.
LD 141, An Act to Make Technical Changes to the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes technical changes to the sales, income and property tax laws.
LD 142, An Act to Make Technical Changes to the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes technical changes to the sales, income and property tax laws.
LD 147, An Act to Update References to the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 Contained in the Maine Revised Statutes and Amend Income Tax Modifications and the Maine Capital Investment Tax Credit. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes changes to the Maine income tax laws.
LD 169, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Stimulate Investment in Innovation by Maine Businesses to Produce Nationally and Globally Competitive Products and Services. (Sen. Luchini, D-Hancock) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The bill would provide for a $100,000,000 bond issue to be used for investments in research and development and commercialization in the State’s 7 targeted sectors used for infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share and to expand employment or preserve jobs.
LD 241, An Act to Support the Trades Through a Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Programs. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would allow an employer to qualifuy for up to a $2500 income tax credit for employing an apprentice participating in an approved apprenticeship program up to 2,000 hours. The bill also provides for a partial credit if the amount of time was less than 2,000 hours.
LD 276, An Act to Improve and Update Maine’s Tax Laws. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 288, An Act to Conform the Maine Income Tax Laws with Federal Law to Exempt Paycheck Protection Program Loans from Being Considered Taxable Income. (Sen. Dill, D-Penobscot) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would conform Maine income tax law to the federal laws exempting PPP loans from taxation.
LD 304, An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operation of State Government. (Sen. Breen, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 308, An Act to Promote Research and Development in the State by Increasing and Marketing the Research Expense Tax Credit. (Sen. Stewart) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill increases the research and expense tax credit by doubling the allowable expenditures eligible for the credit.
LD 392, An Act to Amend the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 428, An Act to Prevent Tax Haven Abuse. (Rep. Tepler, D-Topsham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would require corporations to file unitary income tax returns in Maine to include income from certain jurisdictions outside the United States in net income when appportioning income among tax jurisdictions.
LD 42, An Act Making Certain Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and Changes Certain Provisions of Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is the Supplemental Budget bill for FY 2021. The bill as amended by the change package does not fully conform with the federal government on certain provisions such as the treatment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, the Federal Derived Intanguible Income Provision, the treatment of net operating losses and other business provisions.
LD 141, An Act to Make Technical Changes to the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes technical changes to the sales, income and property tax laws.
LD 142, An Act to Make Technical Changes to the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes technical changes to the sales, income and property tax laws.
LD 147, An Act to Update References to the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986 Contained in the Maine Revised Statutes and Amend Income Tax Modifications and the Maine Capital Investment Tax Credit. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill makes changes to the Maine income tax laws.
LD 169, An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue to Stimulate Investment in Innovation by Maine Businesses to Produce Nationally and Globally Competitive Products and Services. (Sen. Luchini, D-Hancock) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The bill would provide for a $100,000,000 bond issue to be used for investments in research and development and commercialization in the State’s 7 targeted sectors used for infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades that enable organizations to gain and hold market share and to expand employment or preserve jobs.
LD 241, An Act to Support the Trades Through a Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Programs. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would allow an employer to qualifuy for up to a $2500 income tax credit for employing an apprentice participating in an approved apprenticeship program up to 2,000 hours. The bill also provides for a partial credit if the amount of time was less than 2,000 hours.
LD 276, An Act to Improve and Update Maine’s Tax Laws. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 288, An Act to Conform the Maine Income Tax Laws with Federal Law to Exempt Paycheck Protection Program Loans from Being Considered Taxable Income. (Sen. Dill, D-Penobscot) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would conform Maine income tax law to the federal laws exempting PPP loans from taxation.
LD 304, An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operation of State Government. (Sen. Breen, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 308, An Act to Promote Research and Development in the State by Increasing and Marketing the Research Expense Tax Credit. (Sen. Stewart) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill increases the research and expense tax credit by doubling the allowable expenditures eligible for the credit.
LD 392, An Act to Amend the Tax Laws. (Rep. Terry, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 428, An Act to Prevent Tax Haven Abuse. (Rep. Tepler, D-Topsham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would require corporations to file unitary income tax returns in Maine to include income from certain jurisdictions outside the United States in net income when appportioning income among tax jurisdictions.
Utilities and Energy Legislation...
LD 9, An Act To Promote Renewable Energy by Authorizing a Power-to-fuel Pilot Program. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish and oversee a power-to fuel pilot program. The commission is required to approve up to 2 power-to-fuel projects between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2027, each up to 10 megawatts in production capacity, that convert renewable energy to hydrogen gas, methane gas or other fuel. Under the pilot program, sales of renewable energy to a power-to-fuel project are exempt from distribution charges, charges associated with the procurement of energy efficiency resources and renewable portfolio standards requirements for a period of 15 years from the date of operation of the power-to-fuel project. The bill requires the commission to submit a report on the pilot program by November 1, 2023 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters.
LD 80, An Act To Provide Critical Communications for Family Farms, Businesses and Residences by Strategic Public Investment in High-speed Internet and Broadband Infrastructure. (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires that 33% of sales and use tax revenue collected by the State Tax Assessor from marketplace facilitators, with respect to marketplace-facilitated sales, after required transfers to other funds be transferred to the ConnectMaine Authority to further deployment of high-speed Internet and broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved areas of the State.
LD 82, Resolve, To Provide for Participation of the State in the Planning and Negotiations for the Atlantic Loop Energy Project. Emergency (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve provides for the immediate, direct involvement of the State in the planning and negotiations on the Atlantic Loop, a Canadian electric transmission and power supply project intended to pass through the State, enabling possible participation in it on an equal footing with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
LD 101, An Act To Prohibit Offshore Wind Energy Development. (Rep. Faulkingham, R- Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill prohibits any department or agency of the State or any political subdivision of the State from permitting, approving or otherwise authorizing an offshore wind energy development project. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Land Use Planning Commission, the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection each to submit by December 1, 2021 legislation necessary to align those provisions of law under their respective jurisdictions with the prohibition on offshore wind energy development projects. Under the bill, the term "offshore wind energy development project" includes community-based offshore wind energy projects, deep-water offshore wind energy pilot projects, offshore wind energy demonstration projects and offshore wind power projects, which are all categories of projects currently authorized by law.
LD 201, An Act To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promote Weatherization in the Buildings Sector by Extending the Sunset Date for the Historic Property Rehabilitation Tax Credit. (Sen. Libby, D-Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill amends the definition of "certified qualified rehabilitation expenditure" under the law governing the tax credit for rehabilitation of historic properties to extend from December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2040 the date by which the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service must determine a proposed rehabilitation of a structure meets its standards for rehabilitation in order for a taxpayer to claim an income tax credit for a qualified rehabilitation expenditure.
LD 249, An Act To Eliminate the Current Net Energy Billing Policy in Maine. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill repeals the laws that authorized the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules governing net energy billing and that directed the commission to establish a net energy billing program for commercial and institutional customers of investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities and prohibits the commission from adopting rules that require a transmission and distribution utility to allow a customer to participate in net energy billing.
LD 251, An Act Regarding Public Utility Assessments, Fees and Penalties. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.
1. It requires the Public Utilities Commission and the Public Advocate, respectively,in calculating assessments charged to public utilities to apportion the assessment within each category of public utility, that is, transmission and distribution, gas, telephone and water, between investor-owned utilities and consumer-owned utilities based on an accounting of the portion of the commission's resources and the Public Advocate's resources, respectively, devoted to matters related to investor-owned utilities and the portion devoted to matters related to consumer-owned utilities.
2. It requires the commission, in its annual report, to report on any filing fees or penalties collected from public utilities in the previous year that have not been adjusted in the previous 5 years and to provide draft legislation to adjust the dollar value of filing fees and penalties based on the actuarially compounded Consumer Price Index for each fee and penalty since the last adjustment.
3. It requires the commission and the Public Advocate to report annually, beginning in 2022, on the portion of resources devoted to matters related to investor-owned utilities and the portion of resources devoted to matters related to consumer-owned utilities and on commission and Public Advocate expenses, respectively, per dollar of intrastate gross operating revenue for investor-owned utilities and consumer-owned utilities.
4. It amends the law governing filing fees for reorganizations of utilities to authorize the commission to order a filing fee of up to .05% of the estimated total value of the reorganization and to require the commission to order payment of a filing fee equal to .05% of the estimated total value of the reorganization if a reorganization would result in the transfer of ownership and control of a public utility or the parent company of a public utility. Under current law the commission may charge a filing fee of up to $50,000 to an applicant seeking approval for a reorganization.
5. It requires the commission to submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature to adjust all fees and penalties paid by public utilities based on the actuarially compounded Consumer Price Index for each fee or penalty since enactment.
LD 314, An Act To Continue the Green Power Electricity Offer. Emergency (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill removes the repeal of the requirement that the Public Utilities Commission arrange for a green power offer for electricity.
LD 337, An Act Regarding Energy, Utilities and Technology. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to amend the laws governing energy, utilities and technology.
LD 9, An Act To Promote Renewable Energy by Authorizing a Power-to-fuel Pilot Program. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish and oversee a power-to fuel pilot program. The commission is required to approve up to 2 power-to-fuel projects between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2027, each up to 10 megawatts in production capacity, that convert renewable energy to hydrogen gas, methane gas or other fuel. Under the pilot program, sales of renewable energy to a power-to-fuel project are exempt from distribution charges, charges associated with the procurement of energy efficiency resources and renewable portfolio standards requirements for a period of 15 years from the date of operation of the power-to-fuel project. The bill requires the commission to submit a report on the pilot program by November 1, 2023 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters.
LD 80, An Act To Provide Critical Communications for Family Farms, Businesses and Residences by Strategic Public Investment in High-speed Internet and Broadband Infrastructure. (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires that 33% of sales and use tax revenue collected by the State Tax Assessor from marketplace facilitators, with respect to marketplace-facilitated sales, after required transfers to other funds be transferred to the ConnectMaine Authority to further deployment of high-speed Internet and broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved areas of the State.
LD 82, Resolve, To Provide for Participation of the State in the Planning and Negotiations for the Atlantic Loop Energy Project. Emergency (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve provides for the immediate, direct involvement of the State in the planning and negotiations on the Atlantic Loop, a Canadian electric transmission and power supply project intended to pass through the State, enabling possible participation in it on an equal footing with the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
LD 101, An Act To Prohibit Offshore Wind Energy Development. (Rep. Faulkingham, R- Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill prohibits any department or agency of the State or any political subdivision of the State from permitting, approving or otherwise authorizing an offshore wind energy development project. The bill also requires the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Land Use Planning Commission, the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Environmental Protection each to submit by December 1, 2021 legislation necessary to align those provisions of law under their respective jurisdictions with the prohibition on offshore wind energy development projects. Under the bill, the term "offshore wind energy development project" includes community-based offshore wind energy projects, deep-water offshore wind energy pilot projects, offshore wind energy demonstration projects and offshore wind power projects, which are all categories of projects currently authorized by law.
LD 201, An Act To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Promote Weatherization in the Buildings Sector by Extending the Sunset Date for the Historic Property Rehabilitation Tax Credit. (Sen. Libby, D-Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill amends the definition of "certified qualified rehabilitation expenditure" under the law governing the tax credit for rehabilitation of historic properties to extend from December 31, 2025 to December 31, 2040 the date by which the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service must determine a proposed rehabilitation of a structure meets its standards for rehabilitation in order for a taxpayer to claim an income tax credit for a qualified rehabilitation expenditure.
LD 249, An Act To Eliminate the Current Net Energy Billing Policy in Maine. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill repeals the laws that authorized the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules governing net energy billing and that directed the commission to establish a net energy billing program for commercial and institutional customers of investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities and prohibits the commission from adopting rules that require a transmission and distribution utility to allow a customer to participate in net energy billing.
LD 251, An Act Regarding Public Utility Assessments, Fees and Penalties. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.
1. It requires the Public Utilities Commission and the Public Advocate, respectively,in calculating assessments charged to public utilities to apportion the assessment within each category of public utility, that is, transmission and distribution, gas, telephone and water, between investor-owned utilities and consumer-owned utilities based on an accounting of the portion of the commission's resources and the Public Advocate's resources, respectively, devoted to matters related to investor-owned utilities and the portion devoted to matters related to consumer-owned utilities.
2. It requires the commission, in its annual report, to report on any filing fees or penalties collected from public utilities in the previous year that have not been adjusted in the previous 5 years and to provide draft legislation to adjust the dollar value of filing fees and penalties based on the actuarially compounded Consumer Price Index for each fee and penalty since the last adjustment.
3. It requires the commission and the Public Advocate to report annually, beginning in 2022, on the portion of resources devoted to matters related to investor-owned utilities and the portion of resources devoted to matters related to consumer-owned utilities and on commission and Public Advocate expenses, respectively, per dollar of intrastate gross operating revenue for investor-owned utilities and consumer-owned utilities.
4. It amends the law governing filing fees for reorganizations of utilities to authorize the commission to order a filing fee of up to .05% of the estimated total value of the reorganization and to require the commission to order payment of a filing fee equal to .05% of the estimated total value of the reorganization if a reorganization would result in the transfer of ownership and control of a public utility or the parent company of a public utility. Under current law the commission may charge a filing fee of up to $50,000 to an applicant seeking approval for a reorganization.
5. It requires the commission to submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature to adjust all fees and penalties paid by public utilities based on the actuarially compounded Consumer Price Index for each fee or penalty since enactment.
LD 314, An Act To Continue the Green Power Electricity Offer. Emergency (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill removes the repeal of the requirement that the Public Utilities Commission arrange for a green power offer for electricity.
LD 337, An Act Regarding Energy, Utilities and Technology. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to amend the laws governing energy, utilities and technology.
Workforce Development Legislation...
LD 105, An Act To Adopt the Department of Economic and Community Development's 10-year Economic Development Strategy for Maine. (Rep. Bailey, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to codify the 10-year economic development strategy for Maine that was developed by the Department of Economic and Community Development in 2019. The bill would provide additional clarity and include requirements for the Maine Economic Growth Council to fulfill its statutory mandate to develop, maintain and evaluate Maine’s long-range strategic economic and community development plan and build out the adopted 10-year strategy. It would also include provisions to support the State’s achievement of the adopted goals and objectives by establishing requirements for the Governor, the Legislature and state agencies to engage in the ongoing evaluation, reporting and review of the strategy.
LD 127, Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Program To Provide Grants for Professional Development in Computer Science Instruction. Emergency (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve establishes a 2-year pilot program to provide grants for professional development in computer science instruction.
LD 144, An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions To Bolster Maine's Future Workforce. (Spkr. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill authorizes the issuance and use of up to $20,000,000 in Maine Governmental Facilities Authority securities for capital improvements to career and technical education centers and regions.
LD 149, An Act To Facilitate Licensure for Credentialed Individuals from Other Jurisdictions. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill implements some of the recommendations of Resolve 2019, chapter 79 directing the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation to form a working group to assess barriers to professional licensure for skilled individuals with foreign credentials and licensees of other states who apply for Maine licensure. It allows the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to exercise discretionary authority, after consultation with licensing entities, to waive documentation requirements for licensure submitted by applicants educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions, as long as the waiver does not reduce the requisite standards of proficiency for the licensed profession or occupation. It allows the director to exercise discretionary authority to waive examination fees and license fees for applicants for licensure educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions. It also allows the office, or a licensing board or commission within the office, to grant provisional licenses to applicants educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions. It provides the director with rule-making authority to implement these discretionary authorities. It provides the director with the authority to adopt rules to define the term "jurisdiction" for licensing purposes to mean a state, a United States territory, a foreign nation or a foreign administrative division that issues a license or credential. It provides the director with the authority to accept funds from the Federal Government, from any political subdivision of the State or from any individual, foundation or corporation, to expend those funds for purposes consistent with the purposes of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 8003 and to provide grants to nongovernmental entities for purposes consistent with that law. It also develops a process for licensure by endorsement for United States license holders who meet certain criteria.
LD 210, An Act To Require Crane Operators To Be Licensed. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to require licensure of crane operators by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. A sunrise review regarding licensure of crane operators was completed by the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation in 2020 pursuant to Resolve 2019, chapter 75.
LD 241, An Act To Support the Trades through a Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Programs. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill permits an employer that employs an apprentice participating in an approved apprenticeship program to receive an income tax credit of $2,500 and provides for a partial credit if the employer employs a participating apprentice for fewer than 2,000 hours during the taxable year.
LD 298, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Capital Improvements and Equipment for Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions To Prepare Students To Join Maine’s Workforce. (Rep. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, will be used to provide funds to make capital improvements to and purchase equipment for career and technical education centers and regions for high school students.
LD 414, An Act To Create Parity between Private Schools and Public Schools Regarding Career and Technical Education Tuition Rates. (Rep. O’Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Under current law, a school that receives tuition students who are enrolled in regular school day career and technical educational programs at career and technical education centers, satellites or career and technical education regions may only charge a tuition rate of up to 2/3 of the maximum tuition rate. Public schools do not have this limitation and are not limited to 2/3 of the funding for a student who enrolls in such a program. This bill repeals this limitation on schools that receive tuition students to create parity with public schools.
LD 105, An Act To Adopt the Department of Economic and Community Development's 10-year Economic Development Strategy for Maine. (Rep. Bailey, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to codify the 10-year economic development strategy for Maine that was developed by the Department of Economic and Community Development in 2019. The bill would provide additional clarity and include requirements for the Maine Economic Growth Council to fulfill its statutory mandate to develop, maintain and evaluate Maine’s long-range strategic economic and community development plan and build out the adopted 10-year strategy. It would also include provisions to support the State’s achievement of the adopted goals and objectives by establishing requirements for the Governor, the Legislature and state agencies to engage in the ongoing evaluation, reporting and review of the strategy.
LD 127, Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Program To Provide Grants for Professional Development in Computer Science Instruction. Emergency (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve establishes a 2-year pilot program to provide grants for professional development in computer science instruction.
LD 144, An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions To Bolster Maine's Future Workforce. (Spkr. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill authorizes the issuance and use of up to $20,000,000 in Maine Governmental Facilities Authority securities for capital improvements to career and technical education centers and regions.
LD 149, An Act To Facilitate Licensure for Credentialed Individuals from Other Jurisdictions. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill implements some of the recommendations of Resolve 2019, chapter 79 directing the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation to form a working group to assess barriers to professional licensure for skilled individuals with foreign credentials and licensees of other states who apply for Maine licensure. It allows the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to exercise discretionary authority, after consultation with licensing entities, to waive documentation requirements for licensure submitted by applicants educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions, as long as the waiver does not reduce the requisite standards of proficiency for the licensed profession or occupation. It allows the director to exercise discretionary authority to waive examination fees and license fees for applicants for licensure educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions. It also allows the office, or a licensing board or commission within the office, to grant provisional licenses to applicants educated in or with relevant experience or licensure in other jurisdictions, including other states, United States territories, foreign nations and foreign administrative divisions. It provides the director with rule-making authority to implement these discretionary authorities. It provides the director with the authority to adopt rules to define the term "jurisdiction" for licensing purposes to mean a state, a United States territory, a foreign nation or a foreign administrative division that issues a license or credential. It provides the director with the authority to accept funds from the Federal Government, from any political subdivision of the State or from any individual, foundation or corporation, to expend those funds for purposes consistent with the purposes of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 8003 and to provide grants to nongovernmental entities for purposes consistent with that law. It also develops a process for licensure by endorsement for United States license holders who meet certain criteria.
LD 210, An Act To Require Crane Operators To Be Licensed. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to require licensure of crane operators by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. A sunrise review regarding licensure of crane operators was completed by the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation in 2020 pursuant to Resolve 2019, chapter 75.
LD 241, An Act To Support the Trades through a Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Programs. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill permits an employer that employs an apprentice participating in an approved apprenticeship program to receive an income tax credit of $2,500 and provides for a partial credit if the employer employs a participating apprentice for fewer than 2,000 hours during the taxable year.
LD 298, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Capital Improvements and Equipment for Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions To Prepare Students To Join Maine’s Workforce. (Rep. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, will be used to provide funds to make capital improvements to and purchase equipment for career and technical education centers and regions for high school students.
LD 414, An Act To Create Parity between Private Schools and Public Schools Regarding Career and Technical Education Tuition Rates. (Rep. O’Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Under current law, a school that receives tuition students who are enrolled in regular school day career and technical educational programs at career and technical education centers, satellites or career and technical education regions may only charge a tuition rate of up to 2/3 of the maximum tuition rate. Public schools do not have this limitation and are not limited to 2/3 of the funding for a student who enrolls in such a program. This bill repeals this limitation on schools that receive tuition students to create parity with public schools.