# Maine LD 1697: An Act to Increase Penalties to Deter Violations of the Laws Regarding Improper Pesticide Use Maine LD 1697, An Act to Increase Penalties to Deter Violations of the Laws Regarding Improper Pesticide Use, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Victoria Doudera (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-12 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 292); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1697-132 - 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 1697 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Increase Penalties to Deter Violations of the Laws Regarding Improper Pesticide Use - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-04-17 - Last action: 2025-06-12, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 292 - Sponsor: Victoria Doudera (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 3 - Subjects: PESTICIDES, PESTICIDES - BOARD OF PESTICIDES CONTROL - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 1 (74 yes, 67 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Property owners get more pesticide remedies: benefit, low. The Board must write rules that let each affected property owner sue separately when pesticide movement through soil or bedrock harms multiple properties. Regulators can also require restoration of damaged property and replacement of plants as a penalty. These remedies are in addition to money fine… - Much higher fines for commercial violators: cost, high. The law raises civil fines for businesses and commercial applicators who break pesticide rules. General violations can be fined up to $10,000. Unauthorized applications where evidence shows the violator benefited substantially can be fined up to $50,000; repeat violations within 4 years can reach $… - Higher fines for private applicators: cost, medium. The law raises fines for private applicators. A first violation can bring up to $1,000. A repeat violation within 4 years can bring up to $2,000. These limits apply to private applicators, including users of general‑use pesticides. - Tebuthiuron now restricted‑use pesticide: cost, low. The Board must label pesticides with the active ingredient tebuthiuron as restricted use. Only certified applicators or those meeting state rules can buy or apply them. This limits general sales and use of these products. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Victoria Doudera (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Allison Hepler (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lori Gramlich (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: William Pluecker (Independent), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-05 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 74 | 67 | | ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-12: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 292 - 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-05: Reports ReadOn motion by Senator TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. Bill READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (H-486) READ and ADOPTED Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-486) in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-06-05: Reports READ.On motion of Representative PLUECKER of Warren, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 340(Yeas 74 - Nays 67 - Absent 8 - Excused 2)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-486) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-486). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-17: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-04-17: Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-486), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&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 (H-486), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1132&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-LD1697-132 (as of 2026-10-17).