# Maine LD 1738: An Act to Establish the Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to Support Public Health Efforts in the State

Maine LD 1738, An Act to Establish the Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to Support Public Health Efforts in the State, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Ambureen Rana (Democratic); status became law, last action 2026-01-11 (ACTPUB Chapter 509) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1738-132
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maine LD 1738
- State: Maine
- Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act to Establish the Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to Support Public Health Efforts in the State
- Status: became law
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-04-22
- Last action: 2026-01-11, ACTPUB Chapter 509
- Sponsor: Ambureen Rana (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Subjects: WASTES, WASTES - HAZARDOUS WASTES
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 2 (151 yes, 129 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Dedicated fund and seed money for disposal grants: benefit, low. The law creates a separate, nonlapsing fund for the program. The fund can take public and private money and is kept apart from other accounts. The state provides $500 in FY 2025–26 and $500 in FY 2026–27 to start the fund.
- Grants to towns and nonprofits for needle disposal: benefit, low. The law creates a grant program run by the Maine CDC to fund safe hypodermic disposal in communities. Community groups, certified syringe exchange programs, and towns can apply. Grants are paid quarterly when money is available. Applicants must show community need, goals, a budget, expected results…
- Towns with opioid funds must match grants: cost, low. A town that receives opioid settlement money and applies for this grant must provide a dollar‑for‑dollar match. The match must come from its opioid settlement allocation and be used only for the program’s allowed disposal activities.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ambureen Rana (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Anne Graham (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Daniel Shagoury (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Flavia DeBrito (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Henry L. Ingwersen (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Julia McCabe (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Lucien Daigle (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Marianne Moore (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Samuel Zager (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-06-25 | House | RECEDE AND CONCUR | pass | 76 | 63 |   |
| 2025-06-05 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 75 | 66 |   |

## Actions (12)

- 2026-01-11: ACTPUB Chapter 509
- 2025-07-08: HELD BY THE GOVERNOR. (Senate)
- 2025-06-25: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-25: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-25: The House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-489) thereto.ROLL CALL NO. 597(Yeas 76 - Nays 63 - Absent 10 - Excused 2)ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-25: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table On motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) On further motion by Same Senator the Senate SUSPENDED THE RULES to RECONSIDER their actions whereby Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) was ADOPTED. On further motion by Same Senator Senate Amendment "A" (S-489) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) READ and ADOPTED. Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-489) thereto ADOPTED. PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-489) thereto in NON-CONCURRENCE. Sent down for concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-10: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-09: Reports READ. On motion by Senator INGWERSEN of York The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report ACCEPTED. Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-05: Reports READ.On motion of Representative MEYER of Eliot, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 346(Yeas 75 - Nays 66 - Absent 8 - Excused 2)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-484) 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-484). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-04-22: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-04-22: Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)

## Bill text

- Amendment C-A (H-484), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=2&snum=132)
- Amendment S-A to C-A (S-489), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=9&snum=132)
- Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=11&snum=132)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=1&snum=132)

## Related bills

- LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed)
- LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (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 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-484), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=2&snum=132)
- [Amendment S-A to C-A (S-489), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=9&snum=132)
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&item=11&snum=132)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1156&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 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132)
- [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 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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1738-132 (as of 2026-10-19).