# Maine LD 1763: An Act to Regulate Nonwater-dependent Floating Structures on Maine's Waters

Maine LD 1763, An Act to Regulate Nonwater-dependent Floating Structures on Maine's Waters, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Allison Hepler (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-06-20 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 378); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1763-132
- 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 1763
- State: Maine
- Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act to Regulate Nonwater-dependent Floating Structures on Maine's Waters
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-04-23
- Last action: 2025-06-20, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 378
- Sponsor: Allison Hepler (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 4
- Subjects: RECREATION, RECREATION - WATERCRAFT
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 1 (75 yes, 57 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 6

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Homemade boats need ID and inspection: cost, medium. Homemade watercraft must get a hull identification number before applying for a Maine certificate of number. If it is a houseboat or a nonwater-dependent floating structure that can travel on water, you also need a marine surveyor’s inspection and approval. The craft must meet federal safety rules,…
- Sanitation rules for inland floating homes: cost, medium. On inland waters, a nonwater-dependent floating structure must meet sanitation rules. It must have a waterless composting or desiccating toilet, a holding tank with pump-out records, or use only land-based plumbing with no discharge. State representatives can inspect to check compliance.
- Tougher fines and removal for violators: cost, medium. Violating the floating-structure ban brings daily civil fines of $100 to $500 per day and possible restitution. After three adjudicated violations in five years, a new violation is a Class E crime. Violators must remove illegal structures and pay all removal and damage costs. Town, county, and stat…
- Ban on floating structures, with exceptions: mixed, medium. The law bans placing or using nonwater-dependent floating structures on Maine’s internal waters. Some uses are still allowed. Examples include docks and swim or dive floats, floating water toys under 250 square feet, ice-fishing shacks, and aquaculture with a submerged-lands lease. Also allowed are…
- Lease option and fees for existing floats: mixed, medium. If your nonwater-dependent floating structure existed on January 1, 2025, you can apply for a submerged-lands lease to keep it. You must apply by January 1, 2026, show shorefront rights or an approved mooring, submit photos and details, and pay a $500 application fee. Leases are capped at 1,500 squ…
- Definitions, rulemaking, and appeal rights: mixed, low. The law updates definitions for docks, houseboats, homemade boats, moorings, and other terms. Houseboats are included in “watercraft,” but vessels permanently docked and not used for transport are excluded. Agencies can adopt major substantive rules to clarify how these laws apply and to adjust exc…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Allison Hepler (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Chad Perkins (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: James Dill (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Richard Mason (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Stacey K. Guerin (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-06-13 | House | ADOPT HAH-711 TO CAH-684 | pass | 75 | 57 |   |

## Actions (9)

- 2025-06-20: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 378
- 2025-06-16: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-16: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-16: On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland the Senate RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-711) thereto in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2025-06-13: This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.FAILED PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED.On motion of Representative ROBERTS of South Berwick, the House RECONSIDERED its action whereby the Bill FAILED PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED.On further motion of the same Representative, the House RECONSIDERED its action whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-684).On further motion of the same Representative, the House RECONSIDERED its action whereby Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) was ADOPTED.On motion of Representative ROBERTS of South Berwick, House Amendment "A" (H-711) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) was READ and ADOPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 498(Yeas 75 - Nays 57 - Absent 17 - Excused 2)Subsequently, Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-711) thereto was ADOPTED. Subsequently, the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-711) thereto.In NON-CONCURRENCE and sent for concurrence.ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-06-13: Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-684) READ and ADOPTED, in concurrence.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-684), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith. (Senate)
- 2025-06-13: 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" (H-684).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2025-04-23: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE in concurrence (Senate)
- 2025-04-23: Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)

## Bill text

- Amendment C-A (H-684), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=2&snum=132)
- Amendment H-A to C-A (H-711), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=4&snum=132)
- Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=5&snum=132)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&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-684), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=2&snum=132)
- [Amendment H-A to C-A (H-711), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=4&snum=132)
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&item=5&snum=132)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1182&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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1763-132 (as of 2026-10-17).