Representative Norman Higgins

Organization	Score	Source
Maine People's Alliance (MPA), 2019	2 of 10	Maine People's Alliance, 2019
Maine People's Alliance, Will of the Voters, 2018	36%	Maine People's Alliance Will of the Voters, 2018
Maine People's Alliance, 2018	50%	Maine People's Alliance, 2018
Maine Conservation Voters (MCV), 2019	7 of 7	Maine Conservation Voters, 2019
Maine Conservation Voters, 2018	8 of 8	Maine Conservation Voters, 2018
Maine Conservation Voters, 2017	7 of 7	Maine Conservation Voters, 2017
Maine AFL-CIO, 2019	2 of 10, 2 unexcused absences	AFL-CIO, 2019
Maine AFL-CIO, 2017	40%	No longer available online
Maine Women's Lobby, 2019	4 of 7	Maine Women's Lobby, 2019
Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2019	3 of 6	Planned Parenthood ME Action Fund, 2019
Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2017	25%	Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2017
Firearms Control, 2019	1 of 7	This website, see below for roll calls included.

Scorecards are an organization's means of holding legislators accountable to the organization's interests and values. Each organization chooses a subset of bills that are a priority for them, and then scores each legislator by the legislator's vote relative to what would be the organization's preferred vote on the bill.

For a listing of the votes included on scorecards prior to 2019, see the hyperlinked sources given in the table above or the "Explanations, Legislative Scorecards" tab on this site. For 2019 scorecards, see the hyperlinked site given in the table above or the vote detail below, "Roll Call Vote Detail for 2019 Scorecards."

The graphs below are frequency histograms that show this representative's score relative to the scores of all representatives by placing an "X" over this representative's score. In all graphs, D is Democrat (blue), R is Republican (red) and Ind is Independent (black). For graphs prior to 2019, additional parties include Common Sense Independent (goldenrod) and Green Independent (green).

Maine People's Alliance Will of the Voters graph

Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund 2019 graph

Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund 2017 graph

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	MPA vote	Representative's vote
16	LD 179 An Act to Change the Name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass	Yea	Yea
250	LD 255 Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Require that Signatures on a Direct Initiative Come from Each Congressional District	Final Passage as a Constitutional Amendment (requires 2/3 of membership)	Nay	Yea
272	LD 308 An Act to Increase Notification Time Periods for Rent Increases and Terminations of Tenancies at Will	Reconsider passage after Governor's veto	Yea	Nay
75	LD 369 An Act to Support Healthy Workplaces and Healthy Families by Providing Paid Sick Leave to Certain Employees	Accept Committee Report A, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-79	Yea	Yea
278	LD 420 An Act to Amend the Maine Exclusion Amount in the Estate Tax	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-610	Yea	Nay
70	LD 820 An Act to Prevent Discrimination in Public and Private Insurance Coverage for Pregnant Women in Maine	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-210	Yea	Nay
237	LD 949 An Act to Prevent Overdose Deaths	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Nay	Yea
306	LD 1177 An Act to Improve Public Sector Labor Relations	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-308	Yea	Nay
182	LD 1282 An Act to Establish a Green New Deal for Maine	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-413	Yea	Nay
307	LD 1317 An Act to Restore Services to Help Certain Noncitizens Meet Their Basic Needs	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-248	Yea	Nay
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 10 votes, agreed on 2 votes, 20 percent agreement

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	MCV vote	Representative's vote
37	LD 289 An Act to Prohibit the Use of Certain Disposable Food Service Containers	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-49	Yea	Yea
293	LD 1494 An Act to Reform Maine’s Renewable Portfolio Standard	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-49	Yea	Yea
157	LD 1532 An Act to Eliminate Single-use Plastic Carry-out Bags	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-392	Yea	Yea
209	LD 1679 An Act to Promote Clean Energy Jobs and to Establish the Maine Climate Council	Enact as an Emergency measure (2/3 of members required)	Yea	Yea
282	LD 1711 An Act to Promote Solar Energy Projects and Distributed Generation Resources in Maine	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-295	Yea	Yea
208	LD 1775 An Act to Protect Sustenance Fishing	Enact	Yea	Yea
329	LD 1851 An Act to Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Land Conservation, Water Access, Outdoor Recreation, Wildlife and Fish Habitats and Farmland and Working Waterfront Preservation	Enact as a bond issue (requires 2/3 present)	Yea	Yea
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 7 votes, agreed on 7 votes, 100 percent agreement

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	AFL-CIO vote	Representative's vote
227	LD 240 An Act To Allow Public Employers of Teachers to Negotiate Regarding Educational Policies	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment H-518	Yea	Nay
75	LD 369 An Act To Support Healthy Workplaces and Healthy Families by Providing Earned Paid Sick Leave to Certain Employees	Accept Committee Report A, Ought to Pass as amended by Commitee amendment S-79	Yea	Yea
306	LD 1177 An Act To Improve Public Sector Labor Relations	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment S-308	Yea	Nay
111	LD 1232 An Act To Ensure the Right To Work without Payment of Dues or Fees to a Labor Union as a Condition of Employment	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Yea	Nay
182	LD 1282 An Act To Establish a Green New Deal for Maine	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment H-413	Yea	Nay
120	LD 1459 An Act To Expand Application of the Maine Agricultural Marketing and Bargaining Act of 1973 to Harvesters and Haulers of Forest Products	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass	Yea	Nay
206	LD 1524 An Act To Prevent Wage Theft and Promote Employer Accountability	Enact LD 1524 as amended by Commitee amendment S-203	Yea	Yea
195	LD 1560 An Act Regarding Utility Reorganizations	Enact LD 1560 as amended by Committee amendment S-192 as an emergency measure	Yea	Absent
156	LD 1564 An Act To Authorize Project Labor Agreements for Public Works Projects	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment S-158	Yea	Nay
190	LD 1658 An Act To Clarify Prevailing Wage Rates on State Projects Using Federal Funds	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment S-200	Yea	Absent
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 8 votes, agreed on 2 votes, 25 percent agreement

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	Vote to agree	Representative's vote
199	LD 37 An Act To Allow for the Sale of Nonprescription Drugs through Vending Machines	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-466	Yea	Yea
28	LD 278 An Act Regarding Pay Equality	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-28	Yea	Yea
75	LD 369 An Act To Support Healthy Workplaces and Healthy Families by Providing Earned Paid Sick Leave to Certain Employees	Accept Report A, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-79	Yea	Yea
246	LD 820 An Act To Prevent Discrimination in Public and Private Insurance Coverage for Pregnant Women in Maine	Enact LD 820 as amended by Committee amendment H-210	Yea	Nay
80	LD 1025 An Act To Prohibit the Provision of Conversion Therapy to Minors by Certain Licensed Professionals	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-213	Yea	Yea
114	LD 1261 An Act To Authorize Certain Health Care Professionals To Perform Abortions	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass	Yea	Nay
307	LD 1317 An Act To Restore Services To Help Certain Noncitizens Meet Their Basic Needs	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment H-248	Yea	Nay
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 7 votes, agreed on 4 votes, 57 percent agreement

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	Vote to agree	Representative's vote
199	LD 37 An Act To Allow for the Sale of Nonprescription Drugs through Vending Machines	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment H-466	Yea	Yea
No roll call; passed under gavel	LD 78 An Act To Facilitate Access to the MaineCare Family Planning Benefit	Enact LD 78 as amended by Committee amendment H-132	Yea	Yea assumed (i.e., no objection)
153	LD 494 An Act To Update the Family Planning Statutes	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as amended by Committee amendment S-151	Yea	Nay
246	LD 820 An Act To Prevent Discrimination in Public and Private Insurance Coverage for Pregnant Women in Maine	Enact LD 820 as amended by Committee amendment H-210 and amended by Senate amendment S-275	Yea	Nay
114	LD 1261 An Act To Authorize Certain Health Care Professionals To Perform Abortions	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass	Yea	Nay
No roll call; passed under gavel	LD 1580 An Act To Protect Licensing Information of Medical Professionals	Enact LD 1580 as amended by Committee amendment H-631	Yea	Yea assumed (i.e., no objection)
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 4 votes, agreed on 1 votes, 25 percent agreement

Roll Call	Bill	Motion	Vote to agree	Representative's vote
204	LD 379 An Act To Protect Children by Requiring the Safe Storage of Loaded Firearms	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Nay	Yea
211	LD 533 An Act To Eliminate the Statutory Duty To Retreat and Affirm the Right of Self-defense	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Yea	Nay
252	LD 1099 An Act To Reduce Suicides and Violent Crimes by Requiring a 72-hour Waiting Period after the Sale of a Firearm	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Nay	Yea
253	LD 1276 An Act To Better Enforce the Prohibition against Dangerous Persons Possessing Firearms	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-274	Yea	Nay
296	LD 1312 An Act Regarding Access to Firearms by Extremely Dangerous and Suicidal Individuals	Accept Report A, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-285	Yea	Nay
235	LD 1470 An Act To Allow the Prohibition of Weapons at Public Proceedings and Voting Places	Accept Majority Report, Ought Not to Pass	Nay	Yea
315	LD 1811 An Act To Enhance Personal and Public Safety by Requiring Evaluations of and Judicial Hearings for Persons in Protective Custody Regarding Risk of Harm and Restricting Access to Dangerous Weapons	Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass as Amended by Committee amendment S-357	Yea	Yea
	Total for Representative Higgins:	Present for 7 votes, agreed on 1 votes, 14 percent agreement

LD 95	An Act To Clarify Residency Requirements for Legislative Candidates	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, April 2, 2019
LD 95 This bill clarifies that the primary residence of a candidate for election as a State Senator or State Representative must be located in the district the candidate seeks to represent on the date of the candidate's nomination for placement on a primary, general or special election ballot. The bill also clarifies that the primary residence of a candidate for election as a State Senator or State Representative must be located in the district the candidate seeks to represent for the 3 months immediately preceding the general election and, if the candidate is elected, throughout the candidate's term of office.

LD 224	An Act To Fund the Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 23, 2019
LD 224 This bill provides funds to the ConnectME Authority to be used to provide grants to municipalities for high-speed broadband infrastructure development and improvement.

LD 422	Resolve, Directing the Department of Transportation To Increase the Number of Signs on the Mt. Katahdin Trail	Status: Referred to Transportation Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 11, 2019
LD 422 This resolve requires the Department of Transportation to develop a plan to increase the number of directional and identification signs on the Mt. Katahdin Trail and to submit the plan to the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation by January 1, 2020.

LD 504	An Act To Enhance the Development of Innovative Career and Technical Education Programs	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 21, 2019
LD 504 This bill streamlines the procedure for authorizing career and technical education satellite programs. Current law requires any affiliated unit that wishes to operate a career and technical education satellite program to submit a written request to operate a satellite program to the governing body of the center or region with which the unit is affiliated. The governing body of the center or region considers the request and then forwards its recommendation to the Commissioner of Education. Instead, the bill provides that the written request be submitted directly to the Commissioner of Education for approval.

LD 834	An Act To Establish Minimum Service Standards for Electric Utilities	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-109, Enacted, Signed into law May 14, 2019
LD 834 This bill proposes to establish service interruption standards and require transmission and distribution utilities that do not meet these standards to take corrective action. The bill directs the Public Utilities Commission to require, by rule, transmission and distribution utilities to keep records and report service interruptions to the commission. It also requires a utility that experiences service interruptions at a rate that exceeds the statewide average service interruption rate by 50% or more to submit a plan for, implement and track corrective actions to address the service interruptions. Amendment H-109 The amendment changes the provision in the bill regarding the metrics for evaluating service interruptions for transmission and distribution utilities and the threshold for requiring corrective action. Rather than calculating a statewide average service interruption rate and establishing the threshold for corrective action at 50% above that statewide average, as in the bill, the amendment requires the Public Utilities Commission by rule to set standards regarding the frequency and duration of service interruptions, establish performance targets and specify guidelines for requiring corrective action by a utility. The amendment authorizes the commission to exempt transmission and distribution utilities serving 50,000 or fewer customers from rules regarding service interruption reporting and standards. LD 834 Chaptered Law LD 834 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 878	An Act To Make Clean Election Filing Deadlines Consistent for All Candidates	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, April 11, 2019
LD 878 This bill changes the date on which a candidate who is not enrolled in a party must file to participate in the Maine Clean Election Act from April 20th to June 1st for a candidate for the Legislature and from April 1st to June 1st for a candidate for Governor. Current law provides that a nomination petition must be filed in the office of the Secretary of State by June 1st.

LD 1029	An Act To Expand Educational Opportunities for Students Attending Public Secondary Schools with Enrollments of 300 or Fewer Students	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 30, 2019
LD 1029 This bill requires private and public secondary schools with more than 300 students to enter into contracts with secondary schools with 300 or fewer students to establish academic opportunity programs that make available to resident students of the smaller schools the courses and academic programs of the larger schools, including, but not limited to, advanced placement courses, international baccalaureate programs and early college programs. The bill also requires the secondary schools with 300 or fewer students to inform their resident students of the academic opportunity program and provides that the schools participating in an academic opportunity program are not responsible for providing transportation to participating students.

LD 1036	Resolve, Establishing a Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System and Increased Crosswalks for Academic Credit between Secondary Schools and Career and Technical Education Programs (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-506 and Senate amendment S-311, Finally passed, Governor placed on hold, July 2, 2019, Became law without the Governor's signature, January 11, 2020
LD 1036 This resolve establishes the Task Force To Study the Creation of a Comprehensive Career and Technical Education System to examine the feasibility of establishing a comprehensive 4-year high school career and technical education program to provide a technical high school setting for middle school students to attend at the completion of the 8th grade. Amendment H-506 This amendment expands the membership of the task force to include a principal of a secondary school, a superintendent of a school administrative unit, an administrator at the University of Maine System and the Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee and requires that the member from a community college be an administrator. This amendment also expands the duties of the task force to require that the task force examine the advantages and disadvantages of a comprehensive 4-year career and technical education high school, obstacles to implementation and other models of comprehensive 4-year career and technical education high schools around the State and on a national level. The task force is also required to examine increasing crosswalks and intersections between technical and occupational knowledge and curricula and academic standards in order to promote multiple pathways for awarding content area credit to students enrolled in career and technical education programs. This amendment also requires the task force to seek funding contributions to fully fund the costs of the task force. If sufficient funding is not received within 30 days after the effective date of the resolve, no meetings are authorized and no expenses of any kind may be incurred or reimbursed. Amendment S-311 This amendment increases the membership of the task force from 14 to 16 members by adding one additional member of the House of Representatives and one additional member of the Senate and specifies that the House and Senate appointments must include a member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature, which conforms with Joint Rule 353. LD 1036 Chaptered Law LD 1036 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1139	An Act To Eliminate Restrictions on Capacity and the Number of Accounts for Net Energy Billing	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 23, 2019
LD 1139 This bill provides that the Public Utilities Commission may not limit the installed capacity of an eligible facility or the number of accounts or meters a customer or shared ownership customer may designate for net energy billing. Current commission rules limit the capacity to 660 kilowatts and the number of meters or accounts to 10.

LD 1186	An Act To Address Electricity Costs of Agricultural Fairs (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-228, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law May 30, 2019
LD 1186 This bill provides that a transmission and distribution utility may not assess a person or entity licensed to hold an agricultural fair a demand charge in connection with electric power or service provided for an agricultural fair. Amendment H-228 This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment establishes a program administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust to help agricultural fairs reduce electricity costs through efficiency and conservation. The program includes outreach and technical assistance to agricultural fairs to identify opportunities to lower electricity costs and enroll agricultural fairs in existing programs offered by the trust as appropriate. The program also provides custom financial incentives to agricultural fairs to implement electric efficiency and conservation measures, including but not limited to measures to reduce peak electricity demand. Funds for the program are set at the total amount paid in demand charges by agricultural fairs in the State during the prior year and are collected from electricity customers by transmission and distribution utilities. The trust is required to report to the Legislature on the program in January 2022 and January 2024, and the program has a sunset date of June 30, 2024. The amendment also directs the Public Utilities Commission to examine rate design and related issues for electricity customers that, like agricultural fairs, have seasonal, limited-duration, concentrated load profiles. It requires the commission to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology and authorizes the committee to report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the report. LD 1186 Chaptered Law LD 1186 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1393	An Act To Change the Requirements for Recording Plans at the County Registries of Deeds	Status: Referred to State and Local Government Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-291, Enacted, Signed into law June 20, 2019
LD 1393 This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing recording plans in a registry of deeds. 1. It reduces the minimum paper size for plans. 2. It requires that plans be submitted on white 20-pound paper. 3. It specifies that paper plans be rolled and not folded. 4. It authorizes the register of deeds to return plans that are not legible for recording and archival purposes and the processing of which may damage county equipment or resources. 5. It specifies the size of the block that the register uses to record certain information. 6. It changes the requirements for the handling of originals and copies by the register. 7. It requires each plan be microfilmed for archival purposes. 8. It eliminates the requirement for a register to establish standards for making copies of original plans. Amendment H-291 This amendment sets the 20-pound weight for paper as the minimum weight for recording plans at the county registries of deeds. The amendment requires that a digital image be at least 300 dots per inch or 300 pixels per inch. The amendment retains the last paragraph of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33, section 652 in current law, which regards standards for the reproduction of copies. The fiscal note on the amendment identifies certain clerical changes in this bill as amended as a potential state mandate. In order to be a mandate pursuant to the Constitution of Maine, a provision must require a local unit of government to expand or modify its activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue. The committee finds that certain changes in this legislation, such as the size of the register's block and the minimum weight of paper, do not require a registry of deeds to expand or modify its activities. The committee finds that these changes and others in this legislation, such as the minimum size of plans, do not apply to the activities of a registry of deeds but to members of the public. The committee finds that the changes to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33, section 652, subsection 5 that remove microfiche and microfilm as options for public copies while retaining the option of paper or digital copies do not necessitate additional expenditures from local revenue. Microfiche and microfilm copies require use of separate equipment and a physical storage space. Digital copies do not require either of these and are, therefore, likely to result in savings for a registry of deeds. The committee finds that the requirement that a registry of deeds microfilm each plan for archival purposes conforms to current archival practice as established by the State Archivist and is not a new requirement. LD 1393 Chaptered Law LD 1393 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1708	An Act To Provide for the Merger of Hospital Administrative District No. 4 into MRH Corp., a Maine Nonprofit, Nonstock Private Corporation (Emergency)	Status: Referred to State and Local Government Committee, Amended by Committee amendemnt H-537 and Senate amendment S-367, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law June 26, 2019
LD 1708 Private and Special Law 1973, chapter 76 created the charter for Hospital Administrative District No. 4, which is served by Mayo Regional Hospital. While the charter allows for the dissolution of the district, it does not provide for the merger. The effect of this bill is to authorize Mayo Regional Hospital to merge into a new entity known as MRH Corp., a Maine nonprofit, nonstock private corporation that has as its sole member Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and, upon the effective date of the merger, dissolve the district. MRH Corp. is required to continue to serve the health care needs of the communities served by the district. Amendment H-537 This amendment clarifies that Hospital Administrative District No. 4 is the party to the merger and that the district's quasi-municipal rights, privileges and immunities do not transfer to the new nonprofit corporation created by the merger. It clarifies that upon the merger, Mayo Regional Hospital is no longer a municipally funded hospital under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 2891. It adds reference to the advisory vote of the district inhabitants required by Private and Special Law 2019, chapter 5. It conditions the merger on the assumption by the new corporation of all the obligations and liabilities of the district. It removes the exemption from antitrust laws and stipulates that the merger is subject to the certificate of need process outlined in Title 22, chapter 103-A. It requires the Secretary of State to notify the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government when the articles of merger have been filed with and accepted by the Secretary of State. It requires the joint standing committee, once notified that the articles of merger have been accepted, to introduce legislation to repeal the district charter and remove reference to Mayo Regional Hospital from Maine's tax code. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. Amendment S-367 This amendment strikes and replaces the appropriations and allocations section. LD 1708 Chaptered Law LD 1708 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1754	An Act To Amend the Geologist and Soil Scientist Licensing Laws	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Enacted, Signed into law June 13, 2019
LD 1754 This bill establishes a new pathway to licensure for persons who seek to become licensed soil scientists. The new pathway allows individuals with an associate degree in soil science or another natural resources field to qualify with specific documented work experience to take required state and national exams. Current law requires a 4-year undergraduate degree in soil science. The bill also allows applicants for geologist and soil scientist licenses to take certain required examinations prior to completing all work experience requirements. The bill also updates licensing terminology and deletes outdated provisions. LD 1754 Chaptered Law LD 1754 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 14	An Act To Improve Science and Engineering Education for Maine's Students	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, March 7, 2019
LD 14 This bill requires the Department of Education to include the so-called Next Generation Science Standards for kindergarten to grade 12 in the State's system of learning results and assessment and directs the Commissioner of Education to amend Department of Education rules on or before December 31, 2019 in order to include the science standards as part of the State's system of learning results and assessment beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

LD 31	An Act Regarding Rules Adopted by the ConnectME Authority	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Enacted, Signed into law March 7, 2019
LD 31 This bill changes the designation of rules adopted by the ConnectME Authority from major substantive to routine technical. LD 31 Chaptered Law LD 31 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 139

An Act To Address the Unmet Workforce Needs of Employers and To Improve the Economic Future of Workers

Status: Referred to Labor and Housing Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-82, Enacted, Signed into law April 30, 2019

LD 139
This bill makes a number of changes to the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program administered by the Department of Labor, including the following.

1. It requires that the Department of Labor's outreach efforts regarding the program be tailored to focus on unemployed and underemployed workers, veterans, immigrants, recipients of benefits under the statewide food supplement program, low-skilled manufacturing workers and students enrolled in postsecondary education.
2. It directs the Department of Labor to collaborate with other entities to improve program outreach to target demographics, including, at a minimum, collaboration with the Maine Community College System.
3. It makes changes to the criteria used to determine approved education and training under the program, including consideration of employer input, changing demographics and traditional industries in the State in which innovations and new technologies are creating a demand for skilled workers.
4. It requires that a program participant be given information about the allowable uses of a family development account under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter 4-A.
5. It adds a requirement that a participant be offered comprehensive career planning services prior to the program's development of an individual career plan with the participant and permits the Department of Labor to partner with other entities to provide this service. It directs the department to include in this partnership, at a minimum, the Maine Community College System with respect to participants enrolled or seeking enrollment in a training or education course provided by the Maine Community College System. It also directs the Maine Community College System to assist the Department of Labor in program management and oversight for such participants.
6. It repeals the January 1, 2020 repeal provision on the eligibility for the program of a full-time student at a public secondary school enrolled in a career and technical education program at a career and technical education center or a career and technical education region.

This bill also amends the laws governing the employment of minors 16 and 17 years of age, providing that such a minor may be employed in an otherwise hazardous occupation for which the minor has been trained or certified from a vocational, career and technical or cooperative education program approved by the Department of Education only if the minor has graduated from the program and has graduated from high school.

Amendment H-82
This amendment strikes a number of sections of the bill affecting the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program and does the following.

1. It retains the changes in the bill that amend the laws governing the employment of minors 16 and 17 years of age in an otherwise hazardous occupation for which the minor has been trained or certified from a vocational, career and technical or cooperative education program approved by the Department of Education to require that the minor must have graduated from high school. The amendment provides that a high school equivalency diploma or its equivalent is sufficient to meet this requirement.
2. It retains the provision in the bill that repeals the January 1, 2020 repeal provision on the eligibility for the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program of a full-time student at a public secondary school enrolled in a career and technical education program at a career and technical education center or a career and technical education region.
3. It amends the eligibility criteria of the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program to modify the requirement that an individual be at least 18 years old by also including an individual who has graduated from high school.

LD 139 Chaptered Law
LD 139 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 147	An Act To Extend Internet Availability in Rural Maine (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-43, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law April 23, 2019
LD 147 This bill provides one-time funding for 2 years for a program that provides mobile wireless hot spot devices to libraries in Washington County. Amendment H-43 This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment adds language to the law governing the telecommunications education access fund to: 1. Specify that the use of the fund for Internet access includes mobile Internet access through a portable wireless access point, or hotspot, that provides Internet access over a cellular network; and 2. Add a guideline for allocation of money from the fund to provide, within existing resources, support for qualified libraries in rural areas of the State with greatest need, as determined in consultation with the State Librarian, the Commissioner of Education and the ConnectME Authority, to offer portable wireless access points, or hotspots, for mobile Internet access. LD 147 Chaptered Law LD 147 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 167

An Act To Prevent Food Shaming in Maine's Public Schools

Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-91, Enacted, Signed into law April 26, 2019

LD 167
This bill does the following.

1. It requires a public school that provides free and reduced-price meals or other meals to students pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, chapter 223, subchapter 7 or otherwise provides to students meals eligible for reimbursement under a program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture to provide such a meal to a student who requests the meal and is otherwise eligible for the meal regardless of the student's inability to pay for the school meal or failure in the past to pay for school meals. It also requires the school to take certain actions to assist the parent or guardian of a student who requests such a meal.
2. It prohibits a public school from punishing a student in certain ways solely because of the student's inability to pay for a meal or because of any payments due for previous meals. It also prohibits a public school from refusing a meal to a student as a form of or as part of a disciplinary action.
3. It prohibits a public school from openly identifying or stigmatizing a student who cannot pay for a meal or who has payments due for previous meals by requiring the student to wear a wristband, hand stamp or other identifying mark or sign noticeable by others.
4. It requires a public school to communicate about a student's meal debts directly to the parent or guardian of the student rather than to the student. A public school may ask a student to carry to the student's parent or guardian a letter regarding a student's meal debt.

Amendment H-91
This amendment does the following.

1. It strikes the requirement that a school take certain actions to assist the parent or guardian of a student who requests a meal.
2. It retains the prohibition that a public school may not openly identify or stigmatize a student who cannot pay for a meal or who has payments due for previous meals but strikes specific examples of ways students could be stigmatized.
3. It provides that a public school's communication about a student's meal must be made to the parent or guardian of the student rather than to the student directly except that, if the student inquires about the student's meal debt, the school may answer the student's inquiry.
4. It requires the Department of Education to develop guidance for school administrative units relating to the collection of student meal debt, including, but not limited to, best practices and information on how to create an online system for the payment of student meal debt. The amendment requires the department to post this information on its publicly accessible website.
5. It adds a mandate preamble.

LD 167 Chaptered Law
LD 167 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 176	An Act To Enhance Participation on the State Board of Education	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-29, Enacted, Signed into law June 20, 2019
LD 176 This bill eliminates the provision in current law prohibiting teachers and school administrators from serving on the State Board of Education. It also provides that a teacher or school administrator serving on the state board must be granted release time for attendance at state board meetings. Any cost related to the release time is the responsibility of the state board. Amendment H-29 This amendment clarifies that the State Board of Education is responsible for the costs of a substitute teacher when a teacher is granted release time to serve on the State Board of Education. It also adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 176 Chaptered Law LD 176 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 211	An Act To Open Maine's Primaries and Permit Unenrolled Voters To Cast Ballots in Primary Elections	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, May 28, 2019
LD 211 This bill allows an unenrolled voter to vote in a primary election without having to enroll in a political party. An unenrolled voter may vote in only one party's primary election.

LD 215	An Act To Increase the Reimbursement Rate for Ambulance Service Paid by the Department of Corrections	Status: Referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-283, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 29, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 215 This bill requires the Department of Corrections, or its contracted medical provider, to pay to a provider of ambulance services 225% of the allowable reimbursement under the MaineCare program for ambulance services provided for a person residing in a correctional or detention facility. Amendment H-283 This amendment incorporates a fiscal note. LD 215 fiscal note LD 215 Amendment H-283 fiscal note

LD 233

An Act To Move the Bureau of Parks and Lands from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

Status: Referred to Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 2, 2019

LD 233
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.

This bill proposes to move the Bureau of Parks and Lands from the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

LD 236	An Act Regarding the Use of Unanticipated State Aid for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Education	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, March 26, 2019
LD 236 This bill requires the warrant presented to the legislative body of the regional school unit to include an article describing how unanticipated school aid will be used. In cases where the adjustment prevents the regional school unit board from raising 100% of the required local share, the Commissioner of Education must waive the required proration of the state share.

LD 288	Resolve, Establishing the Commission To Create a Statewide Economic Development Plan (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, February 21, 2019
LD 288 This resolve establishes the Commission To Create a Statewide Economic Development Plan to study economic development issues and create a strategic, regionally focused economic development plan.

LD 295	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Increase Rural Maine's Access to Broadband Internet Service	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Public hearing held, February 19, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 295 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $100,000,000, will be used for the provision of broadband Internet service in unserved and underserved areas through ConnectME Authority grants to partnerships between private, municipal and nongovernmental service providers.

LD 301	An Act To Help Older Adults Age in Place through Comprehensive Planning	Status: Referred to State and Local Government Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-31, Enacted, Signed into law April 19, 2019
LD 301 This bill encourages municipalities to develop policies that assist older adults with aging in place and that create age-friendly communities. It amends the law governing comprehensive plans by encouraging municipalities to plan for the needs of older adults in their communities. Amendment H-31 This amendment amends the definition of age-friendly community in the bill to clarify that it refers to older adults. LD 301 Chaptered Law LD 301 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 371	An Act To Create the Small Communities Tourism Fund	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 21, 2019
LD 371 This bill establishes the Small Communities Tourism Fund in the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Tourism to issue grants to small communities to promote tourism and events.

LD 394	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide for Student Loan Debt Relief	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Work session held, May 16, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 394 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $50,000,000, will be used to provide funds to the Finance Authority of Maine for zero-interest student loans and loan consolidation or refinancing interest rate reductions for certain Maine residents who agree to live and work in Maine for at least 5 years. The bill creates the Maine Student Loan Debt Relief Program. Under the program, zero-interest loans up to $10,000 per year for a maximum of 5 years are available to certain Maine residents who study at qualified in-state institutions of higher education and agree to live and work in Maine for at least 5 years following graduation. Loans bearing an annual interest rate of the prime rate of interest plus 2% are available to those who do not live and work in the State upon graduation. The Finance Authority of Maine may provide interest rate reduction payments to residents who use the authority's existing loan consolidation and refinancing program. This option is available to individuals who studied in Maine or outside of Maine and agree to live and work in Maine for at least 5 years. The bill exempts from Maine income tax any benefits received under the program to the extent included in federal adjusted gross income and prohibits individuals who have received benefits under the program from receiving the Maine educational opportunity tax credit.

LD 435	An Act To Provide for the 2019 and 2020 Allocations of the State Ceiling on Private Activity Bonds (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Amended by Committee amendment S-8, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law April 5, 2019
LD 435 This bill establishes the allocations of the state ceiling on issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds for calendar years 2019 and 2020 among the state-level issuers of tax-exempt bonds. Amendment S-8 This amendment incorporates a fiscal note. LD 435 Chaptered Law LD 435 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 451

An Act To Repeal the Recently Enacted Changes to the Law Governing Tax Lien Foreclosure

Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Work session held, March 7, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322

LD 451
This bill repeals or removes the changes to the foreclosure law that were made by Public Law 2017, chapter 478. Under that law, a municipality is restricted in how it may sell a foreclosed property that was owned by a person who is at least 65 years of age, occupied the property as a homestead and meets specified income and asset requirements.

The law also places specific notice requirements regarding the foreclosure process on the State Tax Assessor and municipalities and provides for continuous eligibility under the Maine resident homestead property tax exemption for a person who loses ownership of a homestead to tax lien foreclosure and subsequently regains ownership of the homestead; these provisions are also removed by this bill.

LD 541	Resolve, To Reduce Food Waste in Schools	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-255, Finally passed, Signed into law June 3, 2019
LD 541 This resolve directs the Department of Education to develop a school food sharing policy to encourage schools and food banks to work together to collect whole and packaged school cafeteria surplus or leftover food and share it with the community. Amendment H-255 This amendment directs the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to collaborate to revise and disseminate by January 1, 2020 to public school food service programs throughout the State the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention's health inspection program guidance titled "Food Sharing Tables - Guidance for Schools." LD 541 Chaptered Law LD 541 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 581	An Act To Direct Electric Utilities To Provide Comparative Usage Data on Customer Billing Statements	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-108, Enacted, Signed into law May 8, 2019
LD 581 This bill requires a transmission and distribution utility to provide on the utility's billing statement to a customer information concerning the previous 24 months of the customer's energy usage comparing same-month usage data between the first year of usage and the 2nd year of usage. Amendment H-108 This amendment limits the applicability of the requirements of the bill to investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, rather than all transmission and distribution utilities, and to customer bills for residential, small commercial and medium commercial customers, rather than all customers. The amendment also allows the Public Utilities Commission to waive the requirements if it finds these requirements to be unduly burdensome or cost-prohibitive for an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility for the portion of the utility's service territory located in an area of this State in which the retail market is administered by the independent system administrator for northern Maine. LD 581 Chaptered Law LD 581 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 651

Resolve, To Facilitate School Access to Federal Title I Funds and Improve the Delivery of Special Education Services

Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-154, Enacted, Signed into law May 16, 2019

LD 651
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing special education.

1. It adds 4 provisions to the laws regarding nontraditional limited purpose schools that were part of Department of Education rule Chapter 250 which has been repealed.
2. It adds response to intervention systems to the minimum requirements for basic school approval to ensure an all-encompassing, tiered system of support for general and special education students. It also clarifies that rules regarding those requirements are major substantive rules.
3. It facilitates collaboration between general education and special education, including a clarification that the Department of Education is required to facilitate a process to help schools apply for schoolwide status with respect to federal Title I funds.
4. It promotes dual certification programs by the Department of Education and the State Board of Education.
5. It requires recodification of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, Part 4, subpart 1, concerning special education, by the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis and the Office of the Revisor of Statutes.
6. It requires a review of the purpose of the maintenance of effort funding component of the essential programs and services funding formula and whether it is accomplishing this purpose and how to increase equity among all school administrative units.
7. It requires a review and improvement of MaineCare billing systems and procedures through a pilot program through the Department of Education in collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services.

Amendment H-154
This amendment replaces the bill with a resolve. The amendment directs the Department of Education to report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs no later than January 1, 2020 on progress, including recommendations and suggested legislation, on the following:

1. Enhancement of response to intervention to become an all-encompassing multitiered system of support in all school administrative units and removing the regulations on general education interventions from Department of Education rule Chapter 101: Maine Unified Special Education Regulation Birth to Age Twenty and amending rule Chapter 125: Basic Approval Standards: Public Schools and School Administrative Units to include regulations on general education interventions;
2. Facilitation of the process by which schools apply for schoolwide status with respect to funds under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965;
3. Increased use of dual certification programs for general education and special education certifications;
4. Review of the maintenance of effort funding component of the essential programs and services funding formula; and
5. Improvement of regional programs that facilitate MaineCare billing for medically necessary services for schools.

The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature to implement any recommendations in the report.

LD 651 Chaptered Law
LD 651 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 672	An Act To Allow Local Flexibility in Teacher Assignment To Enhance Student Achievement	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, April 23, 2019
LD 672 This bill allows a holder of a professional teacher certificate to teach no more than 20% of the teacher's teaching assignment outside the teacher's area of endorsement. It also requires a superintendent to notify and provide certain details to the Commissioner of Education when a teacher is assigned to teach outside the teacher's area of endorsement.

LD 786	An Act To Reduce Hunger and Promote Maine Agriculture	Status: Referred to Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-81, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 16, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 786 This bill provides an appropriation to allow the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to contract with a nonprofit organization that provides statewide hunger relief services to allow that organization to: 1. Engage in statewide hunger relief services, including, but not limited to, the purchase of food from Maine food producers and processors; 2. Provide grants to local hunger relief programs; and 3. Pay its operational and distribution expenses. Amendment S-81 This amendment decreases the ongoing annual General fund appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for statewide hunger relief services from $2,500,000 to $1,500,000. LD 786 Amendment S-81 fiscal note

LD 836	An Act To Expand Maine's School-based Health Centers	Status: Referred to Health and Human Services Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-158, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 8, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 836 This bill provides ongoing funding to the school-based health centers within the Fund for a Healthy Maine program within the Department of Health and Human Services to add an additional 15 school-based health center sites. Amendment H-158 This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, removes the reference to 15 new school-based health centers from the bill but retains the funding amount. The Department of Health and Human Services distributes the funding through a request for proposals process for the number of sites the funding will support. LD 836 fiscal note LD 836 Amendment H-158 fiscal note

LD 854	An Act To Improve Tax Incentives for Broadband Service	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-385, Enacted, Signed into law June 10, 2019
LD 854 This bill expands the allowable use of tax increment financing to include development, expansion or improvement of broadband services, including connecting to broadband service outside the tax increment financing district. Amendment H-385 This amendment clarifies the circumstances under which tax increment financing project costs may include broadband and fiber optics expansion projects that serve residential or other nonbusiness or noncommercial areas within a municipality or plantation. LD 854 Chaptered Law LD 854 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 859	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Equipment for Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Public hearing held, June 17, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 859 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, will be used to provide funds to make capital improvements to and purchase equipment for career and technical education centers and regions for high school students.

LD 874	An Act To Conform the Clean Election Financing Laws to the Judicially Determined Procedures	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, March 14, 2019
LD 874 This bill codifies the decision of the Superior Court in Maine Citizens for Clean Elections v. LePage, No. CV-18-112, 2018 (Me. Super. Ct., Ken. Cty., August 2, 2018). The bill authorizes the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to expend existing revenues from the Maine Clean Election Fund in excess of the current year allocations without first obtaining a financial order approved by the Governor, solely for the purpose of making distributions required by the Maine Clean Election Act to certified candidates.

LD 911	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Promote Land Conservation, Working Waterfronts, Water Access and Outdoor Recreation	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Public hearing held, June 17, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 911 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $95,000,000, will be used to provide funds for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands and the Land for Maine's Future Board.

LD 943	An Act To Allow Laser Spine Surgery in the State	Status: Referred to Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 11, 2019
LD 943 This bill allows the use of lasers during spine surgery.

LD 1051	An Act To Create the Maine Family First Employer Program	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Work session held, April 30, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1051 This bill creates the Maine Family First Employer Program under the Department of Labor to award employers that create family-friendly workplaces by providing, for all full-time employees, advancement and leadership opportunities; the same pay rates for similar work; stipends or assistance for child care; paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child and medical care for employees or family members of employees; flexible work accommodations for other family obligations; and health insurance and retirement plan options. The awards are presented by the Governor and come with a logo that a designated employer may use for promotional purposes.

LD 1063	An Act To Support the Role of Municipalities in Expanding Broadband Infrastructure	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-110, Enacted, Signed into law May 14, 2019
LD 1063 This bill recognizes broadband Internet as a public necessity. It designates a community broadband system or part of that system as a revenue-producing municipal facility. It allows a municipality to construct, maintain and operate a municipal or multimunicipal system composed of infrastructure capable of being utilized by communications service providers for the provision of communications services. The bill prohibits a municipality from providing retail communications services through community broadband systems to nonmunicipal entities. The bill exempts community broadband systems from taxation. Amendment H-110 This amendment removes the provision in the bill that prohibits a municipality from providing retail communication services through community broadband systems to nonmunicipal entities. LD 1063 Chaptered Law LD 1063 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1118	An Act To Give the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Rule-making Authority To Establish a Bear Season Framework and Bag Limits	Status: Referred to Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322, Work session held January 29, 2020
LD 1118 This bill allows the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to establish bear hunting and trapping season dates by rule. It reduces the cost of a resident bear hunting permit and a resident bear trapping permit from $27 to $10, and it also repeals the 2-bear limit in statute and instead refers to the bag limit set in rule.

LD 1187	An Act To Apply the Same Auditing Standards to All Legislative Candidates	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-313, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 30, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1187 This bill directs the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to conduct random audits of political action committees that are required to file campaign finance reports with the commission and candidates for state office, including candidates for Governor, State Senator, State Representative and presidential elector. The bill directs the commission to adopt rules to implement this requirement. The rules must direct the commission to audit an equal percentage of candidates for state office who are certified as Maine Clean Election Act candidates, candidates for state office who are not certified as Maine Clean Election Act candidates and political action committees. The rules must also establish standard auditing requirements to be applied to each candidate and political action committee. Amendment H-313 This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, strikes and replaces the bill and title. Under current practice, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices uses funding from the Maine Clean Election Fund established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, section 1124 to contract with independent auditors to conduct random post-election audits of 20% of the legislative candidates who are certified as Maine Clean Election Act candidates. The amendment provides an ongoing General Fund appropriation to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to contract with independent auditors to conduct random post-election audits of 20% of legislative candidates who are not certified as Maine Clean Election Act candidates. LD 1187 Amendment H-313 fiscal note

LD 1220

An Act To Remove Certain Restrictions Imposed on Retired State Employees Who Return to Work

Status: Referred to Labor and Housing Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-566, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 14, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322

LD 1220
This bill amends the provisions of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System regarding compensation and service retirement benefits for retired state employees and retired teachers who return to service as classroom-based employees or school administrators in the following ways.

1. It allows a retired state employee or retired teacher to be restored to service as a classroom-based employee or school administrator beyond the current 5-year limit.
2. It removes the cap of 75% of compensation established for the position that the retired state employee or retired teacher is filling.
3. It allows a retired state employee or retired teacher who returns to service as a classroom-based employee or school administrator to receive full retirement, health, dental and life insurance benefits as offered for the position to be filled and suspends the provisions of retiree health, dental and life insurance benefits for retired state employees or retired teachers during the period of reemployment.
4. It retains the current provisions that a retired state employee or retired teacher who returns to service is not a member and therefore may not accrue additional creditable service or change the retired state employee's or retired teacher's earnable compensation for benefit calculation purposes.
5. It requires full employee and employer contributions to the retirement system for the unfunded liability and the state group health plan for retiree health care based upon the retired state employee's or retired teacher's compensation.

Amendment H-566
This amendment is the majority report of the committee and replaces the bill. It amends the provisions of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System regarding compensation and service retirement benefits for retired state employees, retired teachers and retired school administrators who return to service as classroom-based employees or school administrators in the following ways.

1. It removes the 5-year limit on a retired state employee or retired teacher to be restored to service.
2. It removes the cap of 75% of compensation established for the position that the retired state employee or retired teacher is filling.
3. It allows a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who returns to service to receive retirement, health, dental and life insurance benefits as negotiated by the retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator or as required under collective bargaining agreements.
4. It requires that the portions of the employer and employee contributions that go to pay the retirement system for the unfunded liability and the state group health plan for health care must be continued at the same contribution rate of the employer and employee as is required for the position as if the position were filled by an employee who is not a retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator. A retired state employee, retired teacher or retired school administrator who returns to service is not a member and therefore may not accrue additional creditable service during the reemployment period or change the retired state employee's, retired teacher's or retired school administrator's earnable compensation for benefit calculation purposes.

LD 1220 Amendment H-566 fiscal note

LD 1246	An Act To Protect the Health and Safety of Maine State Park Visitors and Staff	Status: Referred to Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee, Enacted, Signed into law May 14, 2019
LD 1246 This bill requires the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to determine minimum levels of staffing for all state parks, except Baxter State Park, and historic sites and national parks that are controlled and managed by the State. The bill also requires the director to consider a list of factors, including, but not limited to, visitor capacity limits, availability of emergency response services and emergency planning issues specific to a park or historic site, when making a determination of staffing levels for each park or historic site. LD 1246 Chaptered Law LD 1246 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1263

An Act Regarding Telehealth

Status: Referred to Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, Amended by Committee amendment S-176, Enacted, Signed into law June 13, 2019

LD 1263
This bill does the following.

1. It provides immunity from liability to health care practitioners who voluntarily provide health care services through telehealth in the same manner as immunity is provided to health care practitioners who voluntarily provide health care services in person.
2. It requires carriers that offer health plans in this State to provide coverage for health care services provided through telehealth services in the same manner as coverage is provided for services provided in person and sets forth certain standards for coverage of telehealth services.
3. It clarifies that carriers may apply prior approval and credentialing requirements for providers for services provided through telehealth services only if the requirements are the same as are applied for services provided in person.
4. It makes the bill's provisions apply to health insurance policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2020.

Amendment S-176
This amendment does the following.

1. It strikes the references in the bill to "enrollee originating site" and "provider distant site" and removes those definitions.
2. It requires that a clinical evaluation be required before a provider may write a covered prescription through telehealth. The bill requires a physical exam.
3. It removes the prohibition for coverage of prescribed schedule I, II or III controlled substances.
4. It clarifies the telemonitoring requirements and provides that telephonic services are covered when scheduled telehealth services are technologically unavailable at the time of the scheduled telehealth service for an existing enrollee.
5. It removes the exclusions section of the bill.
6. It adds language exempting the bill from the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 2752.

LD 1263 Chaptered Law
LD 1263 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1350	An Act To Improve Rural Health Care	Status: Referred to Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-259, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 12, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1350 This bill provides that, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2019, student loan payments made by a taxpayer's employer directly to a lender on behalf of a qualified health care employee are not included in federal adjusted gross income for Maine income tax purposes. The bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to amend its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II and Chapter III regarding reimbursement to rural and nonrural hospitals, acute care critical access hospitals and rural health clinics. Amendment S-259 This amendment makes the following changes to the bill. 1. It changes the reimbursement for acute care critical access hospitals to 100% for all hospital-based physician costs rather than facility and physician costs. 2. It clarifies that rural health clinics are paid under an alternative payment methodology option that is the same as the current system except for rebasing costs to 2016 and 2017 costs as long as the rural health clinics are not paid less than the current reimbursement rate. 3. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to submit any necessary state plan amendments to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services no later than January 1, 2020. Rulemaking must be completed by the department within 180 days of receiving federal approval. 4. It adds language to clarify that taxpayers cannot claim a double benefit for educational opportunity tax credits. 5. It adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 1350 Amendment S-259 fiscal note

LD 1502	An Act To Expand Access to the Workforce through Apprenticeships	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 14, 2019
LD 1502 This bill establishes an alternative path to licensure through apprenticeship for certain professions. The bill requires that, beginning January 1, 2020, the appropriate licensing authority grant to a person that has successfully completed 8th grade, passed any required examinations and completed an approved apprenticeship a license to practice as: 1. An auctioneer; 2. A dietetic technician; 3. A veterinary technician; 4. A pharmacy technician; 5. A basic emergency medical technician; 6. A well driller, geothermal heat exchange well driller, geothermal heat exchange well pump installer or pump installer; 7. An athletic trainer; 8. A cosmetologist, barber, limited barber, nail technician or aesthetician; 9. A massage therapist or massage practitioner; and 10. A limited interpreter, limited transliterator, limited deaf interpreter, certified interpreter, certified deaf interpreter or certified transliterator.

LD 1553	An Act Directing That the Towns Constituting Hospital Administrative District No. 4 Hold a Vote on the Proposed Merger with Northern Light Health (Emergency)	Status: Referred to State and Local Government Committee, Amended by Committee amendment S-63, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law April 25, 2019
LD 1553 This bill requires that, notwithstanding any applicable notice requirements, each of the towns of Abbot, Atkinson, Bradford, Cambridge, Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Guilford, Milo, Monson, Parkman, Sangerville, Sebec and Willimantic hold an advisory vote no later than April 30, 2019 on the proposed merger of Hospital Administrative District No. 4 with Northern Light Health. Unless a town's charter otherwise provides, the vote must be taken at a town meeting. The results of the vote in each town must be declared by the municipal officers of the town and transmitted to the board of directors of Hospital Administrative District No. 4. Amendment S-63 This amendment adds a mandate preamble to the bill. This amendment changes the date for the advisory vote from April 30, 2019 to May 7, 2019. This amendment also corrects the date of the merger agreement. LD 1553 Chaptered Law LD 1553 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1584	An Act To Attract, Build and Retain an Early Childhood Education Workforce through Increased Training, Education and Career Pathways	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-464, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 10, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1584 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 or bachelor'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; and 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. This bill also provides funding to carry out the program. Amendment H-464 This amendment requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to collect and review early childhood educators workforce data and, on a biennial basis, conduct a review of the adequacy of the pathways to early childhood education careers. It requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, the Commissioner of Education and the Commissioner of Labor to collaborate with 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 create articulation agreements between these entities 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. It also requires the commissioners to collaborate with these same entities 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. LD 1584 fiscal note LD 1584 Amendment H-464 fiscal note

LD 2044	An Act To Increase the Death Benefit for Firefighters, Law Enforcement Officers and Emergency Medical Services Personnel	Status: Referred to Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Work session held, February 12, 2020
LD 2044 This bill increases the death benefit for a law enforcement officer, firefighter or emergency medical services person who has died while in the line of duty from $50,000 to $75,000 through June 30, 2021. For deaths occurring after June 30, 2021, the Department of Administrative and Financial Services is required to adopt rules to annually calculate an increase in the death benefit based on the previous year's increase in the Consumer Price Index.

LD 2092	Resolve, To Establish the Maine Spaceport Complex Leadership Council	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee
LD 2092 This resolve establishes the Maine Spaceport Complex Leadership Council, a public-private partnership of private space flight commercial interests and local, state and federal government and academic entities, to lead the development and implementation of a spaceport complex in the State and to orchestrate engagement with external stakeholders and investors. The resolve requires the council to create a strategic plan and, by December 31, 2021, to present the plan to the Governor and to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development matters.