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 275 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 384, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund the Transition from a Fossil Fuel-based to an Electrical Energy Economy. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would authorize a General Fund bond issue, which would require a 2/3 approval by both Houses of the Legislature, to fund the transition from a fossil fuel-based to an electrical energy economy.
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 384, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund the Transition from a Fossil Fuel-based to an Electrical Energy Economy. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would authorize a General Fund bond issue, which would require a 2/3 approval by both Houses of the Legislature, to fund the transition from a fossil fuel-based to an electrical energy economy.
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 429, An Act To Protect the Health of Students and Educators by Requiring the Establishment of Health and Safety Committees in School Administrative Units. Emergency (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires each school administrative unit to establish a health and safety committee to coordinate planning and response to health and safety matters affecting students and staff of the school administrative unit. It requires these committees to prioritize planning and response to health and safety concerns associated with the outbreak of COVID-19 while there is in effect a state of emergency declared by the Governor due to COVID-19. The bill specifies that each committee must include teachers and other school employees, school administrators, school board members and parents of students.
LD 430, An Act To Provide for School Choice and Online Learning Opportunities in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Rep. Andrews, R-Paris) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill removes the limits on virtual public charter school enrollment and the number of public charter schools that may operate. It also removes the prohibition on the expansion of a virtual public charter school to serve a grade level not included in the school's charter contract.
LD 432, Resolve, To Improve Behavioral Health Care for Children. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to amend rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 65 to reimburse for additional collateral contacts for children's home and community-based treatment. Those additional collateral contacts are between the child's mental health professional and parents, medical providers, psychiatric providers, residential providers, case managers and school personnel as long as the goal of the collateral contact is included in the goals of the individual treatment plan.
LD 435, An Act To Provide a Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Certain Educational Collaboratives. (Rep. Pickett, R-East Dixfield) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for an incorporated nonprofit collaborative whose members are regional school units and that is organized to assist those units with professional development opportunities and services.
LD 465, An Act To Update the Laws Regarding Private Schools That Serve At-risk Youth. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) 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 regarding the laws governing private schools that serve at-risk youth.
LD 481, An Act To Propose a General Fund Bond Issue To Train Workers in High-demand Sectors and Support the State's 10-year Economic Plan Goal of Increasing Wages by 10 Percent. (Rep. Millett, R-Waterford) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $80,000,000, will be used to provide funding to train workers in high-demand sectors and support the State's goal of increasing average annual wages in the State by 10%. The funding would be provided in $20,000,000 increments over 4 years in accordance with programmatic and return-on investment goals that must be met by the Maine Community College System.
LD 509, An Act To Protect Teachers from a Decrease in Retirement Benefits Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Rep. Dodge, D-Belfast) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows a teacher nearing retirement who experiences a reduction in income from the elimination of an extracurricular or cocurricular position due to circumstances related to COVID-19 to purchase service credit in the state retirement system for the period of income loss from the extracurricular or cocurricular position. The opportunity to purchase service credit is limited to teachers who are in their last 3 years of service and who previously earned income from an extracurricular or cocurricular position that is eliminated or otherwise unavailable during the period between January 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022.
LD 516, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Review Career and Technical Education Courses and Provide Guidance on High School Credit Equivalencies. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the Department of Education to conduct a review of career and technical education courses available in the State and provide guidance into the number of contact hours and equivalent credits for each course as each course relates to the parameters for essential instruction under the laws governing the system of learning results.
LD 531, An Act To Help More Students Attain a College Credential by Strengthening the Maine State Grant Program. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill provides one-time funds to the Maine State Grant Program within the Finance Authority of Maine to assist residents of the State with the costs of higher education.
LD 549, An Act To Include Community Service Hours in High School Graduation Standards. (Rep. Poirier, R-Skowhegan) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires students to complete 40 hours of community service to receive a high school diploma. Community service may not be performed during school hours and may not be advocacy or of a political nature. School boards may adopt policies to exempt students with disabilities from the requirement and to provide educational credit for completed community service hours.
LD 550, Resolve, Directing the State Board of Education To Adopt Rules Prohibiting Teachers in Public Schools from Engaging in Political, Ideological or Religious Advocacy in the Classroom. (Rep. Carmichael, R-Greenbush) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the State Board of Education to adopt major substantive rules prohibiting teachers in public schools from engaging in political, religious or ideological advocacy in the classroom or from introducing any controversial subject matter that is not germane to the topic of the course being taught, with penalties for violations up to and including termination of the teacher. This resolve requires the State Board of Education to provide written notice of the rules to all affected teachers, parents and students and for teachers to receive annually at least 3 hours of continuing teacher education to instruct the teachers on the rules. Finally, this resolve directs the Department of Education to request professional teacher organizations and unions to voluntarily adopt an educator's code of ethics and professional responsibility that incorporates the rules and that specifically prohibits teachers in kindergarten to grade 12 instruction from using the classroom for political indoctrination.
LD 566, An Act To Address Labor Market Inequities in the School Funding Formula. (Rep. Tuell, R-East Machias) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that, beginning in fiscal year 2024-25, when the Commissioner of Education makes the regional adjustment in the total operating allocation for each school administrative unit, also known as the labor market adjustment, the commissioner may not make an adjustment in the total operating allocation that decreases a school administrative unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs. The bill also requires the commissioner to reduce the adjustment incrementally to zero between fiscal years 2021-22 and 2024-25 for any school administrative unit for which the regional adjustment in fiscal year 2021-22 results in a decrease in the unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs. Finally, the bill requires the commissioner to maintain the adjustment amount at the fiscal year 2021-22 amount for the subsequent 3 fiscal years for any school administrative unit for which the adjustment in fiscal year 2021-22 results in an increase in the unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs.
LD 604, An Act To Promote Accountability in Maine's Charter Schools. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a public charter school may not expand its facilities or locations without the approval of the Commissioner of Education. This bill also removes public charter school funding from the single account appropriating funds for general purpose aid for local schools and requires the Commissioner of Education to include a recommendation for the requested funding levels for public charter schools separately from the operating allocations for noncharter public schools.
LD 633, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training for Educators. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve requires the Department of Education, State Board of Education to amend its rules to require a certified employee in a school, including but not limited to a superintendent, principal, teacher or educational technician, to successfully complete a diversity, equity and inclusion training program as a condition of recertification. These rules are major substantive rules and must be presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 2, 2022.
LD 639, An Act To Improve Professional Training for School Counselors. (Rep. Crafts, D-Newcastle) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to make changes to the certification requirements for school counselors to require that applicants demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department of Education successful completion of a minimum of hours of course work in family or intimate partner violence, including course work in spousal or partner abuse that addresses screening, referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. The requirements must be based on similar course work requirements for psychologists, clinical professional counselors and clinical social workers. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence must be consulted in the development of the course work.
LD 643, An Act To Direct the Department of Education To Establish a Working Group To Determine Best Practices and Accountability Standards for School Boards To Manage the Performance of Superintendents. (Rep. Gere, D-Kennebunkport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish a working group to study and disseminate a program to improve the training of school boards in their role of hiring, evaluating and overseeing superintendents, which must include the development of a best practices module for diverse and inclusive executive hiring practices and a standardized, 360-degree performance evaluation system that incorporates best practices and board member training tools. The Commissioner of Education is also required to administer the program and make it available to all school boards.
LD 650, An Act To Increase Funding for School Construction Projects. (Rep. Bailey, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that the appropriation for the debt service allocation for school construction be placed in a separate account than the account for general purpose aid for local schools attributable to principal and interest costs for approved major capital projects.
LD 651, An Act To Stabilize Student Count in Maine's School Funding Formula. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires the Department of Education to use a 3-year average for pupil counts when a school administrative unit experiences a decrease of 10% or more of total school administrative unit student enrollment in a single year.
LD 655, An Act To Require at Least a 30-minute Lunch Period for Students. (Rep. Dodge, D-Belfast) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that school administrative units provide for students a lunch period of at least 30 minutes unless the governing body of the school administrative unit determines by vote after notice and public hearing that a 30-minute lunch period would be impracticable.
LD 680, Resolve, To Reestablish the Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System. Emergency (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve reestablishes the Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System.
LD 701, An Act To Require the Education of High School Students in Certain Life Skills. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds instruction in financial literacy and social-emotional competence to the minimum requirements for a high school diploma.
LD 702, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Recapitalize the School Revolving Renovation Fund. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $30,000,000, will be used to recapitalize the School Revolving Renovation Fund for the purpose of providing funds to public schools for renovation and capital repairs.
LD 723, An Act To Amend the Laws Establishing Regional School Units. (Rep. Martin, D-Eagle Lake) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to amend the laws establishing regional school units.
LD 761, An Act To Establish the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program and provides that a student is eligible for the program if the student is a resident of the State, is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and maintains a minimum grade point average. The grant award may not exceed 100% of the amount of funds provided by the Federal Pell Grant that the student receives for the academic year in which the student applies. The availability of the grant and the amount of the grant are subject to the amount available in the established fund, and the Maine Community College System may adopt rules to implement and administer the program and fund.
LD 762, An Act To Clarify the Response to Truancy under the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act. (Rep. Meyer, D-Eliot) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill amends definitions in the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act to update cross-references and to ensure the Department of Health and Human Services has the authority to intervene in situations involving truancy under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A.
LD 773, An Act To Assist Public School Students and Families Who Are Homeless. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires that the Maine State Housing Authority give priority for temporary housing assistance to homeless students and their families who are identified and referred to the authority by a local educational agency liaison for children and youth experiencing homelessness under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001.
LD 777, An Act To Correct Career and Technical Education Funding. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to correct career and technical education funding.
LD 812, An Act To Provide Student Loan Debt Relief. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would alleviate the financial burden of student loans.
LD 816, An Act To Improve Communication between School Boards and Educators by Requiring Notice of Discussion of Labor Matters. (Sen. Rafferty, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that any meeting between a school board and representatives of public employees that is requested by representatives of the employees must occur at a regularly scheduled school board meeting and that public notice must be given at least 10 days prior to the school board meeting. The bill also provides that negotiations between a school board and representatives of public employees regarding personnel matters may not be open to the public and must be held in executive session. This is an exception to current law, which allows negotiations between the representatives of a public employer and public employees to be open to the public if both parties agree to conduct negotiations in open sessions.
LD 828, An Act To Amend the Maine Education Savings Program. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill amends the Maine Education Savings Program by making permissive rather than mandatory the investment of program fund dollars by the Finance Authority of Maine in state-based financial institutions.
LD 854, An Act To Ensure Continued School-based Services for Children with Disabilities. Emergency (Rep. Meyer, D-Eliot) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide school-based services in developmental preschools for children from birth to 5 years of age. It designates any rules adopted as major substantive rules under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. It requires the department to convene a stakeholder group when drafting those rules and take into account the findings from the independent review of the State's early childhood special education services being carried out pursuant to Public Law 2019, chapter 343, Part VVVV.
LD 914, An Act To Meet the State's Obligation To Pay 55 Percent of Education Costs. (Rep. Tuttle, D-Sanford) Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. This bill provides state funding for 55% of the total cost of education by applying up to 100% of all lottery and alcohol revenues toward the total cost of education
LD 924, Resolve, To Establish a Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities To Identify Barriers to Full Societal Integration. (Rep. Pebworth, D-Blue Hill) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve establishes the Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities to identify barriers inhibiting adults 18 years of age to 40 years of age with intellectual or developmental disabilities from being fully integrated into society and to recommend possible solutions. The membership of the task force consists of Legislators who serve on the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs, health and human services matters and labor and housing matters, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Labor, members of organizations or associations knowledgeable about services for young adults with disabilities after high school, parents or guardians or direct care providers of a young adult with a disability and young adults with disabilities who are eligible to receive services from the State. The Commissioner of Education convenes the task force, which must hold a minimum of 4 meetings and submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing with recommendations on targeted reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided by different agencies and continuing educational opportunities for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities after high school. The task force must also analyze current data and retrospective data for the past 6 years regarding the function and efficacy of current federal and state mandates pertaining to young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and provide recommendations to enhance the coordination of programs to ensure the most efficient and effective provision of essential services.
LD 1014, An Act To Repeal the School Bus Reimbursement Formula and Replace It with Essential Programs and Services Funding. (Rep. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill repeals the provision of law relating to commissioner approval of school bus purchases and includes school bus purchase costs in transportation operating costs in the Essential Programs and Services funding formula.
LD 1040, An Act To Require Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training or Implicit Bias Training for School Resource Officers. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. This bill requires a school resource officer to complete diversity, equity and inclusion training or implicit bias training at least once during that officer's first year of employment as a school resource officer.
LD 1050, An Act Regarding the Duties of School Boards Pursuant to the Laws Governing Attendance at Elementary and Secondary Schools. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill specifies that school boards must adopt policies to carry out the laws governing attendance at elementary and secondary schools. Current law provides that school boards must adopt rules to carry out these laws.
LD 1072, An Act Regarding Career and Technical Education and Memoranda of Understanding with Community Colleges. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a career and technical education center or region may enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local community college to provide career and technical education to residents of the municipalities served by that region, center or satellite program as an alternative organizational method of delivering career and technical education. The memorandum of understanding must include provisions that the schedule must be aligned to allow students to fulfill the requirements of the Maine Learning Results, students must be awarded college credit, where applicable, students must receive automatic admission to the University of Maine System or Maine Community College System to complete a postsecondary program that was begun at the career and technical education center or region and funding must be provided through the Aspirations program.
LD 1082, An Act To Improve Educational Opportunities by Exempting Children Who Attend Virtual Public Charter Schools from Immunization Requirements and Expanding Enrollment at Virtual Public Charter Schools. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill increases the total enrollment at virtual public charter schools authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission from 1,000 at all virtual public charter schools to 1,500 at a virtual public charter school. It allows a virtual public charter school to expand to serve grade levels beyond the grade levels under the school's initial or renewed charter contract to include grade levels 5 and 6. It exempts children who are enrolled in or attend a virtual public charter school from immunization requirements. It also allows the Maine Charter School Commission to adopt safety protocols for physical attendance by such children at any class or school program.
LD 1095, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Purchase 4 Nursing Simulators for Use by the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $3,200,000, will be used to provide funding for the University of Maine System to purchase 4 nursing simulators, to be shared with the Maine Community College System.
LD 1149, An Act To Provide Exemptions from Certain Teacher Certification Examination Requirements. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides waivers of the applicable qualifying examinations for the following applicants for professional teacher certificates or endorsements: 1. For applicants seeking a professional teacher certificate who have satisfactorily completed a bachelor's degree program from a regionally accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent; 2. For applicants seeking endorsements who have satisfactorily completed a bachelor's degree program from a regionally accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent in the content area of the endorsement being sought; and 3. For applicants seeking a professional teacher certificate who are required to take the pedagogical knowledge and skills assessment and principles of learning and teaching assessment by Department of Education rule but who have successfully completed 2 full years of teaching under a conditional certificate. This bill also provides that rules adopted to implement the qualifying examination waivers are not subject to the law that provides that an amendment to the teacher certification rules that revises the qualifications for a credential for a professional teacher certificate does not apply to certain persons; this change ensures that the qualifying examination waivers are available to all eligible applicants.
LD 1169, An Act To Improve Teacher Certification during Staffing Shortages. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Pursuant to Governor Mills’ Executive Order #7 in fiscal year 2020-21, the Commissioner of Education was authorized to issue emergency certification to teachers, specialists and administrators who meet certain criteria, so long as the applicants are employed only as necessary to meet identified staffing shortages and supplement, rather than supplant, otherwise qualified applicants who meet regular certification standards. This bill makes that authority of the Commissioner of Education permanent.
LD 1172, An Act To Delay State-mandated Teacher and Principal Evaluation. (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill temporarily waives, until the 2022-2023 school year, the requirement that school administrative units evaluate the performance of teachers and principals.
LD 1173, Resolve, To Develop a Plan To Treat in Maine Those Children with Behavioral Health Needs Currently Treated Outside the State. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services, within 30 days after this legislation takes effect, a plan for implementing Resolve 2019, chapter 54. Resolve 2019, chapter 54 requires the department to coordinate with families of children who are receiving residential treatment services for behavioral health issues outside the State to develop plans to bring the children back to the State to receive the required services that would be received under the department's rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 97, Private Non-Medical Institution Services. Resolve 2019, chapter 54 also requires the department to negotiate related reimbursement rates in order to provide services to the children.
LD 1186, An Act To Require a Course Regarding the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Maine To Be Taught to High School Seniors. (Rep. Cebra, R-Naples) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires instruction in the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Maine for high school seniors.
LD 1188, An Act To Include Librarians and Career and Technical Education Teachers in the Minimum $40,000 Salary Initiative. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill includes school librarians and career and technical education teachers in the minimum $40,000 salary for teachers initiative.
LD 1189, An Act To Amend the Teacher Certification Statutes. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill does the following regarding the certification of education personnel. 1. It requires an educational technician to get an authorization rather than a certificate for serving in public schools or approved private schools. 2. It amends the definition of "educational specialist." 3. It repeals the requirement for rules adopted by the State Board of Education to include that applicants furnish evidence of good moral character. 4. It revises the qualifications for a professional teacher certificate. 5. It provides that a criminal conviction for a criminal offense involving physical or sexual abuse or exploitation of a child within 5 years of an application for initial certification or renewal is grounds for a denial of a certificate. 6. It amends the definition, qualifications and terms of issuance of a certification for a school psychologist. 7. It directs the State Board of Education to amend its certification rules. Rules amended for the purpose of implementing this legislation are designated as routine technical rules rather than major substantive rules.
LD 1198, An Act Authorizing an Increase to the Maximum Annual Fund Balance for Public School Districts. (Rep. Carlow, R-Buxton) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a school board may carry forward unallocated balances in excess of 15% of the previous year's school budget, instead of 3% as current law provides.
LD 1207, An Act To Maintain the Current Level of Education Funding. Emergency (Sen. Rafferty, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that for the 2021-22 fiscal year, if a school administrative unit's student enrollment has declined from the previous allocation year, the commissioner is required to use the pupil count from the previous allocation year for the determination of operating costs.
LD 1222, An Act To Reduce Property Taxes of Seniors in an Amount Equal to the Cost of Education. (Sen. Black, R-Franklin) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides a property tax exemption for individuals 65 years of age or older equal in value to the amount of those taxes the municipality in which the real estate is located would otherwise use to fund its public schools. The bill applies to property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2021.
LD 1248, An Act To Limit the Cost of a 4-year Degree Offered in this State and Implement Provisions Designed To Reduce Student Debt. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a postsecondary educational institution that receives any state or federal funds may not charge a student more than $40,000 for a bachelor's degree or other 4-year degree.
LD 1252, An Act To Improve Family Day Care Providers by Increasing the Number of Children Allowed To Be Cared For without Obtaining Certification. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill increases from 2 to 3 the number of children a family care provider may care for in the provider's home, not including the provider's children, before the provider is required to be certified as a family care provider. This bill also specifies that the sibling of one of the children under the care of a provider, not a child of the provider, does not count toward the limit of 3. These provisions were part of the Governor's Executive Order No. 20 FY 19/20 imposed pursuant to the state of emergency declared due to the pandemic related to coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.
LD 1259, An Act To Restore a School District's Ability To Authorize New Types of Schools and Programs. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that local school boards and collaboratives of local school boards may authorize public charter schools in their school administrative units after the cap on the number of public charter schools authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission is reached.
LD 1297, An Act To Provide Educational Opportunities for Family Members of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill creates the Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers, administered by the Finance Authority of Maine, to provide postsecondary education grants to eligible children and spouses of veterans, first responders and health care workers who die or contract a condition or illness that leads to their death. The program is funded by a fund that may accept appropriations, allocations, grants or donations from public and private sources, including financial aid resources, and the authority may solicit private donations for the fund.
LD 1302, Resolve, To Change the Educational Requirements of Certain Behavioral Health Professionals. Emergency (Rep. Stearns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This resolve changes the educational requirements for behavioral health professionals providing children's home and community-based treatment and school-based program services to replace the requirement of a bachelor's degree with a requirement of a minimum of 60 credit hours in a related field, 90 credit hours in an unrelated field combined with a plan for supervision and training or a high school diploma or equivalent with 3 years of experience working in the field combined with a plan for supervision and training. The educational requirements may not change the required behavioral health professional training or the prescribed time frames for that training. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to amend or establish contracts for training behavioral health professionals to train any additional individuals within existing resources, and authorizes the department to opt to charge individuals or their employers fees for training.
LD 1318, An Act To Increase High School Graduation Rates for Students Experiencing Education Disruption. (Sen. Libby, D-Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill amends the laws regarding students who experience education disruption and Department of Education diplomas as follows. 1. It amends the definition of "education disruption" to include migrant students who have been identified as such by the United States Department of Education's migrant education program and immigrant students who have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states or territories for more than 3 full academic years in the aggregate. 2. It amends the process for applying for a Department of Education diploma by requiring that the responsible school provide support for the completion and submission of an application for a Department of Education diploma for students who have experienced education disruption, provides that community providers may assist in the application process and specifies that a diploma may be issued to a student who completes the minimum requirements for a high school diploma and that, while the Commissioner of Education's review team may seek clarification on evidence submitted, the commissioner may not require additional information. 3. It amends the definition of "school work recognition plan" for students experiencing education disruption to specify that a school work recognition plan is developed and updated in collaboration among the responsible school, the student, the parent or guardian, previous schools, interim programs and other agencies. It also specifies that a school work recognition plan includes but is not limited to a summary of the student's achievement related to the appropriate learning results, a compilation of full and partial credits and other achievement recognitions earned, an identification of any gaps between the student's achievement and the achievement typical of the student's peers and a plan for maximizing the student's progress and closing identified gaps. 4. It amends the law regarding continuing educational progress during and after education disruption to provide uniform expectations for schools to support the academic progress of all students experiencing education disruption regardless of the type of education disruption, including developing or updating a school work recognition plan within 10 school days and making available instructional materials for students within 5 school days of a school becoming aware of a period of education disruption. It also specifies that for every student who experiences education disruption that leads to enrollment in a new responsible school, the new responsible school shall provide the student with an adult staff or mentor to facilitate the student's transition. 5. It requires a responsible school to assist a student experiencing education disruption in completing an application for the Department of Education diploma if the student will not be able to graduate by the end of the student's 4th year of secondary school. 6. It creates credit accrual options for a student experiencing education disruption who changes schools after the student's 2nd year of high school, requiring schools to either award credit for a similar course taken elsewhere, waive a specific graduation requirement or provide an alternative means by which the student can earn the needed credit in time to graduate. It allows a student to receive a diploma from a previously attended school if the student can meet the graduation requirements of that school but cannot complete the new school's requirements.
LD 1329, An Act To Establish the Career Advancement and Navigation Initiative in the Department of Education To Lower Barriers to Career Advancement. (Rep. Talbot Ross, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Career Advancement and Navigation Initiative within the Department of Education to provide educational and career guidance, support and services to help underemployed and unemployed individuals acquire additional education, skills, licensure or other preparation needed to participate to their fullest potential in the workforce. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Education to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs no later than November 4, 2022, regarding the initiative.
LD 1343, An Act To Create Education Choices by Creating Education Savings Accounts for Maine Students. (Rep. Hanley, R-Pittston) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Treasurer of State to establish education savings accounts that may be used by the parents or legal guardians of children to pay for the education of their children outside of the public school system, including homeschooling, or in a public school that is outside of the school administrative unit in which the child resides. The funding for these savings accounts comes from shifting 90% of the essential programs and services funding that would otherwise be provided by the State and by the school administrative unit for each child into a savings account. The bill specifies what educational expenditures are permitted and provides for review of spending from the accounts.
LD 1379, An Act To Establish a Lifetime Substitute Teacher Certification for Established and Successful Educators. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Education to issue lifetime substitute teaching certificates to teachers in the State who have held for at least 10 years a professional teacher certificate that has never been revoked or suspended.
LD 1389, An Act To Improve Maritime Education in Maine. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill repeals the provision of law that terminates the powers, duties and authority of the Maine School for Marine Science, Technology, Transportation and Engineering 90 days after the adjournment of the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature. The bill also provides that the phase-in procedures for schools that are funded in the same way as charter schools are the same as those for charter schools.
LD 1391, An Act To Enhance the Educational Expertise and Knowledge of the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds 6 members to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System, who must be current or retired public sector educators, are full voting members and may sit on any board of trustees committee. It requires 3 of the 6 members to be elected by members of Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine labor union and 3 to be elected by members of the Maine Education Association labor union. All 6 of the members must be confirmed by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs. It requires the 6 members to serve for 5-year terms, except that, of the initial trustees elected by the Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine, one member must serve for one year, one member must serve for 3 years and one member must serve for 5 years and, of the initial trustees elected by the Maine Education Association, one member must serve for one year, one member must serve for 3 years and one member must serve for 5 years.
LD 1412, An Act To Require the Department of Education To Provide Information to Students Allowing Them To Make Informed Choices Regarding Their Education and Professional Futures. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires the Department of Education to provide information to students that allows them to make informed decisions about their education and professional future. This includes: the most in-demand jobs in the State and the average starting salary and education requirements of those jobs, the average tuition for the 4 largest public universities and vocational and technical schools in the State, the average monthly student loan payment for obtaining a 4-year degree at public universities and vocational and technical schools and the average starting salary for individuals with 4-year degrees and for those who graduate from vocational and technical schools.
LD 1426, An Act To Provide for the Equitable Funding of Education Chosen by Maine Families. (Rep. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires each school administrative unit to calculate the per-pupil tuition costs for elementary and secondary students who reside in that school administrative unit and provide no more than that amount to a student who resides in but does not attend public school in that school administrative unit and who incurs education costs, such as for attendance at a private school or educational cooperative, for a tutor or for costs associated with homeschooling. This bill also repeals the restriction in current law on providing public school funds to sectarian schools.
LD 1449, An Act To Provide for Education Funding Reform for More Equitable State Support to Communities. (Rep. Geiger, D-Rockland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to make changes to the school funding formula to create a more fair and equitable system of state funding for education by: 1. Adding a per capita income adjustment to the school funding formula; 2. Establishing a state per-pupil contribution rate equal to 46% of the cost of educating each student in each school administrative unit with additional funding provided to school administrative units with low property valuations and low per capita income; 3. Providing additional funding outside of the school funding formula for service center communities to adjust for disparities created among communities by the school funding formula; or 4. Adopting a version of one of the following models: A. The foundation grant model, in which the State determines a minimum amount that should be spent for each student, calculates the ability of a school administrative unit to pay for each student and provides funding for the difference to each school administrative unit; B. The guaranteed tax base model, in which the State guarantees that each municipality will raise a guaranteed amount of funding per student at a given rate of property taxation. The State provides funding to a municipality for the difference between the guaranteed amount of funding and the amount actually raised; C. The centralized model, in which a standard property tax rate to fund the cost of education is set by the State and the State provides a standard per-pupil amount of funding to each school administrative unit; or D. The Vermont model, in which the State sets property tax rates and bills property owners to fund the cost of education with a lower rate for homesteads. The State provides funding for education on a per-pupil basis with certain adjustments, including a poverty adjustment. Local school districts may raise additional funds through property taxation to supplement funding provided by the State, subject to certain requirements and limits. The bill also proposes, until such time as a more equitable change in the school funding formula takes place, that any money to fund education provided in addition to the money annually directed by the school funding formula, including COVID-19 relief funds, must be apportioned to each school administrative unit on a per-pupil basis.
LD 1502, An Act To Clarify Safety Issues in Schools with Respect to Health related States of Emergency. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires school superintendents, during a health-related state of emergency, to comply with any health-related executive orders and proclamations made by the Governor and any directives and guidance issued by the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services and, while the state of emergency is in effect, send a monthly report, copied to the school board, on all the steps the school administrative unit is taking to comply with any health-related executive order, proclamation, directive or guidance.
LD 1645, An Act To Establish Protections for Private Student Loan Borrowers and a Registry of Lenders. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill directs that private lenders of postsecondary education financing to students for expenses related to postsecondary education, regardless of whether the education is provided by businesses authorized to do business in or accredited by the State, register with the Superintendent of Consumer Credit Protection within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and for the superintendent to publish a registry of the private lenders on a publicly accessible website. This bill affords cosigners of private student financing the same rights and protections afforded the primary student borrowers of private student financing. This bill provides for fines, suspension from operating in the State, criminal liability for and private rights of action against lenders of private student financing that violate the provisions of the bill. This bill also contains provisions for private education lenders to provide information and disclosures to borrowers and cosigners of private education loans, provisions to allow a cosigner to be released from obligations under a private education loan, the discharge of the loan or release of a cosigner if the borrower or cosigner dies or suffers a total and permanent disability, provisions regarding alternative repayment options, prohibitions on accelerating loan payments under most conditions and requirements for the collection of delinquent private education loans.
LD 1651, An Act To Support Working Families through Outreach and Education about Tax Credits for Persons of Low Income. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides eligibility for the earned income tax credit to individuals who are immigrants who file federal income tax returns using a federally assigned individual taxpayer identification number. This bill provides ongoing funds of $150,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2021- 22 to the New Ventures Maine program within the University of Maine System for a statewide collaboration of nonprofit and for-profit partners to provide free volunteer tax assistance, including the filing of state tax returns; outreach to low-income individuals and families about federal and state tax credits; financial education, connections to financial services and other resources; education for providers and volunteers; and statewide data collection. The bill also requires the New Ventures Maine program to submit an annual report describing its activities in the previous calendar year in providing tax assistance to low-income individuals and families.
LD 1652, An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine’s Early Childhood Educators Workforce. (Spkr. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor jointly to develop and implement an early childhood educators workforce support program to recruit and retain early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age. Components of the program include:
1. Expansion of educational programs at career and technical education centers and financial support of those programs;
2. Comprehensive scholarships for persons taking classes toward the attainment of an early childhood education credential or an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree that allow the persons to graduate without student debt as long as the persons agree to work for a year with an approved employer;
3. An increased number of apprenticeships;
4. Salary supplements awarded to individuals who provide child care or who are early childhood educators. The amount of the supplement is based on the level of education and experience of the individual and other factors;
5. Articulation agreements between local adult education providers of school administrative units, apprenticeship sponsors, career and technical education programs, the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System for the transfer of credits for course work related to early childhood education and to facilitate enrollment in courses that lead to the issuance of a postsecondary degree by a degree-granting institution; and
6. Collaboration between local adult education providers of school administrative units, apprenticeship sponsors, career and technical education programs, the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System to provide support for individuals, including immigrants and other populations lacking experience in Maine’s workforce, who require foundational skills development to enter and succeed in early childhood education courses, including but not limited to English as a second language, literacy, numeracy and employability skills.
The bill also requires a biennial report to be made by the commissioners to the Legislature including a review of the adequacy of the pathways to early childhood education careers and an evaluation of how the improved collection of workforce and child care data and coordinated, dedicated funding are supporting the ongoing development of an early child care and education system.
LD 1667, An Act To Create a Tax Credit for Maine Workers Who Have Earned Certificates from Accredited Institutions. (Rep. Sheehan, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates the Educational Certificate Tax Credit Program, modeled on the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program, for workers who receive a certificate from an accredited postsecondary educational institution denoting completion of a course of study required for an occupation or to enter or advance in an occupation.
LD 1672, An Act To Require That Private Schools That Enroll 60 Percent or More Publicly Funded Students Meet Certain Requirements. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill amends the requirements that must be met by private schools receiving public funds for tuition purposes.
LD 1678, An Act To Support Child Care Providers and School Readiness through Tax Credits. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill does the following for quality child care services, beginning in 2022.
1. It provides a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to $2,000 per eligible child to child care providers that provide services to children whose parents are participating in the child care subsidy program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services or foster children in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. The amount of the credit is based on the quality of the child care provider as determined pursuant to a quality rating and improvement system based on standards for center-based child care programs developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services.
2. It provides a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to $5,000 to administrators, educators and other professional support staff of child care providers that provide services to children whose parents are participating in the child care subsidy program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services or foster children in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. The amount of the credit is based on individual qualification score lattices developed and established for administrators, management, owners and coordinators and educators and other support staff of child care facilities through a collaborative partnership between the Cutler Institute of Health and Social Policy at the University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies and the Department of Psychology at the University of Maine.
3. It amends the current income tax credit for child care expenses to allow a taxpayer to obtain a credit of between 50% and 200% of the federal tax credit, depending on the quality rating of the child care site providing child care services for the child of the taxpayer. Current law allows up to 50% of the federal tax credit if the child care expenses are incurred through the use of quality child care services.
4. It provides a tax credit of a percentage of expenses paid by an employer to provide child care and education services to the children of its employees, either on site, at a facility licensed or registered with the Department of Health and Human Services or through child care resource and referral services or vouchers for the purpose of paying for child care and education services. The percentage of expenses that may be taken by the employer is determined by the quality rating of the child care facility.
5. It indexes for inflation the dollar amounts of the tax credits beginning annually in 2023.
6. It requires the Office of Child and Family Services to notify the State Tax Assessor immediately of any changes to the grading and scoring systems used to determine child care-related tax credits and requires the office, after consultation with the assessor, to submit a report and suggested legislation to implement the changes to the grading and scoring systems.
7. It requires the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, beginning in 2025, to review the tax credits provided by this legislation to determine whether the specific public policy objectives and economic benefit of the credits outweigh the loss of revenue to the State and annually report its findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over taxation matters.
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 429, An Act To Protect the Health of Students and Educators by Requiring the Establishment of Health and Safety Committees in School Administrative Units. Emergency (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires each school administrative unit to establish a health and safety committee to coordinate planning and response to health and safety matters affecting students and staff of the school administrative unit. It requires these committees to prioritize planning and response to health and safety concerns associated with the outbreak of COVID-19 while there is in effect a state of emergency declared by the Governor due to COVID-19. The bill specifies that each committee must include teachers and other school employees, school administrators, school board members and parents of students.
LD 430, An Act To Provide for School Choice and Online Learning Opportunities in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Rep. Andrews, R-Paris) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill removes the limits on virtual public charter school enrollment and the number of public charter schools that may operate. It also removes the prohibition on the expansion of a virtual public charter school to serve a grade level not included in the school's charter contract.
LD 432, Resolve, To Improve Behavioral Health Care for Children. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to amend rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 65 to reimburse for additional collateral contacts for children's home and community-based treatment. Those additional collateral contacts are between the child's mental health professional and parents, medical providers, psychiatric providers, residential providers, case managers and school personnel as long as the goal of the collateral contact is included in the goals of the individual treatment plan.
LD 435, An Act To Provide a Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Certain Educational Collaboratives. (Rep. Pickett, R-East Dixfield) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides a sales and use tax exemption for an incorporated nonprofit collaborative whose members are regional school units and that is organized to assist those units with professional development opportunities and services.
LD 465, An Act To Update the Laws Regarding Private Schools That Serve At-risk Youth. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) 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 regarding the laws governing private schools that serve at-risk youth.
LD 481, An Act To Propose a General Fund Bond Issue To Train Workers in High-demand Sectors and Support the State's 10-year Economic Plan Goal of Increasing Wages by 10 Percent. (Rep. Millett, R-Waterford) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $80,000,000, will be used to provide funding to train workers in high-demand sectors and support the State's goal of increasing average annual wages in the State by 10%. The funding would be provided in $20,000,000 increments over 4 years in accordance with programmatic and return-on investment goals that must be met by the Maine Community College System.
LD 509, An Act To Protect Teachers from a Decrease in Retirement Benefits Arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic. (Rep. Dodge, D-Belfast) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows a teacher nearing retirement who experiences a reduction in income from the elimination of an extracurricular or cocurricular position due to circumstances related to COVID-19 to purchase service credit in the state retirement system for the period of income loss from the extracurricular or cocurricular position. The opportunity to purchase service credit is limited to teachers who are in their last 3 years of service and who previously earned income from an extracurricular or cocurricular position that is eliminated or otherwise unavailable during the period between January 1, 2020 to July 1, 2022.
LD 516, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Review Career and Technical Education Courses and Provide Guidance on High School Credit Equivalencies. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the Department of Education to conduct a review of career and technical education courses available in the State and provide guidance into the number of contact hours and equivalent credits for each course as each course relates to the parameters for essential instruction under the laws governing the system of learning results.
LD 531, An Act To Help More Students Attain a College Credential by Strengthening the Maine State Grant Program. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill provides one-time funds to the Maine State Grant Program within the Finance Authority of Maine to assist residents of the State with the costs of higher education.
LD 549, An Act To Include Community Service Hours in High School Graduation Standards. (Rep. Poirier, R-Skowhegan) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires students to complete 40 hours of community service to receive a high school diploma. Community service may not be performed during school hours and may not be advocacy or of a political nature. School boards may adopt policies to exempt students with disabilities from the requirement and to provide educational credit for completed community service hours.
LD 550, Resolve, Directing the State Board of Education To Adopt Rules Prohibiting Teachers in Public Schools from Engaging in Political, Ideological or Religious Advocacy in the Classroom. (Rep. Carmichael, R-Greenbush) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve directs the State Board of Education to adopt major substantive rules prohibiting teachers in public schools from engaging in political, religious or ideological advocacy in the classroom or from introducing any controversial subject matter that is not germane to the topic of the course being taught, with penalties for violations up to and including termination of the teacher. This resolve requires the State Board of Education to provide written notice of the rules to all affected teachers, parents and students and for teachers to receive annually at least 3 hours of continuing teacher education to instruct the teachers on the rules. Finally, this resolve directs the Department of Education to request professional teacher organizations and unions to voluntarily adopt an educator's code of ethics and professional responsibility that incorporates the rules and that specifically prohibits teachers in kindergarten to grade 12 instruction from using the classroom for political indoctrination.
LD 566, An Act To Address Labor Market Inequities in the School Funding Formula. (Rep. Tuell, R-East Machias) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that, beginning in fiscal year 2024-25, when the Commissioner of Education makes the regional adjustment in the total operating allocation for each school administrative unit, also known as the labor market adjustment, the commissioner may not make an adjustment in the total operating allocation that decreases a school administrative unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs. The bill also requires the commissioner to reduce the adjustment incrementally to zero between fiscal years 2021-22 and 2024-25 for any school administrative unit for which the regional adjustment in fiscal year 2021-22 results in a decrease in the unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs. Finally, the bill requires the commissioner to maintain the adjustment amount at the fiscal year 2021-22 amount for the subsequent 3 fiscal years for any school administrative unit for which the adjustment in fiscal year 2021-22 results in an increase in the unit's allocation for teacher and other school-level staff salary costs.
LD 604, An Act To Promote Accountability in Maine's Charter Schools. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a public charter school may not expand its facilities or locations without the approval of the Commissioner of Education. This bill also removes public charter school funding from the single account appropriating funds for general purpose aid for local schools and requires the Commissioner of Education to include a recommendation for the requested funding levels for public charter schools separately from the operating allocations for noncharter public schools.
LD 633, Resolve, Directing the Department of Education To Implement Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training for Educators. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve requires the Department of Education, State Board of Education to amend its rules to require a certified employee in a school, including but not limited to a superintendent, principal, teacher or educational technician, to successfully complete a diversity, equity and inclusion training program as a condition of recertification. These rules are major substantive rules and must be presented to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 2, 2022.
LD 639, An Act To Improve Professional Training for School Counselors. (Rep. Crafts, D-Newcastle) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to make changes to the certification requirements for school counselors to require that applicants demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department of Education successful completion of a minimum of hours of course work in family or intimate partner violence, including course work in spousal or partner abuse that addresses screening, referral and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics. The requirements must be based on similar course work requirements for psychologists, clinical professional counselors and clinical social workers. The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence must be consulted in the development of the course work.
LD 643, An Act To Direct the Department of Education To Establish a Working Group To Determine Best Practices and Accountability Standards for School Boards To Manage the Performance of Superintendents. (Rep. Gere, D-Kennebunkport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Commissioner of Education to establish a working group to study and disseminate a program to improve the training of school boards in their role of hiring, evaluating and overseeing superintendents, which must include the development of a best practices module for diverse and inclusive executive hiring practices and a standardized, 360-degree performance evaluation system that incorporates best practices and board member training tools. The Commissioner of Education is also required to administer the program and make it available to all school boards.
LD 650, An Act To Increase Funding for School Construction Projects. (Rep. Bailey, D-Gorham) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that the appropriation for the debt service allocation for school construction be placed in a separate account than the account for general purpose aid for local schools attributable to principal and interest costs for approved major capital projects.
LD 651, An Act To Stabilize Student Count in Maine's School Funding Formula. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires the Department of Education to use a 3-year average for pupil counts when a school administrative unit experiences a decrease of 10% or more of total school administrative unit student enrollment in a single year.
LD 655, An Act To Require at Least a 30-minute Lunch Period for Students. (Rep. Dodge, D-Belfast) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that school administrative units provide for students a lunch period of at least 30 minutes unless the governing body of the school administrative unit determines by vote after notice and public hearing that a 30-minute lunch period would be impracticable.
LD 680, Resolve, To Reestablish the Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System. Emergency (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This resolve reestablishes the Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System.
LD 701, An Act To Require the Education of High School Students in Certain Life Skills. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds instruction in financial literacy and social-emotional competence to the minimum requirements for a high school diploma.
LD 702, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Recapitalize the School Revolving Renovation Fund. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $30,000,000, will be used to recapitalize the School Revolving Renovation Fund for the purpose of providing funds to public schools for renovation and capital repairs.
LD 723, An Act To Amend the Laws Establishing Regional School Units. (Rep. Martin, D-Eagle Lake) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to amend the laws establishing regional school units.
LD 761, An Act To Establish the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program. (Rep. Crockett, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Maine Community College System Pell Grant Match Program and provides that a student is eligible for the program if the student is a resident of the State, is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and maintains a minimum grade point average. The grant award may not exceed 100% of the amount of funds provided by the Federal Pell Grant that the student receives for the academic year in which the student applies. The availability of the grant and the amount of the grant are subject to the amount available in the established fund, and the Maine Community College System may adopt rules to implement and administer the program and fund.
LD 762, An Act To Clarify the Response to Truancy under the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act. (Rep. Meyer, D-Eliot) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill amends definitions in the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act to update cross-references and to ensure the Department of Health and Human Services has the authority to intervene in situations involving truancy under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A.
LD 773, An Act To Assist Public School Students and Families Who Are Homeless. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires that the Maine State Housing Authority give priority for temporary housing assistance to homeless students and their families who are identified and referred to the authority by a local educational agency liaison for children and youth experiencing homelessness under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001.
LD 777, An Act To Correct Career and Technical Education Funding. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to correct career and technical education funding.
LD 812, An Act To Provide Student Loan Debt Relief. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would alleviate the financial burden of student loans.
LD 816, An Act To Improve Communication between School Boards and Educators by Requiring Notice of Discussion of Labor Matters. (Sen. Rafferty, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires that any meeting between a school board and representatives of public employees that is requested by representatives of the employees must occur at a regularly scheduled school board meeting and that public notice must be given at least 10 days prior to the school board meeting. The bill also provides that negotiations between a school board and representatives of public employees regarding personnel matters may not be open to the public and must be held in executive session. This is an exception to current law, which allows negotiations between the representatives of a public employer and public employees to be open to the public if both parties agree to conduct negotiations in open sessions.
LD 828, An Act To Amend the Maine Education Savings Program. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill amends the Maine Education Savings Program by making permissive rather than mandatory the investment of program fund dollars by the Finance Authority of Maine in state-based financial institutions.
LD 854, An Act To Ensure Continued School-based Services for Children with Disabilities. Emergency (Rep. Meyer, D-Eliot) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide school-based services in developmental preschools for children from birth to 5 years of age. It designates any rules adopted as major substantive rules under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. It requires the department to convene a stakeholder group when drafting those rules and take into account the findings from the independent review of the State's early childhood special education services being carried out pursuant to Public Law 2019, chapter 343, Part VVVV.
LD 914, An Act To Meet the State's Obligation To Pay 55 Percent of Education Costs. (Rep. Tuttle, D-Sanford) Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs. This bill provides state funding for 55% of the total cost of education by applying up to 100% of all lottery and alcohol revenues toward the total cost of education
LD 924, Resolve, To Establish a Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities To Identify Barriers to Full Societal Integration. (Rep. Pebworth, D-Blue Hill) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve establishes the Task Force To Study the Coordination of Services and Expansion of Educational Programs for Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities to identify barriers inhibiting adults 18 years of age to 40 years of age with intellectual or developmental disabilities from being fully integrated into society and to recommend possible solutions. The membership of the task force consists of Legislators who serve on the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs, health and human services matters and labor and housing matters, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Labor, members of organizations or associations knowledgeable about services for young adults with disabilities after high school, parents or guardians or direct care providers of a young adult with a disability and young adults with disabilities who are eligible to receive services from the State. The Commissioner of Education convenes the task force, which must hold a minimum of 4 meetings and submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services and the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing with recommendations on targeted reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services provided by different agencies and continuing educational opportunities for young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities after high school. The task force must also analyze current data and retrospective data for the past 6 years regarding the function and efficacy of current federal and state mandates pertaining to young adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities and provide recommendations to enhance the coordination of programs to ensure the most efficient and effective provision of essential services.
LD 1014, An Act To Repeal the School Bus Reimbursement Formula and Replace It with Essential Programs and Services Funding. (Rep. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill repeals the provision of law relating to commissioner approval of school bus purchases and includes school bus purchase costs in transportation operating costs in the Essential Programs and Services funding formula.
LD 1040, An Act To Require Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training or Implicit Bias Training for School Resource Officers. (Sen. Daughtry, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. This bill requires a school resource officer to complete diversity, equity and inclusion training or implicit bias training at least once during that officer's first year of employment as a school resource officer.
LD 1050, An Act Regarding the Duties of School Boards Pursuant to the Laws Governing Attendance at Elementary and Secondary Schools. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill specifies that school boards must adopt policies to carry out the laws governing attendance at elementary and secondary schools. Current law provides that school boards must adopt rules to carry out these laws.
LD 1072, An Act Regarding Career and Technical Education and Memoranda of Understanding with Community Colleges. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a career and technical education center or region may enter into a memorandum of understanding with a local community college to provide career and technical education to residents of the municipalities served by that region, center or satellite program as an alternative organizational method of delivering career and technical education. The memorandum of understanding must include provisions that the schedule must be aligned to allow students to fulfill the requirements of the Maine Learning Results, students must be awarded college credit, where applicable, students must receive automatic admission to the University of Maine System or Maine Community College System to complete a postsecondary program that was begun at the career and technical education center or region and funding must be provided through the Aspirations program.
LD 1082, An Act To Improve Educational Opportunities by Exempting Children Who Attend Virtual Public Charter Schools from Immunization Requirements and Expanding Enrollment at Virtual Public Charter Schools. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill increases the total enrollment at virtual public charter schools authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission from 1,000 at all virtual public charter schools to 1,500 at a virtual public charter school. It allows a virtual public charter school to expand to serve grade levels beyond the grade levels under the school's initial or renewed charter contract to include grade levels 5 and 6. It exempts children who are enrolled in or attend a virtual public charter school from immunization requirements. It also allows the Maine Charter School Commission to adopt safety protocols for physical attendance by such children at any class or school program.
LD 1095, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Purchase 4 Nursing Simulators for Use by the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $3,200,000, will be used to provide funding for the University of Maine System to purchase 4 nursing simulators, to be shared with the Maine Community College System.
LD 1149, An Act To Provide Exemptions from Certain Teacher Certification Examination Requirements. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides waivers of the applicable qualifying examinations for the following applicants for professional teacher certificates or endorsements: 1. For applicants seeking a professional teacher certificate who have satisfactorily completed a bachelor's degree program from a regionally accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent; 2. For applicants seeking endorsements who have satisfactorily completed a bachelor's degree program from a regionally accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher, on a scale of 4.0, or its equivalent in the content area of the endorsement being sought; and 3. For applicants seeking a professional teacher certificate who are required to take the pedagogical knowledge and skills assessment and principles of learning and teaching assessment by Department of Education rule but who have successfully completed 2 full years of teaching under a conditional certificate. This bill also provides that rules adopted to implement the qualifying examination waivers are not subject to the law that provides that an amendment to the teacher certification rules that revises the qualifications for a credential for a professional teacher certificate does not apply to certain persons; this change ensures that the qualifying examination waivers are available to all eligible applicants.
LD 1169, An Act To Improve Teacher Certification during Staffing Shortages. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Pursuant to Governor Mills’ Executive Order #7 in fiscal year 2020-21, the Commissioner of Education was authorized to issue emergency certification to teachers, specialists and administrators who meet certain criteria, so long as the applicants are employed only as necessary to meet identified staffing shortages and supplement, rather than supplant, otherwise qualified applicants who meet regular certification standards. This bill makes that authority of the Commissioner of Education permanent.
LD 1172, An Act To Delay State-mandated Teacher and Principal Evaluation. (Rep. McCrea, D-Fort Fairfield) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill temporarily waives, until the 2022-2023 school year, the requirement that school administrative units evaluate the performance of teachers and principals.
LD 1173, Resolve, To Develop a Plan To Treat in Maine Those Children with Behavioral Health Needs Currently Treated Outside the State. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services, within 30 days after this legislation takes effect, a plan for implementing Resolve 2019, chapter 54. Resolve 2019, chapter 54 requires the department to coordinate with families of children who are receiving residential treatment services for behavioral health issues outside the State to develop plans to bring the children back to the State to receive the required services that would be received under the department's rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 97, Private Non-Medical Institution Services. Resolve 2019, chapter 54 also requires the department to negotiate related reimbursement rates in order to provide services to the children.
LD 1186, An Act To Require a Course Regarding the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Maine To Be Taught to High School Seniors. (Rep. Cebra, R-Naples) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires instruction in the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Maine for high school seniors.
LD 1188, An Act To Include Librarians and Career and Technical Education Teachers in the Minimum $40,000 Salary Initiative. Emergency (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill includes school librarians and career and technical education teachers in the minimum $40,000 salary for teachers initiative.
LD 1189, An Act To Amend the Teacher Certification Statutes. (Rep. Brennan, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill does the following regarding the certification of education personnel. 1. It requires an educational technician to get an authorization rather than a certificate for serving in public schools or approved private schools. 2. It amends the definition of "educational specialist." 3. It repeals the requirement for rules adopted by the State Board of Education to include that applicants furnish evidence of good moral character. 4. It revises the qualifications for a professional teacher certificate. 5. It provides that a criminal conviction for a criminal offense involving physical or sexual abuse or exploitation of a child within 5 years of an application for initial certification or renewal is grounds for a denial of a certificate. 6. It amends the definition, qualifications and terms of issuance of a certification for a school psychologist. 7. It directs the State Board of Education to amend its certification rules. Rules amended for the purpose of implementing this legislation are designated as routine technical rules rather than major substantive rules.
LD 1198, An Act Authorizing an Increase to the Maximum Annual Fund Balance for Public School Districts. (Rep. Carlow, R-Buxton) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a school board may carry forward unallocated balances in excess of 15% of the previous year's school budget, instead of 3% as current law provides.
LD 1207, An Act To Maintain the Current Level of Education Funding. Emergency (Sen. Rafferty, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that for the 2021-22 fiscal year, if a school administrative unit's student enrollment has declined from the previous allocation year, the commissioner is required to use the pupil count from the previous allocation year for the determination of operating costs.
LD 1222, An Act To Reduce Property Taxes of Seniors in an Amount Equal to the Cost of Education. (Sen. Black, R-Franklin) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides a property tax exemption for individuals 65 years of age or older equal in value to the amount of those taxes the municipality in which the real estate is located would otherwise use to fund its public schools. The bill applies to property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2021.
LD 1248, An Act To Limit the Cost of a 4-year Degree Offered in this State and Implement Provisions Designed To Reduce Student Debt. (Rep. Faulkingham, R-Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that a postsecondary educational institution that receives any state or federal funds may not charge a student more than $40,000 for a bachelor's degree or other 4-year degree.
LD 1252, An Act To Improve Family Day Care Providers by Increasing the Number of Children Allowed To Be Cared For without Obtaining Certification. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill increases from 2 to 3 the number of children a family care provider may care for in the provider's home, not including the provider's children, before the provider is required to be certified as a family care provider. This bill also specifies that the sibling of one of the children under the care of a provider, not a child of the provider, does not count toward the limit of 3. These provisions were part of the Governor's Executive Order No. 20 FY 19/20 imposed pursuant to the state of emergency declared due to the pandemic related to coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19.
LD 1259, An Act To Restore a School District's Ability To Authorize New Types of Schools and Programs. (Rep. Sampson, R-Alfred) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill provides that local school boards and collaboratives of local school boards may authorize public charter schools in their school administrative units after the cap on the number of public charter schools authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission is reached.
LD 1297, An Act To Provide Educational Opportunities for Family Members of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill creates the Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers, administered by the Finance Authority of Maine, to provide postsecondary education grants to eligible children and spouses of veterans, first responders and health care workers who die or contract a condition or illness that leads to their death. The program is funded by a fund that may accept appropriations, allocations, grants or donations from public and private sources, including financial aid resources, and the authority may solicit private donations for the fund.
LD 1302, Resolve, To Change the Educational Requirements of Certain Behavioral Health Professionals. Emergency (Rep. Stearns, R-Guilford) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This resolve changes the educational requirements for behavioral health professionals providing children's home and community-based treatment and school-based program services to replace the requirement of a bachelor's degree with a requirement of a minimum of 60 credit hours in a related field, 90 credit hours in an unrelated field combined with a plan for supervision and training or a high school diploma or equivalent with 3 years of experience working in the field combined with a plan for supervision and training. The educational requirements may not change the required behavioral health professional training or the prescribed time frames for that training. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to amend or establish contracts for training behavioral health professionals to train any additional individuals within existing resources, and authorizes the department to opt to charge individuals or their employers fees for training.
LD 1318, An Act To Increase High School Graduation Rates for Students Experiencing Education Disruption. (Sen. Libby, D-Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill amends the laws regarding students who experience education disruption and Department of Education diplomas as follows. 1. It amends the definition of "education disruption" to include migrant students who have been identified as such by the United States Department of Education's migrant education program and immigrant students who have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states or territories for more than 3 full academic years in the aggregate. 2. It amends the process for applying for a Department of Education diploma by requiring that the responsible school provide support for the completion and submission of an application for a Department of Education diploma for students who have experienced education disruption, provides that community providers may assist in the application process and specifies that a diploma may be issued to a student who completes the minimum requirements for a high school diploma and that, while the Commissioner of Education's review team may seek clarification on evidence submitted, the commissioner may not require additional information. 3. It amends the definition of "school work recognition plan" for students experiencing education disruption to specify that a school work recognition plan is developed and updated in collaboration among the responsible school, the student, the parent or guardian, previous schools, interim programs and other agencies. It also specifies that a school work recognition plan includes but is not limited to a summary of the student's achievement related to the appropriate learning results, a compilation of full and partial credits and other achievement recognitions earned, an identification of any gaps between the student's achievement and the achievement typical of the student's peers and a plan for maximizing the student's progress and closing identified gaps. 4. It amends the law regarding continuing educational progress during and after education disruption to provide uniform expectations for schools to support the academic progress of all students experiencing education disruption regardless of the type of education disruption, including developing or updating a school work recognition plan within 10 school days and making available instructional materials for students within 5 school days of a school becoming aware of a period of education disruption. It also specifies that for every student who experiences education disruption that leads to enrollment in a new responsible school, the new responsible school shall provide the student with an adult staff or mentor to facilitate the student's transition. 5. It requires a responsible school to assist a student experiencing education disruption in completing an application for the Department of Education diploma if the student will not be able to graduate by the end of the student's 4th year of secondary school. 6. It creates credit accrual options for a student experiencing education disruption who changes schools after the student's 2nd year of high school, requiring schools to either award credit for a similar course taken elsewhere, waive a specific graduation requirement or provide an alternative means by which the student can earn the needed credit in time to graduate. It allows a student to receive a diploma from a previously attended school if the student can meet the graduation requirements of that school but cannot complete the new school's requirements.
LD 1329, An Act To Establish the Career Advancement and Navigation Initiative in the Department of Education To Lower Barriers to Career Advancement. (Rep. Talbot Ross, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill establishes the Career Advancement and Navigation Initiative within the Department of Education to provide educational and career guidance, support and services to help underemployed and unemployed individuals acquire additional education, skills, licensure or other preparation needed to participate to their fullest potential in the workforce. The bill also requires the Commissioner of Education to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs no later than November 4, 2022, regarding the initiative.
LD 1343, An Act To Create Education Choices by Creating Education Savings Accounts for Maine Students. (Rep. Hanley, R-Pittston) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Treasurer of State to establish education savings accounts that may be used by the parents or legal guardians of children to pay for the education of their children outside of the public school system, including homeschooling, or in a public school that is outside of the school administrative unit in which the child resides. The funding for these savings accounts comes from shifting 90% of the essential programs and services funding that would otherwise be provided by the State and by the school administrative unit for each child into a savings account. The bill specifies what educational expenditures are permitted and provides for review of spending from the accounts.
LD 1379, An Act To Establish a Lifetime Substitute Teacher Certification for Established and Successful Educators. (Rep. Fecteau, R-Augusta) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Education to issue lifetime substitute teaching certificates to teachers in the State who have held for at least 10 years a professional teacher certificate that has never been revoked or suspended.
LD 1389, An Act To Improve Maritime Education in Maine. (Rep. Cuddy, D-Winterport) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill repeals the provision of law that terminates the powers, duties and authority of the Maine School for Marine Science, Technology, Transportation and Engineering 90 days after the adjournment of the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature. The bill also provides that the phase-in procedures for schools that are funded in the same way as charter schools are the same as those for charter schools.
LD 1391, An Act To Enhance the Educational Expertise and Knowledge of the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill adds 6 members to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System, who must be current or retired public sector educators, are full voting members and may sit on any board of trustees committee. It requires 3 of the 6 members to be elected by members of Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine labor union and 3 to be elected by members of the Maine Education Association labor union. All 6 of the members must be confirmed by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs. It requires the 6 members to serve for 5-year terms, except that, of the initial trustees elected by the Associated Faculties of the Universities of Maine, one member must serve for one year, one member must serve for 3 years and one member must serve for 5 years and, of the initial trustees elected by the Maine Education Association, one member must serve for one year, one member must serve for 3 years and one member must serve for 5 years.
LD 1412, An Act To Require the Department of Education To Provide Information to Students Allowing Them To Make Informed Choices Regarding Their Education and Professional Futures. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires the Department of Education to provide information to students that allows them to make informed decisions about their education and professional future. This includes: the most in-demand jobs in the State and the average starting salary and education requirements of those jobs, the average tuition for the 4 largest public universities and vocational and technical schools in the State, the average monthly student loan payment for obtaining a 4-year degree at public universities and vocational and technical schools and the average starting salary for individuals with 4-year degrees and for those who graduate from vocational and technical schools.
LD 1426, An Act To Provide for the Equitable Funding of Education Chosen by Maine Families. (Rep. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires each school administrative unit to calculate the per-pupil tuition costs for elementary and secondary students who reside in that school administrative unit and provide no more than that amount to a student who resides in but does not attend public school in that school administrative unit and who incurs education costs, such as for attendance at a private school or educational cooperative, for a tutor or for costs associated with homeschooling. This bill also repeals the restriction in current law on providing public school funds to sectarian schools.
LD 1449, An Act To Provide for Education Funding Reform for More Equitable State Support to Communities. (Rep. Geiger, D-Rockland) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to make changes to the school funding formula to create a more fair and equitable system of state funding for education by: 1. Adding a per capita income adjustment to the school funding formula; 2. Establishing a state per-pupil contribution rate equal to 46% of the cost of educating each student in each school administrative unit with additional funding provided to school administrative units with low property valuations and low per capita income; 3. Providing additional funding outside of the school funding formula for service center communities to adjust for disparities created among communities by the school funding formula; or 4. Adopting a version of one of the following models: A. The foundation grant model, in which the State determines a minimum amount that should be spent for each student, calculates the ability of a school administrative unit to pay for each student and provides funding for the difference to each school administrative unit; B. The guaranteed tax base model, in which the State guarantees that each municipality will raise a guaranteed amount of funding per student at a given rate of property taxation. The State provides funding to a municipality for the difference between the guaranteed amount of funding and the amount actually raised; C. The centralized model, in which a standard property tax rate to fund the cost of education is set by the State and the State provides a standard per-pupil amount of funding to each school administrative unit; or D. The Vermont model, in which the State sets property tax rates and bills property owners to fund the cost of education with a lower rate for homesteads. The State provides funding for education on a per-pupil basis with certain adjustments, including a poverty adjustment. Local school districts may raise additional funds through property taxation to supplement funding provided by the State, subject to certain requirements and limits. The bill also proposes, until such time as a more equitable change in the school funding formula takes place, that any money to fund education provided in addition to the money annually directed by the school funding formula, including COVID-19 relief funds, must be apportioned to each school administrative unit on a per-pupil basis.
LD 1502, An Act To Clarify Safety Issues in Schools with Respect to Health related States of Emergency. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D-Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill requires school superintendents, during a health-related state of emergency, to comply with any health-related executive orders and proclamations made by the Governor and any directives and guidance issued by the director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services and, while the state of emergency is in effect, send a monthly report, copied to the school board, on all the steps the school administrative unit is taking to comply with any health-related executive order, proclamation, directive or guidance.
LD 1645, An Act To Establish Protections for Private Student Loan Borrowers and a Registry of Lenders. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill directs that private lenders of postsecondary education financing to students for expenses related to postsecondary education, regardless of whether the education is provided by businesses authorized to do business in or accredited by the State, register with the Superintendent of Consumer Credit Protection within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and for the superintendent to publish a registry of the private lenders on a publicly accessible website. This bill affords cosigners of private student financing the same rights and protections afforded the primary student borrowers of private student financing. This bill provides for fines, suspension from operating in the State, criminal liability for and private rights of action against lenders of private student financing that violate the provisions of the bill. This bill also contains provisions for private education lenders to provide information and disclosures to borrowers and cosigners of private education loans, provisions to allow a cosigner to be released from obligations under a private education loan, the discharge of the loan or release of a cosigner if the borrower or cosigner dies or suffers a total and permanent disability, provisions regarding alternative repayment options, prohibitions on accelerating loan payments under most conditions and requirements for the collection of delinquent private education loans.
LD 1651, An Act To Support Working Families through Outreach and Education about Tax Credits for Persons of Low Income. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides eligibility for the earned income tax credit to individuals who are immigrants who file federal income tax returns using a federally assigned individual taxpayer identification number. This bill provides ongoing funds of $150,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2021- 22 to the New Ventures Maine program within the University of Maine System for a statewide collaboration of nonprofit and for-profit partners to provide free volunteer tax assistance, including the filing of state tax returns; outreach to low-income individuals and families about federal and state tax credits; financial education, connections to financial services and other resources; education for providers and volunteers; and statewide data collection. The bill also requires the New Ventures Maine program to submit an annual report describing its activities in the previous calendar year in providing tax assistance to low-income individuals and families.
LD 1652, An Act To Build a Child Care System by Recruiting and Retaining Maine’s Early Childhood Educators Workforce. (Spkr. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor jointly to develop and implement an early childhood educators workforce support program to recruit and retain early childhood educators working with children up to 5 years of age. Components of the program include:
1. Expansion of educational programs at career and technical education centers and financial support of those programs;
2. Comprehensive scholarships for persons taking classes toward the attainment of an early childhood education credential or an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree that allow the persons to graduate without student debt as long as the persons agree to work for a year with an approved employer;
3. An increased number of apprenticeships;
4. Salary supplements awarded to individuals who provide child care or who are early childhood educators. The amount of the supplement is based on the level of education and experience of the individual and other factors;
5. Articulation agreements between local adult education providers of school administrative units, apprenticeship sponsors, career and technical education programs, the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System for the transfer of credits for course work related to early childhood education and to facilitate enrollment in courses that lead to the issuance of a postsecondary degree by a degree-granting institution; and
6. Collaboration between local adult education providers of school administrative units, apprenticeship sponsors, career and technical education programs, the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System to provide support for individuals, including immigrants and other populations lacking experience in Maine’s workforce, who require foundational skills development to enter and succeed in early childhood education courses, including but not limited to English as a second language, literacy, numeracy and employability skills.
The bill also requires a biennial report to be made by the commissioners to the Legislature including a review of the adequacy of the pathways to early childhood education careers and an evaluation of how the improved collection of workforce and child care data and coordinated, dedicated funding are supporting the ongoing development of an early child care and education system.
LD 1667, An Act To Create a Tax Credit for Maine Workers Who Have Earned Certificates from Accredited Institutions. (Rep. Sheehan, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates the Educational Certificate Tax Credit Program, modeled on the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program, for workers who receive a certificate from an accredited postsecondary educational institution denoting completion of a course of study required for an occupation or to enter or advance in an occupation.
LD 1672, An Act To Require That Private Schools That Enroll 60 Percent or More Publicly Funded Students Meet Certain Requirements. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill amends the requirements that must be met by private schools receiving public funds for tuition purposes.
LD 1678, An Act To Support Child Care Providers and School Readiness through Tax Credits. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill does the following for quality child care services, beginning in 2022.
1. It provides a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to $2,000 per eligible child to child care providers that provide services to children whose parents are participating in the child care subsidy program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services or foster children in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. The amount of the credit is based on the quality of the child care provider as determined pursuant to a quality rating and improvement system based on standards for center-based child care programs developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services.
2. It provides a refundable tax credit of $1,000 to $5,000 to administrators, educators and other professional support staff of child care providers that provide services to children whose parents are participating in the child care subsidy program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child and Family Services or foster children in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services. The amount of the credit is based on individual qualification score lattices developed and established for administrators, management, owners and coordinators and educators and other support staff of child care facilities through a collaborative partnership between the Cutler Institute of Health and Social Policy at the University of Southern Maine, the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies and the Department of Psychology at the University of Maine.
3. It amends the current income tax credit for child care expenses to allow a taxpayer to obtain a credit of between 50% and 200% of the federal tax credit, depending on the quality rating of the child care site providing child care services for the child of the taxpayer. Current law allows up to 50% of the federal tax credit if the child care expenses are incurred through the use of quality child care services.
4. It provides a tax credit of a percentage of expenses paid by an employer to provide child care and education services to the children of its employees, either on site, at a facility licensed or registered with the Department of Health and Human Services or through child care resource and referral services or vouchers for the purpose of paying for child care and education services. The percentage of expenses that may be taken by the employer is determined by the quality rating of the child care facility.
5. It indexes for inflation the dollar amounts of the tax credits beginning annually in 2023.
6. It requires the Office of Child and Family Services to notify the State Tax Assessor immediately of any changes to the grading and scoring systems used to determine child care-related tax credits and requires the office, after consultation with the assessor, to submit a report and suggested legislation to implement the changes to the grading and scoring systems.
7. It requires the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, beginning in 2025, to review the tax credits provided by this legislation to determine whether the specific public policy objectives and economic benefit of the credits outweigh the loss of revenue to the State and annually report its findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over taxation matters.
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 387, An Act To Reduce the Amount of Waste Going into Landfill. (Rep. Alley, D-Beals) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to compost all of the State's food waste and bagged grass clippings, leaves and other woody debris in convenient places in each of the counties of the State. The department would be directed to submit this plan and implementing legislation for presentation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 436, An Act Regarding the Authority of the Department of Environmental Protection Regarding Applications, Permits and Fines. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing the Department of Environmental Protection.
1. It provides that fees or any portion of fees not paid within 90 days of their due date and accruing interest are a lien against real estate of a license holder.
2. It provides the department discretion to accept or refuse to accept an application submitted to the department after the activity requiring a permit has begun and lists factors the department may consider in exercising this discretion.
3. It provides that a notice of violation does not represent a final agency decision and is not appealable.
4. It provides that after a hearing an order of the Commissioner of Environmental Protection may include required corrective action and a civil penalty.
5. It specifies that an owner, lessee, manager, easement holder or occupant of premises is subject to criminal sanction or civil penalties or forfeiture for failure to remediate or abate a violation of environmental laws or an environmental hazard or damage or to reimburse the department for the cost of such remediation or abatement.
6. It clarifies the circumstances under which employees and agents of the department may enter property and buildings.
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 387, An Act To Reduce the Amount of Waste Going into Landfill. (Rep. Alley, D-Beals) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would direct the Department of Environmental Protection to create a plan to compost all of the State's food waste and bagged grass clippings, leaves and other woody debris in convenient places in each of the counties of the State. The department would be directed to submit this plan and implementing legislation for presentation to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 436, An Act Regarding the Authority of the Department of Environmental Protection Regarding Applications, Permits and Fines. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing the Department of Environmental Protection.
1. It provides that fees or any portion of fees not paid within 90 days of their due date and accruing interest are a lien against real estate of a license holder.
2. It provides the department discretion to accept or refuse to accept an application submitted to the department after the activity requiring a permit has begun and lists factors the department may consider in exercising this discretion.
3. It provides that a notice of violation does not represent a final agency decision and is not appealable.
4. It provides that after a hearing an order of the Commissioner of Environmental Protection may include required corrective action and a civil penalty.
5. It specifies that an owner, lessee, manager, easement holder or occupant of premises is subject to criminal sanction or civil penalties or forfeiture for failure to remediate or abate a violation of environmental laws or an environmental hazard or damage or to reimburse the department for the cost of such remediation or abatement.
6. It clarifies the circumstances under which employees and agents of the department may enter property and buildings.
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 441, An Act To Expand Adult Dental Health Insurance Coverage. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, the bill requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for comprehensive dental services. The bill would apply to policies and contracts issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2022. Part B of the bill requires the Maine Health Data Organization to develop and maintain a database of dentists providing dental care to MaineCare members, including children, and to post that information on a publicly accessible website.
LD 443, An Act To Ensure Choices in Health Insurance Markets. (Rep. Morris, R-Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill limits the requirement for health insurance carriers to offer so-called clear choice design plans to individual health plans offered through the federally facilitated marketplace pursuant to the federal Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act or the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace. The bill also expands the ability of carriers to offer alternative plans to a clear choice design plan.
LD 713, An Act To Allow the Purchase of Health Insurance across State Lines. (Sen. Stewart, R- Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill authorizes the sale of individual health insurance policies in the State by out-of-state health insurers. The bill removes the restriction on the sale of policies by only insurers authorized to transact individual health insurance in New England.
LD 738, An Act To Provide High-quality Health Care for All Maine Residents. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A concept draft, this bill proposes to provide high-quality health care for all residents.
LD 751, An Act To Allow Employers To Shop for Competitive Health Plan Options. (Rep. Morris, R-Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A concpet draft, this bill proposes to enact measures to allow employers to shop for competitive health plan options.
LD 1006, An Act To Allow the Sale of Ethanol-free Gasoline Statewide. (Rep. O'Connor, R-Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill proposes to remove impediments to the sale of ethanol-free gasoline statewide.
LD 1038, An Act To Facilitate a Timely Revision Process in the Site Location of Development Laws. (Sen. Keim, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill provides that the processing period for each type of permit or license application submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection may not exceed 90 days. It applies the processing period to both new and revised applications.
LD 1045, An Act To Support Universal Health Care. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill establishes the Maine Health Care Plan to provide universal health care coverage to all residents of this State. The bill is modeled on proposed legislation considered in Minnesota.
LD 1097, An Act Regarding the Definition of "Development of State or Regional Significance That May Substantially Affect the Environment. (Sen. Keim, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the site location of development law subjects to review those projects that are truly of state or regional significance. It requires the application of the law to residential subdivisions only if they contain at least 100 dwelling units. It increases the threshold for review by modifying the definition of "structure" to include at least 5 nonvegetated acres, increased from 3 acres. It exempts solar energy projects generating less than 10 megawatts from review, even if the project covers more than 20 acres.
LD 1163, An Act To Reduce Pollution by Prohibiting Metallic Mineral Mining. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act and enacts a prohibition on the issuance of a permit, lease or license for or other approval or authorization of the mining of metallic minerals in the State for commercial or industrial purposes.
LD 1463, An Act To Make Health Care Coverage More Affordable for Working Families and Small Businesses. (Rep. Tepler, D-Topsham) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill: 1. Establishes the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund to fund activities and initiatives to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage for Maine residents; 2. Requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to adopt rules for the administration of the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and for the disbursement of funds from the fund to assist Maine residents with the cost of health care coverage; 3. Establishes the health care affordability assessment to provide funding to the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and requires the Superintendent of Insurance within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to adopt rules for the administration and enforcement of the health care affordability assessment; 4. Requires state agencies to provide technical assistance to the commissioner and the superintendent for the administration of the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund or the health care affordability assessment upon request; 5. Establishes the Affordable Health Care Advisory Group, which consists of the commissioner, the superintendent and 11 additional members appointed by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor, to consult on the development of rules to implement and administer the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and the health care affordability assessment; and 6. Requires the commissioner to submit an annual report to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health insurance matters describing activities and initiatives funded by the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund to increase the affordability of health insurance for Maine residents and summarizing the findings and recommendations of the Affordable Health Care Advisory Group by February 1st. The commissioner is also required to make the report publicly available online.
LD 1539, An Act To Provide Access to Fertility Care. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, this bill requires carriers offering health plans in this State to provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care, for fertility treatment if the enrollee is a fertility patient and for fertility preservation services. The requirements of the bill apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023.
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 441, An Act To Expand Adult Dental Health Insurance Coverage. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, the bill requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for comprehensive dental services. The bill would apply to policies and contracts issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2022. Part B of the bill requires the Maine Health Data Organization to develop and maintain a database of dentists providing dental care to MaineCare members, including children, and to post that information on a publicly accessible website.
LD 443, An Act To Ensure Choices in Health Insurance Markets. (Rep. Morris, R-Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill limits the requirement for health insurance carriers to offer so-called clear choice design plans to individual health plans offered through the federally facilitated marketplace pursuant to the federal Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act or the Maine Health Insurance Marketplace. The bill also expands the ability of carriers to offer alternative plans to a clear choice design plan.
LD 713, An Act To Allow the Purchase of Health Insurance across State Lines. (Sen. Stewart, R- Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill authorizes the sale of individual health insurance policies in the State by out-of-state health insurers. The bill removes the restriction on the sale of policies by only insurers authorized to transact individual health insurance in New England.
LD 738, An Act To Provide High-quality Health Care for All Maine Residents. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A concept draft, this bill proposes to provide high-quality health care for all residents.
LD 751, An Act To Allow Employers To Shop for Competitive Health Plan Options. (Rep. Morris, R-Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A concpet draft, this bill proposes to enact measures to allow employers to shop for competitive health plan options.
LD 1006, An Act To Allow the Sale of Ethanol-free Gasoline Statewide. (Rep. O'Connor, R-Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill proposes to remove impediments to the sale of ethanol-free gasoline statewide.
LD 1038, An Act To Facilitate a Timely Revision Process in the Site Location of Development Laws. (Sen. Keim, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill provides that the processing period for each type of permit or license application submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection may not exceed 90 days. It applies the processing period to both new and revised applications.
LD 1045, An Act To Support Universal Health Care. (Rep. Brooks, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill establishes the Maine Health Care Plan to provide universal health care coverage to all residents of this State. The bill is modeled on proposed legislation considered in Minnesota.
LD 1097, An Act Regarding the Definition of "Development of State or Regional Significance That May Substantially Affect the Environment. (Sen. Keim, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. The purpose of this bill is to ensure that the site location of development law subjects to review those projects that are truly of state or regional significance. It requires the application of the law to residential subdivisions only if they contain at least 100 dwelling units. It increases the threshold for review by modifying the definition of "structure" to include at least 5 nonvegetated acres, increased from 3 acres. It exempts solar energy projects generating less than 10 megawatts from review, even if the project covers more than 20 acres.
LD 1163, An Act To Reduce Pollution by Prohibiting Metallic Mineral Mining. (Rep. O'Neil, D-Saco) Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. This bill repeals the Maine Metallic Mineral Mining Act and enacts a prohibition on the issuance of a permit, lease or license for or other approval or authorization of the mining of metallic minerals in the State for commercial or industrial purposes.
LD 1463, An Act To Make Health Care Coverage More Affordable for Working Families and Small Businesses. (Rep. Tepler, D-Topsham) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill: 1. Establishes the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund to fund activities and initiatives to reduce the cost of health insurance coverage for Maine residents; 2. Requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to adopt rules for the administration of the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and for the disbursement of funds from the fund to assist Maine residents with the cost of health care coverage; 3. Establishes the health care affordability assessment to provide funding to the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and requires the Superintendent of Insurance within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to adopt rules for the administration and enforcement of the health care affordability assessment; 4. Requires state agencies to provide technical assistance to the commissioner and the superintendent for the administration of the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund or the health care affordability assessment upon request; 5. Establishes the Affordable Health Care Advisory Group, which consists of the commissioner, the superintendent and 11 additional members appointed by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Governor, to consult on the development of rules to implement and administer the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund and the health care affordability assessment; and 6. Requires the commissioner to submit an annual report to the Governor and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health insurance matters describing activities and initiatives funded by the Maine Health Care Affordability Fund to increase the affordability of health insurance for Maine residents and summarizing the findings and recommendations of the Affordable Health Care Advisory Group by February 1st. The commissioner is also required to make the report publicly available online.
LD 1539, An Act To Provide Access to Fertility Care. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, this bill requires carriers offering health plans in this State to provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care, for fertility treatment if the enrollee is a fertility patient and for fertility preservation services. The requirements of the bill apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023.
Insurance Legislation...
LD 424, An Act To Restore Short-term Health Insurance. (Sen. Bennet, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill reverses several changes regulating short-term, limited-duration health insurance policies enacted in Public Law 2019, chapter 330. The bill authorizes the issuance of a policy for up to 12 months and eliminates the restriction terminating a short term, limited-duration policy on December 31st of the year in which it is issued. The bill removes the prohibition on selling a short-term, limited-duration policy to anyone who has had prior short-term policy coverage in the last 12 months and removes the combined cap on coverage of 24 months. The bill also removes the requirement that these policies may be sold only through an in-person encounter and the provision prohibiting the sale of these policies during any open enrollment period. The changes made in the bill apply to short-term, limited-duration health insurance policies, contracts and certificates issued or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2022.
LD 694, An Act Concerning Business Interruption Insurance. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D- Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill prohibits insurers that provide a policy insuring against loss or damage to property from excluding coverage for any loss of occupancy or business interruption directly or indirectly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also prohibits insurers from including a provision in a policy excluding coverage for any loss of occupancy or business interruption directly or indirectly resulting from a pandemic declared by the World Health Organization or the United States Government. The bill also makes the requirements of this bill apply retroactively to March 15, 2020, the date a civil state of emergency was first declared in the State due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
LD 424, An Act To Restore Short-term Health Insurance. (Sen. Bennet, R-Oxford) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill reverses several changes regulating short-term, limited-duration health insurance policies enacted in Public Law 2019, chapter 330. The bill authorizes the issuance of a policy for up to 12 months and eliminates the restriction terminating a short term, limited-duration policy on December 31st of the year in which it is issued. The bill removes the prohibition on selling a short-term, limited-duration policy to anyone who has had prior short-term policy coverage in the last 12 months and removes the combined cap on coverage of 24 months. The bill also removes the requirement that these policies may be sold only through an in-person encounter and the provision prohibiting the sale of these policies during any open enrollment period. The changes made in the bill apply to short-term, limited-duration health insurance policies, contracts and certificates issued or renewed in this State on or after January 1, 2022.
LD 694, An Act Concerning Business Interruption Insurance. Emergency (Rep. Gramlich, D- Old Orchard Beach) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill prohibits insurers that provide a policy insuring against loss or damage to property from excluding coverage for any loss of occupancy or business interruption directly or indirectly resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also prohibits insurers from including a provision in a policy excluding coverage for any loss of occupancy or business interruption directly or indirectly resulting from a pandemic declared by the World Health Organization or the United States Government. The bill also makes the requirements of this bill apply retroactively to March 15, 2020, the date a civil state of emergency was first declared in the State due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judiciary Legislation...
LD 1294, An Act To Prevent Discrimination against Domestic Violence Victims. (Sen. Bailey, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. This bill amends the Maine Human Rights Act to provide protections against discrimination in employment and housing against a person who has sought and received an order of protection under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 19-A, chapter 101. All remedies currently available under the Maine Human Rights Act, including a private right of action and attorney's fees, are available for these persons.
LD 1294, An Act To Prevent Discrimination against Domestic Violence Victims. (Sen. Bailey, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. This bill amends the Maine Human Rights Act to provide protections against discrimination in employment and housing against a person who has sought and received an order of protection under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 19-A, chapter 101. All remedies currently available under the Maine Human Rights Act, including a private right of action and attorney's fees, are available for these persons.
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 425, Resolve, Directing the Department of Labor To Establish a State Unemployment Program for Self-employed Workers and Independent Contractors. Emergency (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This resolve directs the Department of Labor to create an unemployment compensation system for self-employed workers and independent contractors.
LD 447, An Act To Require Equivalent Paid Parental Leave for All Parents Employed by Companies Offering Paid Parental Leave. (Rep. Roeder, D-Bangor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires an employer that provides paid parental leave to provide an equal amount of leave for the birth of a child and the adoption of a child. It also prohibits an employer from providing different amounts of paid parental leave based on the gender of the employee or employee's domestic partner. The bill uses the definition of "employer" under the family medical leave laws. The bill establishes a fine of $10,000 for violation of these requirements.
LD 460, An Act To Amend Certain Employment Laws To Help Front-line and Other Workers. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill would amend certain employment laws to help front-line and other workers.
LD 464, An Act To Change Certain Labor Laws. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to change certain labor laws to help the people of this State in organizing a labor union and negotiating a fair contract.
LD 469, An Act To Ensure Safety across Maine's Construction Industry. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires a contractor or subcontractor with a public works contract with the State of $50,000 or more to certify all craft workers who will be on the construction site have taken a safety training program that uses a curriculum approved by the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and that is at least 10 hours in duration. A contractor or subcontractor is required to provide proof of compliance by submitting a statement of compliance as part of its regular certified payroll submission. The contractor or subcontractor is required to display at the job site an affidavit showing compliance. The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee is authorized to issue a cease operations order if a contractor or subcontractor is not in compliance. The Department of Labor is authorized to adopt rules to implement this section.
LD 553, An Act To End At-will Employment. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits an employer from terminating the employment of an employee without cause. The bill specifies that an employer may terminate an employee for cause only after applying a 3-step progressive discipline policy and providing notice of termination in accordance with certain requirements. The bill also eliminates references to at-will employment in current law.
LD 616, An Act To Increase Accountability for Wage Violations. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill amends the law regarding employment practices by increasing the fine for a violation of certain state wage and benefits laws to $500 for the first violation and at least $500 but not more than $2,500 for each subsequent violation. It amends the law regarding employees' remedies to provide that in a judgment for an employee an additional amount of twice the unpaid wages must be awarded the employee.
LD 734, An Act To Set a Minimum Wage for School Support Staff. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill establishes a minimum hourly wage of $16 per hour for school support staff for school years beginning after June 30, 2022. The bill requires the State on a one-time basis, for the school year beginning after June 30, 2022, to provide funds to school administrative units to make up the difference between what a school administrative unit currently pays school support staff and what the unit is required to pay under the minimum wage requirement.
LD 938, An Act To Ensure Maine Workers' Right To Request a Schedule Change at Their Places of Employment. (Rep. Wood, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill creates a right of an employee to request a change of schedule. The employer is not required to grant the request but must describe in writing the reason for denial if the request is denied. The employee's right to request a schedule change does not apply to employers with 10 or fewer employees. A violation is a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $5,000 may be adjudged.
LD 1167, An Act Relating to Fair Chance in Employment. (Rep. Talbot Ross, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits an employer from requesting criminal history record information on an initial employee application form or stating on an initial employee application form or advertisement or specifying prior to determining a person is otherwise qualified for the position that a person with a criminal history may not apply or will not be considered for a position. The bill provides exceptions to those prohibitions, including instances in which federal or state law or regulation or rule mandates for a position that a criminal conviction disqualifies an applicant, or imposes an obligation on an employer not to hire an applicant who has been convicted of a certain type of offense, or requires that an employer conduct a criminal history record check. An employer who violates this prohibition is subject to a penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each violation, to be enforced by the Department of Labor.
LD 1233, An Act To Determine How Many Employees of Large Companies in Maine Receive Public Benefits. (Rep. Morales, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Department of Labor with the assistance of the Department of Health and Human Services to gather data regarding the number of persons who are employed by businesses in this State that have 50 or more employees and who receive public benefits, including but not limited to benefits under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the MaineCare program; municipal general assistance; Section 8 housing assistance; and the Bridging Rental Assistance Program. The data gathering process must respect the privacy rights of individual employees, and the data gathered may not identify individual employees. The department must report its findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters no later than December 1st each year.
LD 1338, An Act To Protect Employees' Exercise of Workplace Rights. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill repeals the sections of law concerning prohibited acts and judicial enforcement under the laws governing family medical leave employment practices in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, chapter 7 and enacts similar provisions that apply to all laws in the same chapter governing employment practices.
LD 1339, An Act To Clarify That Municipal Firefighters, Volunteer First Responders and Substitute Teachers Are Excluded from Maine Earned Paid Leave. (Rerp. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill excludes from the law requiring employers of more than 10 employees to provide earned paid leave municipal firefighters, volunteer first responders and substitute teachers.
LD 1461, An Act Relating to Heat Illness Prevention. (Rep. Thom Harnett, D-Gardiner) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill:
1. Requires the Department of Labor to develop a safety and education training program for employers, supervisors and employees addressing heat illness prevention and requires the department to make the training available on the department's publicly accessible website by December 31, 2021;
2. Requires the department to adopt rules for the implementation of the heat illness prevention training program;
3. Requires an employer who requires an employee to work in a high-heat environment for more than 15 minutes for every hour of the employee's work day to provide annual heat illness prevention training to the employer's employees and supervisors, to make the training and all relevant materials available to an employee or supervisor upon request and to provide the training to any new employee working in a high-heat environment and to a supervisor before the supervisor may supervise an employee working in a high-heat environment; and
4. Requires an employer to take the following heat illness prevention measures:
A. Provide readily accessible drinking water to an employee working in a high-heat environment;
B. Remove an employee exhibiting mild to moderate signs or symptoms of heat illness to a cooling area for 15 minutes and, if the signs or symptoms do not abate, seek medical attention or administer first aid;
C. If the temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, maintain one or more cooling areas sufficient to enable employees to participate in recovery periods; and
D. If the temperature is 90 degrees or greater, ensure that an employee working in a high-heat environment is able to easily communicate by voice, gesture or electronic means with an employer or supervisor so that the employee may report signs or symptoms of heat illness or request emergency medical services, regularly remind the employee to consume drinking water, ensure the employee takes one 10-minute break for every 2 hours spent working in a high-heat environment and review these measures with the employee before the employee begins working in a high-heat environment.
LD 1539, An Act To Provide Access to Fertility Care. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, this bill requires carriers offering health plans in this State to provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care, for fertility treatment if the enrollee is a fertility patient and for fertility preservation services. The requirements of the bill apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023.
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 425, Resolve, Directing the Department of Labor To Establish a State Unemployment Program for Self-employed Workers and Independent Contractors. Emergency (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This resolve directs the Department of Labor to create an unemployment compensation system for self-employed workers and independent contractors.
LD 447, An Act To Require Equivalent Paid Parental Leave for All Parents Employed by Companies Offering Paid Parental Leave. (Rep. Roeder, D-Bangor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires an employer that provides paid parental leave to provide an equal amount of leave for the birth of a child and the adoption of a child. It also prohibits an employer from providing different amounts of paid parental leave based on the gender of the employee or employee's domestic partner. The bill uses the definition of "employer" under the family medical leave laws. The bill establishes a fine of $10,000 for violation of these requirements.
LD 460, An Act To Amend Certain Employment Laws To Help Front-line and Other Workers. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill would amend certain employment laws to help front-line and other workers.
LD 464, An Act To Change Certain Labor Laws. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. A concept draft, this bill proposes to change certain labor laws to help the people of this State in organizing a labor union and negotiating a fair contract.
LD 469, An Act To Ensure Safety across Maine's Construction Industry. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires a contractor or subcontractor with a public works contract with the State of $50,000 or more to certify all craft workers who will be on the construction site have taken a safety training program that uses a curriculum approved by the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and that is at least 10 hours in duration. A contractor or subcontractor is required to provide proof of compliance by submitting a statement of compliance as part of its regular certified payroll submission. The contractor or subcontractor is required to display at the job site an affidavit showing compliance. The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee is authorized to issue a cease operations order if a contractor or subcontractor is not in compliance. The Department of Labor is authorized to adopt rules to implement this section.
LD 553, An Act To End At-will Employment. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits an employer from terminating the employment of an employee without cause. The bill specifies that an employer may terminate an employee for cause only after applying a 3-step progressive discipline policy and providing notice of termination in accordance with certain requirements. The bill also eliminates references to at-will employment in current law.
LD 616, An Act To Increase Accountability for Wage Violations. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill amends the law regarding employment practices by increasing the fine for a violation of certain state wage and benefits laws to $500 for the first violation and at least $500 but not more than $2,500 for each subsequent violation. It amends the law regarding employees' remedies to provide that in a judgment for an employee an additional amount of twice the unpaid wages must be awarded the employee.
LD 734, An Act To Set a Minimum Wage for School Support Staff. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill establishes a minimum hourly wage of $16 per hour for school support staff for school years beginning after June 30, 2022. The bill requires the State on a one-time basis, for the school year beginning after June 30, 2022, to provide funds to school administrative units to make up the difference between what a school administrative unit currently pays school support staff and what the unit is required to pay under the minimum wage requirement.
LD 938, An Act To Ensure Maine Workers' Right To Request a Schedule Change at Their Places of Employment. (Rep. Wood, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill creates a right of an employee to request a change of schedule. The employer is not required to grant the request but must describe in writing the reason for denial if the request is denied. The employee's right to request a schedule change does not apply to employers with 10 or fewer employees. A violation is a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $5,000 may be adjudged.
LD 1167, An Act Relating to Fair Chance in Employment. (Rep. Talbot Ross, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits an employer from requesting criminal history record information on an initial employee application form or stating on an initial employee application form or advertisement or specifying prior to determining a person is otherwise qualified for the position that a person with a criminal history may not apply or will not be considered for a position. The bill provides exceptions to those prohibitions, including instances in which federal or state law or regulation or rule mandates for a position that a criminal conviction disqualifies an applicant, or imposes an obligation on an employer not to hire an applicant who has been convicted of a certain type of offense, or requires that an employer conduct a criminal history record check. An employer who violates this prohibition is subject to a penalty of not less than $100 nor more than $500 for each violation, to be enforced by the Department of Labor.
LD 1233, An Act To Determine How Many Employees of Large Companies in Maine Receive Public Benefits. (Rep. Morales, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Department of Labor with the assistance of the Department of Health and Human Services to gather data regarding the number of persons who are employed by businesses in this State that have 50 or more employees and who receive public benefits, including but not limited to benefits under the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the MaineCare program; municipal general assistance; Section 8 housing assistance; and the Bridging Rental Assistance Program. The data gathering process must respect the privacy rights of individual employees, and the data gathered may not identify individual employees. The department must report its findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters no later than December 1st each year.
LD 1338, An Act To Protect Employees' Exercise of Workplace Rights. (Rep. Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill repeals the sections of law concerning prohibited acts and judicial enforcement under the laws governing family medical leave employment practices in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, chapter 7 and enacts similar provisions that apply to all laws in the same chapter governing employment practices.
LD 1339, An Act To Clarify That Municipal Firefighters, Volunteer First Responders and Substitute Teachers Are Excluded from Maine Earned Paid Leave. (Rerp. Greenwood, R-Wales) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill excludes from the law requiring employers of more than 10 employees to provide earned paid leave municipal firefighters, volunteer first responders and substitute teachers.
LD 1461, An Act Relating to Heat Illness Prevention. (Rep. Thom Harnett, D-Gardiner) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill:
1. Requires the Department of Labor to develop a safety and education training program for employers, supervisors and employees addressing heat illness prevention and requires the department to make the training available on the department's publicly accessible website by December 31, 2021;
2. Requires the department to adopt rules for the implementation of the heat illness prevention training program;
3. Requires an employer who requires an employee to work in a high-heat environment for more than 15 minutes for every hour of the employee's work day to provide annual heat illness prevention training to the employer's employees and supervisors, to make the training and all relevant materials available to an employee or supervisor upon request and to provide the training to any new employee working in a high-heat environment and to a supervisor before the supervisor may supervise an employee working in a high-heat environment; and
4. Requires an employer to take the following heat illness prevention measures:
A. Provide readily accessible drinking water to an employee working in a high-heat environment;
B. Remove an employee exhibiting mild to moderate signs or symptoms of heat illness to a cooling area for 15 minutes and, if the signs or symptoms do not abate, seek medical attention or administer first aid;
C. If the temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, maintain one or more cooling areas sufficient to enable employees to participate in recovery periods; and
D. If the temperature is 90 degrees or greater, ensure that an employee working in a high-heat environment is able to easily communicate by voice, gesture or electronic means with an employer or supervisor so that the employee may report signs or symptoms of heat illness or request emergency medical services, regularly remind the employee to consume drinking water, ensure the employee takes one 10-minute break for every 2 hours spent working in a high-heat environment and review these measures with the employee before the employee begins working in a high-heat environment.
LD 1539, An Act To Provide Access to Fertility Care. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. A mandate, this bill requires carriers offering health plans in this State to provide coverage for fertility diagnostic care, for fertility treatment if the enrollee is a fertility patient and for fertility preservation services. The requirements of the bill apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2023.
Minimum Wage Legislation...
LD 543, An Act To Provide That the Minimum Wage Increases by the Cost of Living Every 3 Years. (Rep. Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill changes the annual cost-of-living increase in the minimum hourly wage from annual to triennial. Current law provides that the minimum hourly wage is adjusted for the cost of living annually.
LD 774, An Act To Promote Minimum Wage Consistency. (Rep. Morris, R- Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits a municipality or other political subdivision of the State from enacting an ordinance regulating the minimum wage that an employer must pay an employee.
LD 1047, An Act To Create an Alternate Minimum Wage Applicable to Student Employees Who Are under 20 Years of Age and to Employees Who Are under 18 Years of Age. (Rerp. Rudnicki, R-) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill provides a minimum hourly wage of $9.75 starting January 1, 2022 for an employee who has not attained 20 years of age and is a student at a secondary or postsecondary school and an employee who has not attained 18 years of age. On January 1, 2023 and each January 1st thereafter, this minimum hourly wage must be increased by the increase, if any, in the cost of living.
LD 1453, An Act To Protect Small Employers by Prohibiting Municipalities from Adopting Ordinances Regarding Employee Work Benefits Other Than Ordinances Regarding Minimum Wage Rates. (Rep. Bradstreet, R- Vasselboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits municipalities from enacting or enforcing an ordinance, regulation or order regulating wages or benefits of an employee provided by an employer except for an ordinance concerning a life safety matter or establishing a minimum wage rate for a particular class of workers during a particular period of time.
LD 543, An Act To Provide That the Minimum Wage Increases by the Cost of Living Every 3 Years. (Rep. Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill changes the annual cost-of-living increase in the minimum hourly wage from annual to triennial. Current law provides that the minimum hourly wage is adjusted for the cost of living annually.
LD 774, An Act To Promote Minimum Wage Consistency. (Rep. Morris, R- Turner) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits a municipality or other political subdivision of the State from enacting an ordinance regulating the minimum wage that an employer must pay an employee.
LD 1047, An Act To Create an Alternate Minimum Wage Applicable to Student Employees Who Are under 20 Years of Age and to Employees Who Are under 18 Years of Age. (Rerp. Rudnicki, R-) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill provides a minimum hourly wage of $9.75 starting January 1, 2022 for an employee who has not attained 20 years of age and is a student at a secondary or postsecondary school and an employee who has not attained 18 years of age. On January 1, 2023 and each January 1st thereafter, this minimum hourly wage must be increased by the increase, if any, in the cost of living.
LD 1453, An Act To Protect Small Employers by Prohibiting Municipalities from Adopting Ordinances Regarding Employee Work Benefits Other Than Ordinances Regarding Minimum Wage Rates. (Rep. Bradstreet, R- Vasselboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill prohibits municipalities from enacting or enforcing an ordinance, regulation or order regulating wages or benefits of an employee provided by an employer except for an ordinance concerning a life safety matter or establishing a minimum wage rate for a particular class of workers during a particular period of time.
Taxation Legislation...
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 484, An Act to Change Maine's Tax Laws. (Sen. Chipman, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 495, An Act to Improve Tax Progrssivity by Establishing New Top Individual Income Tax Rates. (Rep. Osher, D-Orono) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would increase the top income tax rate from 7.15% to 8.35%. The bill would also add a new income tax bracket at 11.15% for taxpayers filing single or married filing separately with income exceeding $100,000, married filing jointly with income exceeding $200,000, or heads of households with income exceeding $150,000.
LD 498, An Act to Reauthorize a 3 Percent Tax on Income over $200,000 to Lift all Maine Workers out of Poverty. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would impose a 3% surcharge on income exceeding $200,000.
LD 501, An Act to Amend Maine's Corporate Income Tax by Increasing the Top Rate from 8.93% to 12.4%. (Rep. Brooks. D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would do as the title suggests that is increase Maine's corporate income tax rate from 8.93% to 12.4%.
LD 570, An Act to Provide for Fairness in the Taxation of Extraordinary and Unearned Income by Establishing a 3% Percent Surcharge on Net Capital gains and Dividends Income over $250,000 for Taxpayers Filing Single or Married Filing Separate Returns and over $500,000 for Taxpayers Filing Joint Returns. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would impose an income tax surcharge on the portion of a taxpayers taxable income that exceeds the lesser of the taxpayers taxable income from net capital gains and dividends and the amount by which the taxpayers taxable income exceeds $250,000 for persons filing returns as single individuals or married filing separately, $375,000 for persons filing returns as heads of households or $500,000 for persons filing married filing joint returns or as surviving spouses.
LD 730, An Act to Protect Economic Competitivenss in Maine by Extending the End Date for Pine Tree Development Zone Benefits. (Sen. Daughtry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill extends the Pine Tree Development Zones Program by three years to 2024. The program is scheduled to sunset December of 2021.
LD 1156, An Act to Reduce Errors in Employment Tax Increment Financing. (Rep. Arata) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would amend the Employment Tax Increment Financing Program to calculate the benefit based on gross wages of employees rather than on income tax withholdong.
LD 1289, An Act to Cut Property Taxes for Maine Residential Homowners. (Rep. Perry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would create a new top income tax rate from 7.15% to 7.95% for incomes over $300,000 for single or married filing separately, $450,000 for individuals filing as heads of households and $600,000 for individuals married filing jointly. The bill would use the revenue to increase the homestead property tax exemption from $25,000 in 2021, $35,000 in 2022 and $45,000 in 2023 and $55,000 in 2024.
LD 1342, An Act to Authorize a Local Opion Sales Tax on Lodging and Other Goods and Provide Funding for Tax Abatement and Rental Relief. (Rep. Sylvester) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would authroize a municipality to impose a a local option sales tax of 1% on lodging if approved by local referendum. 90% of the revenue would be distributed to that municipality and the other 10% to Maine Housing Authority.
LD 1418, An Act to Authorize a Local Option Sales Tax on Meals and Lodging. (Sen. Luchini) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would authorize a municipality to adopt a local option sales tax of 1% on lodging if approve by voters in that municipality.
LD 1443, An Act Regarding Higher Income Tax Levels. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would establish five new brackets for high income earners over $100,000 for single or married filing separately, $150,000 for heads of households and $200,000 for married filing jointly.
LD 1456, An Act To Invest in Passenger Rail Expansion. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a long-term plan for the development and expansion of passenger rail service in the State, including within Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot counties, and to identify potential sources of state and federal funding for the development and expansion of passenger rail service in the State.
LD 1500, An Act to Bring Equite to Maine's Tax Law by Adjusting Certain Individual Income Tax Rates. (Rep. Lookner) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would add a new income tax bracket of 12.4% on taxable income exceeding $200,000 for single or married filing separtely, $300,000 for heads of households and $400,000 for married filing jointly.
LD 1569, An Act Regarding an Excise Tax on Water Extracted for Commecial Bottling. (Rep. Gramlich) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would create an excise tax of 5cents per gallon on the extraction of groundwater or surface water for commercial bottling for sale.
LD 1598, An Act to Eliminate Taxpayer Subsidies for Discriminatory Employers. (Rep. Terry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill provides that persons who violate laws against discrimination or certain labor laws are not elibigle for
LD 1678, An Act to Support Child Care Providers and School Readiness Through Tax Credits. (Rep. Millett) Joint Standing Committee on 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 484, An Act to Change Maine's Tax Laws. (Sen. Chipman, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill is a concept draft.
LD 495, An Act to Improve Tax Progrssivity by Establishing New Top Individual Income Tax Rates. (Rep. Osher, D-Orono) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would increase the top income tax rate from 7.15% to 8.35%. The bill would also add a new income tax bracket at 11.15% for taxpayers filing single or married filing separately with income exceeding $100,000, married filing jointly with income exceeding $200,000, or heads of households with income exceeding $150,000.
LD 498, An Act to Reauthorize a 3 Percent Tax on Income over $200,000 to Lift all Maine Workers out of Poverty. (Rep. Sylvester, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would impose a 3% surcharge on income exceeding $200,000.
LD 501, An Act to Amend Maine's Corporate Income Tax by Increasing the Top Rate from 8.93% to 12.4%. (Rep. Brooks. D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would do as the title suggests that is increase Maine's corporate income tax rate from 8.93% to 12.4%.
LD 570, An Act to Provide for Fairness in the Taxation of Extraordinary and Unearned Income by Establishing a 3% Percent Surcharge on Net Capital gains and Dividends Income over $250,000 for Taxpayers Filing Single or Married Filing Separate Returns and over $500,000 for Taxpayers Filing Joint Returns. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would impose an income tax surcharge on the portion of a taxpayers taxable income that exceeds the lesser of the taxpayers taxable income from net capital gains and dividends and the amount by which the taxpayers taxable income exceeds $250,000 for persons filing returns as single individuals or married filing separately, $375,000 for persons filing returns as heads of households or $500,000 for persons filing married filing joint returns or as surviving spouses.
LD 730, An Act to Protect Economic Competitivenss in Maine by Extending the End Date for Pine Tree Development Zone Benefits. (Sen. Daughtry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill extends the Pine Tree Development Zones Program by three years to 2024. The program is scheduled to sunset December of 2021.
LD 1156, An Act to Reduce Errors in Employment Tax Increment Financing. (Rep. Arata) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would amend the Employment Tax Increment Financing Program to calculate the benefit based on gross wages of employees rather than on income tax withholdong.
LD 1289, An Act to Cut Property Taxes for Maine Residential Homowners. (Rep. Perry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would create a new top income tax rate from 7.15% to 7.95% for incomes over $300,000 for single or married filing separately, $450,000 for individuals filing as heads of households and $600,000 for individuals married filing jointly. The bill would use the revenue to increase the homestead property tax exemption from $25,000 in 2021, $35,000 in 2022 and $45,000 in 2023 and $55,000 in 2024.
LD 1342, An Act to Authorize a Local Opion Sales Tax on Lodging and Other Goods and Provide Funding for Tax Abatement and Rental Relief. (Rep. Sylvester) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would authroize a municipality to impose a a local option sales tax of 1% on lodging if approved by local referendum. 90% of the revenue would be distributed to that municipality and the other 10% to Maine Housing Authority.
LD 1418, An Act to Authorize a Local Option Sales Tax on Meals and Lodging. (Sen. Luchini) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would authorize a municipality to adopt a local option sales tax of 1% on lodging if approve by voters in that municipality.
LD 1443, An Act Regarding Higher Income Tax Levels. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would establish five new brackets for high income earners over $100,000 for single or married filing separately, $150,000 for heads of households and $200,000 for married filing jointly.
LD 1456, An Act To Invest in Passenger Rail Expansion. (Rep. Collings, D-Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to create a long-term plan for the development and expansion of passenger rail service in the State, including within Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot counties, and to identify potential sources of state and federal funding for the development and expansion of passenger rail service in the State.
LD 1500, An Act to Bring Equite to Maine's Tax Law by Adjusting Certain Individual Income Tax Rates. (Rep. Lookner) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would add a new income tax bracket of 12.4% on taxable income exceeding $200,000 for single or married filing separtely, $300,000 for heads of households and $400,000 for married filing jointly.
LD 1569, An Act Regarding an Excise Tax on Water Extracted for Commecial Bottling. (Rep. Gramlich) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill would create an excise tax of 5cents per gallon on the extraction of groundwater or surface water for commercial bottling for sale.
LD 1598, An Act to Eliminate Taxpayer Subsidies for Discriminatory Employers. (Rep. Terry) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. The bill provides that persons who violate laws against discrimination or certain labor laws are not elibigle for
LD 1678, An Act to Support Child Care Providers and School Readiness Through Tax Credits. (Rep. Millett) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation.
Unemployment Insurance Legislation...
LD 1020, An Act To Promote the Integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Program. (Rep.Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Commissioner of Labor to weekly review the rolls of recipients receiving unemployment benefits with reference to a federal national directory of new hires and to review lists of incarcerated individuals in county and state custody to determine if there is a change of circumstances affecting the eligibility of a recipient of unemployment benefits.
LD 1032, An Act To Promote the Sustainability of the State's Unemployment Insurance System by Linking the Duration of Benefits to the State's Average Unemployment Rate. (Rep. Stetkis, R-Canaan) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill renames the Employment Security Law the Reemployment Assistance Program.
It also links unemployment insurance benefits with the state average unemployment rate. An employee may receive:
1. Twelve weeks of unemployment insurance if the state average unemployment rate is at or below 5 1/2%;
2. One additional week added to the 12 weeks for each 1/2% increase in the state average unemployment rate above 5 1/2%; and,
3. Up to a maximum of 20 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits if the state average unemployment rate is over 9%.
LD 1564, An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Unemployment Compensation. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc, for the Maine Department of Labor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing unemployment compensation.
1. It increases the amount of wages a person may receive and still be considered partially unemployed.
2. It provides the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee discretion to deduct the amount of unemployment benefits erroneously paid to a person from any future benefits payable to that person. Current law vests this discretion in the Unemployment Insurance Commission. It also provides that unemployment benefits erroneously paid may not be recovered from a person who, in the judgment of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, is without fault and when, in the judgment of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, such recovery would defeat the purpose of benefits or would be against equity and good conscience. Current law vests this judgment in the commission.
3. It transfers rule-making authority pertaining to unemployment insurance from the Unemployment Insurance Commission to the Commissioner of Labor.
4. It increases the allowance for dependents and the cap on the allowance for dependents.
5. It removes an exemption from the requirement to show good cause for participation in reemployment services and eligibility assessment.
6. It provides eligibility for unemployment compensation for a person who leaves employment due to the unexpected loss of child or elder care under certain circumstances.
7. It provides that evidence presented at a fact-finding interview by interested parties who personally participate in the interview by telephone or email or other electronic means is permitted for a determination of eligibility for unemployment compensation.
8. It specifies additional conditions that trigger an extended benefit period.
9. It increases the total extended benefit amount in a high unemployment period.
LD 1571, An Act To Strengthen the Unemployment Insurance System To Better Serve Maine Workers. (Speaker Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation to examine the adequacy of Maine's unemployment compensation system in meeting the needs of today's workforce and economy, to establish benchmarks for program improvement and to annually measure progress in reaching those benchmarks. It also requires an assessment of the staffing capacity within the Department of Labor and requires the Commissioner of Labor to submit a report of these findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. It establishes the peer navigator program to increase access to unemployment compensation benefits for underserved individuals and makes several amendments in current law to support these goals.
LD 1020, An Act To Promote the Integrity of the Unemployment Insurance Program. (Rep.Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Commissioner of Labor to weekly review the rolls of recipients receiving unemployment benefits with reference to a federal national directory of new hires and to review lists of incarcerated individuals in county and state custody to determine if there is a change of circumstances affecting the eligibility of a recipient of unemployment benefits.
LD 1032, An Act To Promote the Sustainability of the State's Unemployment Insurance System by Linking the Duration of Benefits to the State's Average Unemployment Rate. (Rep. Stetkis, R-Canaan) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill renames the Employment Security Law the Reemployment Assistance Program.
It also links unemployment insurance benefits with the state average unemployment rate. An employee may receive:
1. Twelve weeks of unemployment insurance if the state average unemployment rate is at or below 5 1/2%;
2. One additional week added to the 12 weeks for each 1/2% increase in the state average unemployment rate above 5 1/2%; and,
3. Up to a maximum of 20 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits if the state average unemployment rate is over 9%.
LD 1564, An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Unemployment Compensation. (Sen. Vitelli, D-Sagadahoc, for the Maine Department of Labor) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing unemployment compensation.
1. It increases the amount of wages a person may receive and still be considered partially unemployed.
2. It provides the Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee discretion to deduct the amount of unemployment benefits erroneously paid to a person from any future benefits payable to that person. Current law vests this discretion in the Unemployment Insurance Commission. It also provides that unemployment benefits erroneously paid may not be recovered from a person who, in the judgment of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, is without fault and when, in the judgment of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, such recovery would defeat the purpose of benefits or would be against equity and good conscience. Current law vests this judgment in the commission.
3. It transfers rule-making authority pertaining to unemployment insurance from the Unemployment Insurance Commission to the Commissioner of Labor.
4. It increases the allowance for dependents and the cap on the allowance for dependents.
5. It removes an exemption from the requirement to show good cause for participation in reemployment services and eligibility assessment.
6. It provides eligibility for unemployment compensation for a person who leaves employment due to the unexpected loss of child or elder care under certain circumstances.
7. It provides that evidence presented at a fact-finding interview by interested parties who personally participate in the interview by telephone or email or other electronic means is permitted for a determination of eligibility for unemployment compensation.
8. It specifies additional conditions that trigger an extended benefit period.
9. It increases the total extended benefit amount in a high unemployment period.
LD 1571, An Act To Strengthen the Unemployment Insurance System To Better Serve Maine Workers. (Speaker Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill requires the Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation to examine the adequacy of Maine's unemployment compensation system in meeting the needs of today's workforce and economy, to establish benchmarks for program improvement and to annually measure progress in reaching those benchmarks. It also requires an assessment of the staffing capacity within the Department of Labor and requires the Commissioner of Labor to submit a report of these findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. It establishes the peer navigator program to increase access to unemployment compensation benefits for underserved individuals and makes several amendments in current law to support these goals.
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 383, An Act Concerning Small Wireless Facilities in Maine. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would amend the law regarding small wireless facilities in the State.
LD 385, An Act To Amend Conflicts in the Laws Governing the Efficiency Maine Trust. (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. The bill proposes to enact measures to correct statutory conflicts and effective date inconsistencies in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, sections 10104, 10110 and 10124.
LD 426, An Act Relating to Solar Energy Installation. (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 solar energy installation.
LD 427, An Act Regarding Solar Project Licensing. (Sen. Luchini, D-Hancock) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to examine the issue of discrete electric generating facilities as they are governed by the rules of the Public Utilities Commission.
LD 1053, An Act To Allow Microgrids That Are in the Public Interest. (Rep. Grohoski, D-Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to approve a petition to construct and operate a new microgrid if the commission finds the proposal to be in the public interest and the new microgrid meets other specified requirements. It provides the commission with the ability to impose such terms, conditions or requirements as, in its judgment, it considers necessary in approving a new microgrid and also gives the commission oversight to ensure reliability and security of the electrical grid and consumer protections for new microgrid consumers. It specifies that a new microgrid does not become a public utility solely as a result of its furnishing electrical service to participating consumers. The bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters by January 7, 2022.
LD 1079, Resolve, To Review the Effects of the Deregulation of Maine Utilities. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a commission to review the effects of policies enacted in the State relating to the deregulation and restructuring of the State's electric industry. The commission must report that commission's findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology no later than December 1, 2021, and the committee may report out legislation on the subject matter of the report to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 1097, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Reduce Homeowner and Municipal Energy Bills through Increased Efficiency and Weatherization Projects. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $20,000,000, will be administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust and used to reduce energy costs for senior citizens, low-income residents, municipalities and schools through investments in weatherization and energy efficiency.
LD 1100, An Act To Support the Continued Access to Solar Energy and Battery Storage by Maine Homes and Businesses. (Sen. Woodsome, R-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules related to the interconnection of renewable capacity resources using solar power to investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities in a manner that supports the goals in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3474. It also directs the commission to contract with an expert to evaluate near-term reforms to the State's interconnection standards, practices and procedures related to renewable capacity resources using solar power.
LD 1107, An Act To Create Needed Broadband Infrastructure in Rural Maine through the Establishment of a Satellite-based Broadband Grant Program. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill establishes a satellite-based broadband grant program, to be developed and administered by the Public Utilities Commission, to provide grants of up to $500 to individuals for installation costs and other advance costs associated with the initial acquisition of broadband access from a satellite-based broadband provider. Under the program, grant priority is to be given to applicants from unserved or underserved areas of the State. This grant program is capitalized under the bill through a one-time General Fund appropriation of $1,000,000.
LD 1116, Resolve, To Require Review of the Outcomes of Utility Restructuring and Electricity Generation Divestiture. Emergency (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve directs the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology to hold at least 3 public hearings during the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature to hear testimony on lessons learned from the restructuring of Maine's electric utilities, the required divestiture of utility-owned generation and the creation of ISO-New England in 2000. It also requires the Public Utilities Commission to hire an independent consultant to conduct a high-level review of and report on current proposals to better align the clean energy and decarbonization objectives adopted by New England states with the emphasis on reliability, efficiency and resource neutrality favored in the New England wholesale electricity markets and how these proposals can benefit consumers in the State through the improvement of electric energy generation and delivery. It also requires the commission to submit a report to the committee by January 15, 2022 and allows the committee to report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature based on the report.
LD 1118, An Act To Promote Reliable Rural High-speed Internet. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill provides an income tax credit for high-speed Internet service providers who engage in a project approved by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development that provides high-speed Internet service where the average number of potential customers per mile does not exceed 20 and the cost to the customers does not exceed the Consumer Price Index cost for high-speed Internet service in a metropolitan area.
LD 1125, An Act To Allow a Customer with a Net Energy Billing Arrangement To Annually Donate Any Unused Kilowatt-hour Credits. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill allows, not more than once per year, a customer that has a net energy billing arrangement with a transmission and distribution utility to donate any unused kilowatt-hour credits accumulated by that customer to another customer of that same transmission and distribution utility. It also requires the Public Utilities Commission to review the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3209-A and its rule Chapter 313, Customer Net Energy Billing, to determine if it is unreasonably burdensome for a small number of residential customers of a transmission and distribution utility to create a shared financial interest in a distributed generation resource for the purposes of net energy billing and to evaluate whether the rules regarding shared financial interest among a small number of residential customers only are clearly written and easy to understand. It requires the commission to report back to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by December 1, 2021 the results of its review and to include any suggested legislation or rule changes. It allows the committee to report out a bill based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
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 383, An Act Concerning Small Wireless Facilities in Maine. (Rep. Warren, I-Scarborough) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would amend the law regarding small wireless facilities in the State.
LD 385, An Act To Amend Conflicts in the Laws Governing the Efficiency Maine Trust. (Rep. Kessler, D-South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. The bill proposes to enact measures to correct statutory conflicts and effective date inconsistencies in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, sections 10104, 10110 and 10124.
LD 426, An Act Relating to Solar Energy Installation. (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 solar energy installation.
LD 427, An Act Regarding Solar Project Licensing. (Sen. Luchini, D-Hancock) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to examine the issue of discrete electric generating facilities as they are governed by the rules of the Public Utilities Commission.
LD 1053, An Act To Allow Microgrids That Are in the Public Interest. (Rep. Grohoski, D-Ellsworth) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to approve a petition to construct and operate a new microgrid if the commission finds the proposal to be in the public interest and the new microgrid meets other specified requirements. It provides the commission with the ability to impose such terms, conditions or requirements as, in its judgment, it considers necessary in approving a new microgrid and also gives the commission oversight to ensure reliability and security of the electrical grid and consumer protections for new microgrid consumers. It specifies that a new microgrid does not become a public utility solely as a result of its furnishing electrical service to participating consumers. The bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and utility matters by January 7, 2022.
LD 1079, Resolve, To Review the Effects of the Deregulation of Maine Utilities. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish a commission to review the effects of policies enacted in the State relating to the deregulation and restructuring of the State's electric industry. The commission must report that commission's findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology no later than December 1, 2021, and the committee may report out legislation on the subject matter of the report to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
LD 1097, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Reduce Homeowner and Municipal Energy Bills through Increased Efficiency and Weatherization Projects. (Sen. Pouliot, R-Kennebec) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $20,000,000, will be administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust and used to reduce energy costs for senior citizens, low-income residents, municipalities and schools through investments in weatherization and energy efficiency.
LD 1100, An Act To Support the Continued Access to Solar Energy and Battery Storage by Maine Homes and Businesses. (Sen. Woodsome, R-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules related to the interconnection of renewable capacity resources using solar power to investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities in a manner that supports the goals in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3474. It also directs the commission to contract with an expert to evaluate near-term reforms to the State's interconnection standards, practices and procedures related to renewable capacity resources using solar power.
LD 1107, An Act To Create Needed Broadband Infrastructure in Rural Maine through the Establishment of a Satellite-based Broadband Grant Program. (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill establishes a satellite-based broadband grant program, to be developed and administered by the Public Utilities Commission, to provide grants of up to $500 to individuals for installation costs and other advance costs associated with the initial acquisition of broadband access from a satellite-based broadband provider. Under the program, grant priority is to be given to applicants from unserved or underserved areas of the State. This grant program is capitalized under the bill through a one-time General Fund appropriation of $1,000,000.
LD 1116, Resolve, To Require Review of the Outcomes of Utility Restructuring and Electricity Generation Divestiture. Emergency (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This resolve directs the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology to hold at least 3 public hearings during the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature to hear testimony on lessons learned from the restructuring of Maine's electric utilities, the required divestiture of utility-owned generation and the creation of ISO-New England in 2000. It also requires the Public Utilities Commission to hire an independent consultant to conduct a high-level review of and report on current proposals to better align the clean energy and decarbonization objectives adopted by New England states with the emphasis on reliability, efficiency and resource neutrality favored in the New England wholesale electricity markets and how these proposals can benefit consumers in the State through the improvement of electric energy generation and delivery. It also requires the commission to submit a report to the committee by January 15, 2022 and allows the committee to report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature based on the report.
LD 1118, An Act To Promote Reliable Rural High-speed Internet. (Sen. Lawrence, D-York) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill provides an income tax credit for high-speed Internet service providers who engage in a project approved by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development that provides high-speed Internet service where the average number of potential customers per mile does not exceed 20 and the cost to the customers does not exceed the Consumer Price Index cost for high-speed Internet service in a metropolitan area.
LD 1125, An Act To Allow a Customer with a Net Energy Billing Arrangement To Annually Donate Any Unused Kilowatt-hour Credits. (Rep. Berry, D-Bowdoinham) Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology. This bill allows, not more than once per year, a customer that has a net energy billing arrangement with a transmission and distribution utility to donate any unused kilowatt-hour credits accumulated by that customer to another customer of that same transmission and distribution utility. It also requires the Public Utilities Commission to review the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3209-A and its rule Chapter 313, Customer Net Energy Billing, to determine if it is unreasonably burdensome for a small number of residential customers of a transmission and distribution utility to create a shared financial interest in a distributed generation resource for the purposes of net energy billing and to evaluate whether the rules regarding shared financial interest among a small number of residential customers only are clearly written and easy to understand. It requires the commission to report back to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by December 1, 2021 the results of its review and to include any suggested legislation or rule changes. It allows the committee to report out a bill based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
Workers' Compensation Legislation...
LD 1239, An Act Establishing Employers' Right To File a Complaint To Enforce Payment of Workers' Compensation Premiums. (Sen. Miramant, D-Knox) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows an employer required to pay workers' compensation insurance premiums to file a complaint with the Workers' Compensation Board if that employer believes another employer is required to purchase workers' compensation insurance coverage but has failed to pay the premiums.
LD 1239, An Act Establishing Employers' Right To File a Complaint To Enforce Payment of Workers' Compensation Premiums. (Sen. Miramant, D-Knox) Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing. This bill allows an employer required to pay workers' compensation insurance premiums to file a complaint with the Workers' Compensation Board if that employer believes another employer is required to purchase workers' compensation insurance coverage but has failed to pay the premiums.
Workforce Development Legislation...
LD 1120, An Act To Allow Dentists To Receive Continuing Education Credits for Uncompensated Volunteer Work. (Sen. Timberlake, R - Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill allows dentists to receive continuing education credit for uncompensated volunteer dental care. The credit is limited to not more than 8 credit hours per year.
LD 1168, An Act To License Operators of Personnel Hoists. (Rep. Roberts, D - South Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill establishes the Elevator Advisory Board as well as requirements for the licensure of operators of personnel hoists. It creates exceptions to these licensure requirements for short-term emergency operation and operation by inspectors and operation of automatic operation or continuous pressure operation passenger or freight elevators or existing shipper rope elevators.
LD 1182, An Act To Allow Commercial Lobster License Holders To Possess a Marine Harvesting Demonstration License. (Rep. Faulkingham, R - Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources. This bill allows holders of commercial lobster and crab fishing licenses to hold a marine harvesting demonstration license. The commercial license holders are required to use different buoys and tags for the demonstration harvesting than they use for their commercial harvesting.
LD 1200, An Act To Bring Gender Parity to Corporate Board. (Rep. Reckitt, D - South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. This bill requires the board of directors of a publicly held corporation subject to the Maine Business Corporations Act to include at least one female director. The number of female directors required is based on the number of directors on the board. The Secretary of State is required to publish reports about boards of directors and may impose fines on corporations for failing to report information and for failing to have on their boards the minimum number of female directors.
LD 1287, An Act To Allow Unlicensed Persons To Sell Caskets To Bury Human Remains. (Rep. Kinney, R-Knox) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill allows a person to manufacture or sell a casket or container for the final disposition of human remains without being licensed for the practice of funeral service.
LD 1304, An Act To Create the Career and Technical Education Workforce Fund. (Rep. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates the Career and Technical Education Workforce Fund under the Department of Education to pay for equipment and capital improvements in the career and technical education centers throughout the State, paid for by a one cent per item additional sales tax on building supplies and materials that terminates November 1, 2023.
LD 1410, An Act To Incentivize the Development of the Labor Force in the Green Jobs Sector through Assistance in Repaying Student Loan Debt. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates a Maine income tax credit for Maine residents who work in certain green jobs or in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics in this State and who make student loan payments related to their attendance at an accredited community college, college or university. The income tax credit is refundable to the extent that the taxpayer's loans were acquired to obtain or attempt to obtain an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited community college, college or university. The income tax credit is equal to the lesser of a benchmark loan payment amount calculated by the State Tax Assessor and the taxpayer's monthly loan payment amount, multiplied by the number of months that the taxpayer made loan payments within the taxable year.
LD 1421, Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Update Its Current Priorities under the Northern Border Regional Commission's Allowable Grant Requests To Include Support of Population Growth Strategies around the State in Concert with the State's 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Emergency (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This resolve directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to update its priorities under the Northern Border Regional Commission's allowable grant requests for the State to include support of population growth strategies around the State consistent with or recommended by the State's 10-year economic development strategy produced by the department.
LD 1458, An Act To Expand Incentives To Live and Work in Maine through a Partial Tax Credit for Certain Student Loans. (Rep. Babbidge, D-Kennebunk) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides an income tax credit of up to $1,000 for individuals for certain student loan payments made during the tax year if the individuals were employed in Maine for at least 4 months of the tax year for which the credit is first claimed and for every month thereafter in years for which the credit is claimed. The credit is equal to the lesser of 50% of the loan payments actually made and 50% of income tax liability in the first year in which the credit is claimed, which declines to 10% of income tax liability in the 5th and final year in which the credit is claimed. The credit may not exceed 50% of the individual's outstanding student loan debt and may not be claimed if the individual claims the credit for educational opportunity.
LD 1517, An Act To Establish the Maine Workforce, Research, Development and Student Achievement Institute. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill establishes the Maine Workforce, Research, Development and Student Achievement Institute and a related steering committee to advise the Legislature on matters related to workforce training, research and development, student debt and economic advancement in the State. The bill describes the 18 required steering committee members and establishes that each member, other than ex officio members, serves a 2-year term and that the steering committee meets at least 4 times per year.
LD 1533, An Act To Amend the Foreign Credentialing and Skills Recognition Revolving Loan Program. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill amends the Foreign Credentialing and Skills Recognition Revolving Loan Program to reflect changes in federal regulations, including: 1. Adding as a loan-eligible expense the costs of the filing fee for an immigrant's initial work permit application; 2. Defining "initial work permit"; 3. Ensuring that a change in federal regulations will not require a future statutory amendment of the provision of the program governing eligibility under the program; and 4. In the provision governing eligibility under the program, changing a specific time frame while waiting for asylum to an unspecified time period while waiting on an application for asylum or other immigrant benefit or relief.
LD 1573, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. Emergency (Rep. Fay, D-Raymond) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues, which was established by Public Law 2019, chapter 343, Part BBBBB, section 1. The bill does the following:
1. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a 2-year rebasing requirement to set and increase reimbursement rates for in-home and community support services.
2. It requires direct care workers across the long-term care spectrum to be paid no less than 125% of the minimum wage. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules that take into account the cost of this increased wage in its reimbursement rates.
3. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules to increase reimbursement rates under rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual and any state30 funded programs to take into account costs of providing care and services in conformity with applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations, training requirements and quality and safety standards, including, but not limited to, increases in the minimum wage for workers other than direct care workers, earned paid leave, electronic visit verification, background checks and other costs that are not provided for in the current reimbursement rates and to not reduce a reimbursement rate below that on the effective date of this bill.
4. It establishes the Long-term Care Workforce Oversight Advisory Committee to collect and compile data related to workforce shortages and services provided to clients, review progress by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding recommendations provided to the department and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters, including the recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues, identify barriers to implementing recommendations and make recommendations on proposals to address long-term care workforce shortages. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of Education are directed to provide to the oversight committee quarterly reports on the progress and efforts to implement the recommendations of the oversight committee and of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. The oversight committee must submit an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.
LD 1576, Resolve, To Establish and Fund a Medical Professionals Health Program from Health Care Provider License Fees. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This resolve requires the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to study the best method of establishing and administering a medical professionals health program to assist medical professionals and students in medical professions challenged with substance use, mental health, behavioral and administrative issues and stress and burnout by providing confidential and compassionate monitoring, support, treatment resources, advocacy, education and outreach and working with state licensing boards to ensure the safety of medical professionals and their patients. The department may develop and administer the program or contract with an outside entity. The program would be funded by a dedicated source of revenue generated from surcharges placed on the licensing fees of medical professionals, including, but not limited to, allopathic and osteopathic physicians; physician assistants; professional nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants; veterinarians; dentists and dental therapists, radiologists and hygienists; and pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The surcharges would be based on the current licensing or certification fees. The department is required to submit a report and any implementing legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business by December 1, 2021. The joint standing committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature related to the report.
LD 1597, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Strengthen Maine's Health Care Workforce. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $11,000,000, will be used to provide funding on the following basis: $7,000,000 to be used for the University of New England Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice to improve and expand collaborative team-based education of health care workers, including training in the use of telehealth and other technologies, and to increase access to high-quality health care; and $4,000,000 to be used to upgrade the capacity of federally qualified health centers and other community-based health care clinics and hospitals throughout the State in order to facilitate educational and clinical links with the University of New England Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice and to enhance and expand their capacity to provide access to high-quality health care.
LD 1613, Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Labor and the Department of Transportation To Develop Partnerships with Businesses, Unions and Educational Programs and Institutions To Provide Training and Transportation for Workers. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This resolve directs the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Labor and the Department of Transportation to collaborate to develop partnerships with businesses, unions and educational programs and institutions to provide a hub for workers to get transportation to training programs, apprenticeships and jobs and receive information about open positions and training opportunities.
LD 1684, An Act To Strengthen Maine’s Workforce by Expanding English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Programs. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Department of Education’s office of adult education to:
1. Develop and implement a grant process to award grants to adult education programs to increase English language acquisition instruction in communities experiencing an increase in immigrant populations or demand for that instruction; and
2. Administer an industry-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program for immigrants in the State and establish a statewide competitive grant process to carry out the purposes of the program.
The bill also provides funding for the industry-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program and grants to increase English language acquisition instruction.
LD 1120, An Act To Allow Dentists To Receive Continuing Education Credits for Uncompensated Volunteer Work. (Sen. Timberlake, R - Androscoggin) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This bill allows dentists to receive continuing education credit for uncompensated volunteer dental care. The credit is limited to not more than 8 credit hours per year.
LD 1168, An Act To License Operators of Personnel Hoists. (Rep. Roberts, D - South Berwick) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill establishes the Elevator Advisory Board as well as requirements for the licensure of operators of personnel hoists. It creates exceptions to these licensure requirements for short-term emergency operation and operation by inspectors and operation of automatic operation or continuous pressure operation passenger or freight elevators or existing shipper rope elevators.
LD 1182, An Act To Allow Commercial Lobster License Holders To Possess a Marine Harvesting Demonstration License. (Rep. Faulkingham, R - Winter Harbor) Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources. This bill allows holders of commercial lobster and crab fishing licenses to hold a marine harvesting demonstration license. The commercial license holders are required to use different buoys and tags for the demonstration harvesting than they use for their commercial harvesting.
LD 1200, An Act To Bring Gender Parity to Corporate Board. (Rep. Reckitt, D - South Portland) Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. This bill requires the board of directors of a publicly held corporation subject to the Maine Business Corporations Act to include at least one female director. The number of female directors required is based on the number of directors on the board. The Secretary of State is required to publish reports about boards of directors and may impose fines on corporations for failing to report information and for failing to have on their boards the minimum number of female directors.
LD 1287, An Act To Allow Unlicensed Persons To Sell Caskets To Bury Human Remains. (Rep. Kinney, R-Knox) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill allows a person to manufacture or sell a casket or container for the final disposition of human remains without being licensed for the practice of funeral service.
LD 1304, An Act To Create the Career and Technical Education Workforce Fund. (Rep. Fecteau, D-Biddeford) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates the Career and Technical Education Workforce Fund under the Department of Education to pay for equipment and capital improvements in the career and technical education centers throughout the State, paid for by a one cent per item additional sales tax on building supplies and materials that terminates November 1, 2023.
LD 1410, An Act To Incentivize the Development of the Labor Force in the Green Jobs Sector through Assistance in Repaying Student Loan Debt. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill creates a Maine income tax credit for Maine residents who work in certain green jobs or in the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics in this State and who make student loan payments related to their attendance at an accredited community college, college or university. The income tax credit is refundable to the extent that the taxpayer's loans were acquired to obtain or attempt to obtain an associate, bachelor's or graduate degree from an accredited community college, college or university. The income tax credit is equal to the lesser of a benchmark loan payment amount calculated by the State Tax Assessor and the taxpayer's monthly loan payment amount, multiplied by the number of months that the taxpayer made loan payments within the taxable year.
LD 1421, Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Update Its Current Priorities under the Northern Border Regional Commission's Allowable Grant Requests To Include Support of Population Growth Strategies around the State in Concert with the State's 10-year Economic Development Strategy. Emergency (Sen. Stewart, R-Aroostook) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This resolve directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to update its priorities under the Northern Border Regional Commission's allowable grant requests for the State to include support of population growth strategies around the State consistent with or recommended by the State's 10-year economic development strategy produced by the department.
LD 1458, An Act To Expand Incentives To Live and Work in Maine through a Partial Tax Credit for Certain Student Loans. (Rep. Babbidge, D-Kennebunk) Joint Standing Committee on Taxation. This bill provides an income tax credit of up to $1,000 for individuals for certain student loan payments made during the tax year if the individuals were employed in Maine for at least 4 months of the tax year for which the credit is first claimed and for every month thereafter in years for which the credit is claimed. The credit is equal to the lesser of 50% of the loan payments actually made and 50% of income tax liability in the first year in which the credit is claimed, which declines to 10% of income tax liability in the 5th and final year in which the credit is claimed. The credit may not exceed 50% of the individual's outstanding student loan debt and may not be claimed if the individual claims the credit for educational opportunity.
LD 1517, An Act To Establish the Maine Workforce, Research, Development and Student Achievement Institute. (Sen. Curry, D-Waldo) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill establishes the Maine Workforce, Research, Development and Student Achievement Institute and a related steering committee to advise the Legislature on matters related to workforce training, research and development, student debt and economic advancement in the State. The bill describes the 18 required steering committee members and establishes that each member, other than ex officio members, serves a 2-year term and that the steering committee meets at least 4 times per year.
LD 1533, An Act To Amend the Foreign Credentialing and Skills Recognition Revolving Loan Program. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This bill amends the Foreign Credentialing and Skills Recognition Revolving Loan Program to reflect changes in federal regulations, including: 1. Adding as a loan-eligible expense the costs of the filing fee for an immigrant's initial work permit application; 2. Defining "initial work permit"; 3. Ensuring that a change in federal regulations will not require a future statutory amendment of the provision of the program governing eligibility under the program; and 4. In the provision governing eligibility under the program, changing a specific time frame while waiting for asylum to an unspecified time period while waiting on an application for asylum or other immigrant benefit or relief.
LD 1573, An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. Emergency (Rep. Fay, D-Raymond) Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services. This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues, which was established by Public Law 2019, chapter 343, Part BBBBB, section 1. The bill does the following:
1. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a 2-year rebasing requirement to set and increase reimbursement rates for in-home and community support services.
2. It requires direct care workers across the long-term care spectrum to be paid no less than 125% of the minimum wage. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules that take into account the cost of this increased wage in its reimbursement rates.
3. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules to increase reimbursement rates under rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual and any state30 funded programs to take into account costs of providing care and services in conformity with applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations, training requirements and quality and safety standards, including, but not limited to, increases in the minimum wage for workers other than direct care workers, earned paid leave, electronic visit verification, background checks and other costs that are not provided for in the current reimbursement rates and to not reduce a reimbursement rate below that on the effective date of this bill.
4. It establishes the Long-term Care Workforce Oversight Advisory Committee to collect and compile data related to workforce shortages and services provided to clients, review progress by the Department of Health and Human Services regarding recommendations provided to the department and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters, including the recommendations of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues, identify barriers to implementing recommendations and make recommendations on proposals to address long-term care workforce shortages. The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of Education are directed to provide to the oversight committee quarterly reports on the progress and efforts to implement the recommendations of the oversight committee and of the Commission To Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. The oversight committee must submit an annual report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters.
LD 1576, Resolve, To Establish and Fund a Medical Professionals Health Program from Health Care Provider License Fees. (Sen. Brenner, D-Cumberland) Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services. This resolve requires the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to study the best method of establishing and administering a medical professionals health program to assist medical professionals and students in medical professions challenged with substance use, mental health, behavioral and administrative issues and stress and burnout by providing confidential and compassionate monitoring, support, treatment resources, advocacy, education and outreach and working with state licensing boards to ensure the safety of medical professionals and their patients. The department may develop and administer the program or contract with an outside entity. The program would be funded by a dedicated source of revenue generated from surcharges placed on the licensing fees of medical professionals, including, but not limited to, allopathic and osteopathic physicians; physician assistants; professional nurses, advanced practice registered nurses and licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants; veterinarians; dentists and dental therapists, radiologists and hygienists; and pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The surcharges would be based on the current licensing or certification fees. The department is required to submit a report and any implementing legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business by December 1, 2021. The joint standing committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature related to the report.
LD 1597, An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Strengthen Maine's Health Care Workforce. (Rep. Pierce, D-Falmouth) Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs. The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $11,000,000, will be used to provide funding on the following basis: $7,000,000 to be used for the University of New England Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice to improve and expand collaborative team-based education of health care workers, including training in the use of telehealth and other technologies, and to increase access to high-quality health care; and $4,000,000 to be used to upgrade the capacity of federally qualified health centers and other community-based health care clinics and hospitals throughout the State in order to facilitate educational and clinical links with the University of New England Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice and to enhance and expand their capacity to provide access to high-quality health care.
LD 1613, Resolve, Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Labor and the Department of Transportation To Develop Partnerships with Businesses, Unions and Educational Programs and Institutions To Provide Training and Transportation for Workers. (Rep. Madigan, D-Waterville) Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce. This resolve directs the Department of Economic and Community Development, the Department of Labor and the Department of Transportation to collaborate to develop partnerships with businesses, unions and educational programs and institutions to provide a hub for workers to get transportation to training programs, apprenticeships and jobs and receive information about open positions and training opportunities.
LD 1684, An Act To Strengthen Maine’s Workforce by Expanding English Language Acquisition and Workforce Training Programs. (Rep. Cloutier, D-Lewiston) Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. This bill directs the Department of Education’s office of adult education to:
1. Develop and implement a grant process to award grants to adult education programs to increase English language acquisition instruction in communities experiencing an increase in immigrant populations or demand for that instruction; and
2. Administer an industry-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program for immigrants in the State and establish a statewide competitive grant process to carry out the purposes of the program.
The bill also provides funding for the industry-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program and grants to increase English language acquisition instruction.