# Maine LD 1551: An Act to Support Maine Eating and Drinking Establishments by Allowing Vendors to Operate on the Premises of an Establishment with a Liquor License Maine LD 1551, An Act to Support Maine Eating and Drinking Establishments by Allowing Vendors to Operate on the Premises of an Establishment with a Liquor License, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Jeffrey L. Timberlake (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-06-09 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 189); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1551-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 1551 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Support Maine Eating and Drinking Establishments by Allowing Vendors to Operate on the Premises of an Establishment with a Liquor License - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-04-10 - Last action: 2025-06-09, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 189 - Sponsor: Jeffrey L. Timberlake (Republican) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES - LICENSING - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Vendors can sell food inside bars and restaurants: benefit, low. Starting June 9, 2025, bars and restaurants with a liquor license can let vendors prepare, serve, and sell food on-site. The law defines who is a host licensee and who is a vendor, licensed or not. - Tighter alcohol rules and host liability: cost, high. Starting June 9, 2025, vendors may serve alcohol only if the host supplies the drinks. A host or host employee authorized to serve must be present. Any vendor employee who serves must be authorized and give the host a signed affidavit before operating. The affidavit says no first listed liquor-law… - Food safety duties for hosts and vendors: cost, medium. Starting June 9, 2025, if an unlicensed vendor cooks or sells food on-site, the host must make sure all food, health, and safety rules are met. If a licensed vendor operates, the vendor must follow the rules tied to its own food-service license. - Hosts keep records, vendors pay sales tax: cost, medium. Starting June 9, 2025, hosts must keep a written record for at least one year of each vendor’s operation. Records must list the vendor’s name and contact, menus, and dates and times. Vendors must collect and pay all applicable state and federal sales taxes on their on-site food and drink sales. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jeffrey L. Timberlake (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Bradlee T. Farrin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Bruce Bickford (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Dean Cray (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Laura Supica (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Richard Mason (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Scott Cyrway (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Sheila Lyman (Republican), House ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-09: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 189 - 2025-06-02: PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-29: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-153).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-28: Report READ and ACCEPTED.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-153) READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-153).Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-04-10: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-10: Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-153), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (S-153), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0635&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1551-132 (as of 2026-10-17).