An Act to Correct Inconsistencies, Conflicts and Errors in the Laws of Maine
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
13 provisions identified: 8 benefits, 2 costs, 3 mixed.
Towns must allow more homes per lot
Towns must allow at least 3 homes per lot where residential use is allowed, including conditional uses. Attached homes, detached homes, and accessory homes count toward this minimum. The minimum is 4 in qualifying growth areas or on lots with qualifying centrally managed water and sewer service. Towns can allow more homes. The exception in Title 12, chapter 423-A still applies; the law does not guarantee construction or lower housing costs.
Bank insurance buyers get federal coverage warnings
Financial institutions selling insurance under the covered banking law must post a notice that the insurance is not federally insured. They must also tell prospective buyers orally when contacting them directly and personally. Before completing a sale, the institution must get the buyer's signed written acknowledgment.
Charity care rules clarify lab coverage
Beginning July 1, 2026, charity care outpatient rules include lab services performed by hospitals or qualifying licensed medical labs. Labs can be licensed by Maine's health department or an equivalent out-of-state authority. Patients must qualify under the covered provider's charity care policy and receive a covered outpatient lab service.
Mental health advocates can access patient records
The contracted advocacy agency can access medical records for people with serious mental illness hospitalized in Maine state mental health institutes. Access must be needed to provide advocacy services authorized under Title 5. This permission applies despite the cited state mental health confidentiality rule.
Climate plans give towns grant priority
When grant money is available, Maine gives priority to towns and joint municipal regions with adopted local climate action plans. Applicants with a comprehensive plan or growth management program also need a climate vulnerability assessment. That assessment no longer must follow the previously cited provision of state law. The law sets no grant amount or direct household payment.
Towns get more time for plans
Towns and joint municipal regions must get a chance to fix comprehensive plans found inconsistent with state requirements. They retain 24 months from that finding to make fixes without new review standards. After that, the whole plan must be resubmitted under current standards. Consistency findings issued by Maine's agriculture, conservation, and forestry department after January 1, 2013 remain valid longer. They last until December 12, 2028, or 12 years after the consistency determination, whichever is later.
Insurance regulator can seek orders without bonds
Maine's insurance superintendent does not have to post a bond for injunctions or restraining orders under the specified insurance-law provisions. The waiver applies to orders under Title 24-A, section 4362, subsections 1 and 2. This removes a court-process requirement, not a household payment rule.
Maine plans walk-in mental health crisis centers
Maine's health department must plan a statewide network of community crisis receiving centers. It must coordinate meetings, training, technical help, and support to create, maintain, and expand the network as needed. Centers provide immediate, short-term walk-in crisis care, including clinical and nonclinical services, regardless of crisis severity or insurance coverage. Services remain within licensing limits. The law specifies no funding amount, opening date, or center in every community.
Joint town aid applications face stricter rules
Each town applying jointly for assistance under the local planning assistance law must meet all three listed eligibility requirements. Previously, each town only had to meet one of the three. This narrows which joint applications qualify; it does not create a household payment or duty.
Bottle collection agents face clarified licensing rules
Beverage-container pickup and contracted collection-agent licensing rules now reference Title 38, section 3106, subsection 8-A, rather than 8 or 8-A. Agents conducting collection activity covered by subsection 8-A must obtain the required annual license. This concerns deposit-program businesses and collection agents, not a new household payment or duty.
Home burning exceptions expand and narrow
The waste facility definition adds an exception for residential owners burning specified wood waste under Title 12, section 9325. It includes covered painted or unpainted wood from construction and demolition debris. The separate exception for burning highly combustible household trash is removed. Permitted burning of leaves, brush, deadwood, and tree cuttings from normal residential maintenance remains excluded. These are changes to waste facility classification, not blanket permission to burn these materials.
State job protections expand and narrow
Some state jobs gain access to the listed classified-service dismissal protections and appointment eligibility, while others become excluded. Positions listed in Title 5, section 953 are removed from the exclusions; positions in sections 958–960 are added. The law also removes chapter 69 from the chapters formally included in Maine's Civil Service Law. The effect depends on the employee's position, not simply whether they work for the state.
Workers' hearings can use more written evidence
Workers' compensation hearings can admit a physician associate's sworn written statement about matters within their professional work. This applies when the author is unavailable for cross-examination. Opposing counsel must receive notice and a copy of the letter or report 14 days before the scheduled hearing.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 655
4/13/2026PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence.
4/6/2026SenateThis 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.
4/2/2026HouseReport READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-957) 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-957), in concurrence.Ordered sent down forthwith.
4/2/2026SenateCONSENT 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-957).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/2/2026HouseReport READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.On motion by Senator Carney of Cumberland REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218, in concurrence.
1/20/2026SenateRepresentative KUHN for the Revisor of Statutes pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 94, reports that the Bill be REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.Report was READ and ACCEPTED.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
1/20/2026House
Bill Text
Amendment C-A (H-957), adopted by House & Senate
Enacted
Introduced
Related Bills
LD 1522, An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program
LD 1665, An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families
LD 1872, An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System
LD 2067, An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement
LD 1611, An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees
LD 1294, An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit