# Maine LD 2096: An Act Regarding Scheduling of Agricultural Fairs and Pulling Events

Maine LD 2096, An Act Regarding Scheduling of Agricultural Fairs and Pulling Events, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Christina Mitchell (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-03-23 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 582) (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2096-132
- 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 2096
- State: Maine
- Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act Regarding Scheduling of Agricultural Fairs and Pulling Events
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-07
- Last action: 2026-03-23, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 582
- Sponsor: Christina Mitchell (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Subjects: FAIRS, FAIRS - AGRICULTURAL
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Fair date limits allow narrow early exhibitions: mixed, low. Effective immediately, Maine fair licensees cannot operate or advertise fairs outside dates assigned by the agriculture commissioner. Events within one week of assigned dates count as operating outside them. A narrow exception allows exhibitions up to 48 hours before assigned dates, solely to displ…
- Fair funding includes payments, with limits: mixed, low. Maine may count qualifying prize premiums and payments when dividing state funds among agricultural fair licensees. Premiums offered and paid during the annual fair, or at events judged up to 48 hours before it, may count. The pre-fair allowance excludes categories A, F-1, I, J, and K in the law. P…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Christina Mitchell (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Caldwell Jackson (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Jeffrey L. Timberlake (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Mark Cooper (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Parnell Terry (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Sharon Frost (Independent), House
- Cosponsor: Teresa S. Pierce (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: Timothy Guerrette (Republican), House

## Actions (8)

- 2026-03-23: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 582
- 2026-03-18: PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. (Senate)
- 2026-03-17: 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)
- 2026-03-12: COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-823), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith. (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Report READ and ACCEPTED. Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (H-823) READ and ADOPTED. ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY. (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: 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-823).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House)
- 2026-01-07: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY in concurrence (Senate)
- 2026-01-07: 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-823), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&item=2&snum=132)
- Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&item=3&snum=132)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&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-823), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&item=2&snum=132)
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&item=3&snum=132)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1411&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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2096-132 (as of 2026-10-17).