Representative Norman Higgins [Common Sense Independent]
Dover-Foxcroft ~ District 120
Towns in District: Atkinson, Brownville, Dover-Foxcroft, Lake View, Medford, Milo and Orneville Township
Campaign funding in 2018 Election: Maine Clean Elections Act
Joint Committees:
♦ Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
✉ Norman.Higgins@legislature.maine.gov
✉ P. O. Box 594
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine 04426
Maine People's Alliance (MPA), 2019 2 of 10 Maine People's Alliance, 2019
Maine AFL-CIO, 2019 2 of 10, 2 unexcused absences AFL-CIO, 2019
Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2017 25% Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2017
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
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
Total for Representative Higgins: Present for 7 votes, agreed on 7 votes, 100 percent agreement
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
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
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
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
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
114 LD 1261 An Act To Authorize Certain Health Care Professionals To Perform Abortions Accept Majority Report, Ought to Pass Yea Nay
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
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
Bills Sponsored by Representative Higgins
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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 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
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
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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.
This amendment strikes and replaces the appropriations and allocations section.
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
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.
Bills Cosponsored by Representative Higgins
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
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
This bill changes the designation of rules adopted by the ConnectME Authority from major substantive to routine technical.
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
This bill provides one-time funding for 2 years for a program that provides mobile wireless hot spot devices to libraries in Washington County.
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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
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.
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
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
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 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, carried over in the same posture to any special session of the 129th Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 788
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 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, carried over in the same posture to any special session of the 129th Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 788
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
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
LD 451 An Act To Repeal the Recently Enacted Changes to the Law Governing Tax Lien Foreclosure Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, February 18, 2020
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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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 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
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, carried over in the same posture to any special session of the 129th Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 788
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
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.
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 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, carried over in the same posture to any special session of the 129th Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 788
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
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.
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 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
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.
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.
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 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
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 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
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.
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 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
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.
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 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
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
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.
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 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, Amended by Committee amendment H-762, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law March 18, 2020
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, Work session held March 12, 2020, carried over in the same posture to any special session of the 129th Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 788
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.
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