PH
131st Legislative Session - Updated December 6
| Bill | Title | Summary | Status | Position | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LD 2 (HP 4) | An Act To Address Chronic Homelessness By Creating The Housing First Fund | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to amend the laws to address Maine's housing crisis. | On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (6/6) | PH | |
| LD 3 (HP 5) | An Act To Establish The Winter Energy Relief Payment Program To Aid Residents With High Heating Costs And To Finalize The Covid Pandemic Relief Payment Program | This bill provides relief to certain Maine households to assist them with high costs for home heating. Part A transfers funds totaling $71,000,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing Authority no later than June 30, 2023. Of this amount, $40,000,000 is allocated for heating assistance to households in the State eligible for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, $10,000,000 is allocated as emergency funds to households to avert an energy crisis and $21,000,000 is allocated for emergency housing to prevent people from experiencing homelessness during the 2022- 2023 winter months. Part B establishes the Winter Energy Relief Payment Program and transfers funds on a one-time basis totaling $398,000,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the newly created Winter Energy Relief Payment Program Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account no later than December 31, 2022 to fund the program. The program provides relief payments of $450 to individuals who filed a Maine income tax return as of October 31, 2022 and who had income less than: $200,000, if filing as an individual filing a married joint return or a surviving spouse permitted to file a joint return; $150,000, if filing as a head of household; or $100,000, if filing as a single individual or as a married individual filing a separate return. The State Tax Assessor is required to identify eligible recipients and make relief payments to those individuals no later than March 15, 2023. A process is specified to allow individuals who are eligible but who have not received a relief payment to document eligibility to the State Tax Assessor. The relief payment is not considered income for Maine income tax purposes. Part C transfers $4,433,437 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program no later than June 30, 2023. Part C also transfers $385,754 from the COVID Disaster Relief Payment Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account and $6,674,993 from the Homestead Property Tax Exemption Reimbursement, Other Special Revenue Funds account to the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program. Part C provides the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program with an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $11,494,184 in fiscal year 2022-23 to complete the $850 pandemic relief payment to each eligible resident of the State as authorized in Public Law 2021, chapter 635, Part L. Part D includes General Fund deappropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $156,752,586 in fiscal year 2022-23 to adjust funding for the 6.2% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage based on the extension of the national public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the first, 2nd and 3rd quarter of fiscal year 2022-23. This adjustment also deallocates $4,154,555 from the Fund for a Healthy Maine in fiscal year 2022-23. The offsets for these deappropriations and deallocations are Federal Expenditures Fund allocations of $158,965,759 and Federal Block Grant Fund allocations of $1,941,382 in fiscal year 2022-23. Part E allows the Commissioner of Environmental Protection to suspend the sulfur content requirements for liquid and solid fossil fuels if the commissioner finds that the expected availability of fuel that complies with those requirements is inadequate to meet the needs of residential, commercial or industrial users in this State and that such expected unavailability constitutes an immediate threat to public health, safety or the general welfare. The commissioner is required to specify in writing the period during which the suspension is in effect. Part F requires the temporary suspension of the provision of law that requires certain General Fund revenue and resources that exceed the General Fund appropriation limit to be transferred to the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund. | Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure) Public Law Chapter 1 (1/4) | PH | |
| LD 52 (HP 27) | An Act To Allow Certain School Employees To Carry Firearms On School Property | This bill exempts a school employee from the prohibition on possessing a firearm on public school property or the property of an approved private school or discharging a firearm within 500 feet of public school property or the property of an approved private school if the school employee has successfully completed certification and training prescribed by the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and has been authorized by the school board to possess or discharge a firearm for the purpose of enhancing the safety and security of the school and in defense of students, staff and members of the public on the school premises. The bill provides that the school employee is not authorized to exercise law enforcement powers. The bill allows a school board to establish a certification standard and a training program to arm and supervise certain school employees in a manner and according to protocols as the school board determines. The bill specifies that a school board may not arm a school employee without the employee's voluntary consent and a school employee may not be censured or discriminated against for unwillingness or refusal to carry a firearm. | Reports READ On motion by Senator RAFFERTY of York The Majority Ought Not To Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 323 Yeas 22 - Nays 13 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 PREVAILED Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (6/14) |
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| LD 60 (HP 35) | An Act To Require A 72-hour Waiting Period After The Sale Of A Firearm | This bill requires a 72-hour waiting period between an agreement for the purchase and sale of a firearm and its delivery to the purchaser and makes violation of the waiting period a civil violation with a $200 to $500 fine for the first violation and a $500 to $1,000 fine for a subsequent violation. | Taken from the table by the President Senator BEEBE-CENTER of Knox moved to Accept The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 354 Yeas 11 - Nays 24 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 FAILED Subsequently The Minority Ought Not To Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (6/15) |
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| LD 168 (HP 109) | An Act Regarding Criminal Background Checks For The Sale, Transfer Or Exchange Of Firearms | This bill requires criminal background checks of buyers of firearms for private sales, transfers or exchanges at gun shows or private sales, transfers or exchanges resulting from advertising or marketing subject to certain exceptions. The bill provides that the first offense for knowingly selling, transferring or exchanging a firearm in violation of the criminal background check required by this bill is a civil violation for which the penalty is a fine of up to $1,000. The bill designates subsequent offenses as Class D crimes. | On motion by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc The Senate INSISTED on Acceptance of Report B Ought Not To Pass In NON-CONCURRENCE Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 466 Yeas 20 - Nays 12 - Excused 3 - Absent 0 PREVAILED Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (7/6) |
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| LD 171 (HP 112) | An Act To Provide That All Rules Regarding Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Are Major Substantive Rules | This bill requires rules related to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to be major substantive rules. | Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (4/25) | PH | |
| LD 470 (HP 287) | An Act To Support Lead Abatement In Older Residential Properties | This bill provides for an ongoing General Fund appropriation of $1,000,000 for the Maine State Housing Authority's lead abatement program. | Signed by the Governor Public Law Chapter 435 (7/26) | PH | |
| LD 490 (HP 307) | An Act To Designate The Department Of Health And Human Services As The Implementing Department Of The Lead-safe Housing Registry | This bill replaces the Department of Environmental Protection with the Department of Health and Human Services as the agency responsible for implementing the registry of leased lead-safe residential dwellings. | Signed by the Governor Public Law Chapter 147 (6/8) | PH | |
| LD 493 (HP 310) | An Act To Establish A Statewide Relinquished Firearms Inventory | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would establish a statewide inventory, to be maintained by the Department of Public Safety, of firearms that were relinquished to law enforcement agencies in civil cases; the inventory would not include firearms stored as evidence in criminal cases. The department would be required to provide data to entities that received federal funds to address the relinquishment of firearms. | Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (4/5) | PH | |
| LD 551 (HP 356) | An Act To Strengthen Maine Citizens' Second Amendment Rights By Allowing The Discharge Of Firearms On Private Property That Is Within 500 Feet Of School Property In Certain Circumstances | Current law prohibits a person from discharging a firearm within 500 feet of public school property or the property of an approved private school. This bill establishes an exception for the discharge of a firearm by a person residing on private property for the purposes of self-defense or in order to protect the person's residence. | On motion by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc The Senate INSISTED to PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-463) In NON-CONCURRENCE Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (6/20) |
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| LD 575 (HP 370) | An Act Regarding A Seat Belt Exemption For Persons With A Medical Condition | This bill allows a physician, for the purpose of allowing an exemption from the seat belt requirements for adult drivers and passengers, to designate the duration of the applicant’s medical condition not to exceed 6 years or designate the applicant’s medical condition as permanent. | Signed by the Governor Public Law Chapter 364 (6/30) | PH | |
| LD 624 (HP 401) | An Act To Prohibit Government Officials From Maintaining Records Related To Firearms Owners | This bill amends the law prohibiting a government agency or a political subdivision of the State from keeping a comprehensive registry of privately owned firearms and firearms owners to provide that such entities may not keep or cause to be kept a record or database of privately owned firearms and the owners of those firearms within their jurisdiction that contains sufficient information to establish a connection between any individual and any firearm. | On motion by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc The Senate INSISTED To Accept The Minority Ought to Pass As Amended Report AND PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-522) In NON-CONCURRENCE Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (6/20) |
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| LD 22 (SP 14) | An Act To Impede The Transfer Of Firearms To Prohibited Persons | This bill prohibits the sale or transfer of a firearm to a person who is prohibited from owning a firearm, possessing a firearm or having a firearm under that person's control. | Signed by the Governor Public Law Chapter 305 (6/26) | PH | |
| LD 73 (SP 45) | An Act To Require Bottled Water Companies To Monitor For Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances | This bill requires persons that extract water in this State to be sold as bottled water to conduct monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in the bottled water. If the monitoring detects the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid or perfluoroheptanoic acid at a level at or above the standard applicable to community water systems, the person is required to conduct additional monitoring. The bill also imposes reporting, treatment and notice requirements on persons that extract water in this State to be sold as bottled water. | Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) (6/1) | PH | |
| LD 75 (SP 47) | An Act To Establish Maximum Contaminant Levels Under The State's Drinking Water Rules To Prohibit Certain Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances | This bill amends the law authorizing the adoption of state drinking water rules by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to require that those rules establish a maximum contaminant level equivalent to zero nanograms per liter for certain perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. | CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 847. (7/26) | PH | |
| LD 132 (SP 71) | An Act To Require Health Insurance Carriers To Provide Coverage For Blood Testing For Perfluoroalkyl And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances | This bill requires carriers offering health plans in this State to provide coverage for blood testing for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The requirements of the bill apply to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2024. | CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 847. (7/26) | PH | |
| LD 178 (SP 82) | An Act To Support Reentry And Reintegration Into The Community | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would support an individual's reentry and reintegration into the community. | On motion by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc The Senate RECEDED and CONCURRED With Acceptance of Report A Ought Not To Pass ACCEPTED in concurrence Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) HELD at the Request of Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland. RELEASED. (6/27) |
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| LD 582 (SP 250) | An Act To Enhance Certain Penalties For Possession Of Firearms By Prohibited Persons | This bill increases the class of crime for the prohibited possession of a firearm by certain persons. | Held by Governor (8/9) | PH |