An Act to Combine the Board of Licensure in Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Licensure into a Single Licensing Board for All Physicians and Physician Associates
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
34 provisions identified: 15 benefits, 8 costs, 11 mixed.
Aid for rural family medicine students
Medical students who state they will practice family medicine in rural Maine can get help. The board offers grants or loans up to $5,000 per student each year. The board sets the terms.
Stronger board enforcement and fair hearings
Investigative committees can issue subpoenas, require mental or physical exams, hold conferences, and enter consent agreements. The board treats safety complaints as emergencies and may compel exams or seek court orders to stop practice. The board can report complaints and discipline to other states and may act on out‑of‑state records. The law lists many grounds for discipline. The board must notify you of a complaint within 60 days; you must respond within 30 days. Guidance letters and related materials can remain in your file for up to 10 years. Hearings use panels of at least five members and at least one peer licensee; prior reviewers cannot sit on the panel. Any nonconsensual revocation requires a formal hearing and can be reviewed only in Superior Court.
Tighter opioid prescribing rules and training
Prescribers face strict opioid limits. There is a hard cap of 100 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day, a 30-day supply limit for chronic pain, and a 7-day limit for acute pain (up to 14 days if the bottle size requires it). Prescribers who can must e‑prescribe opioids (by July 1, 2017) and complete 3 hours of opioid training every 2 years (by December 31, 2017). Health care entities must have an opioid prescribing policy covering risk checks, informed consent, and counseling (by January 1, 2018). Cancer care, palliative or end-of-life care, medication-assisted treatment, and certain hospital or surgical settings are exempt. Breaking these rules brings $250 fines per violation, up to $5,000 per year.
Tax rules for hospital staff loan payments
For tax years starting in 2020, Maine follows federal tax treatment of employer student-loan payments made directly to a lender for licensed hospital clinicians. If federal counts the payments in your adjusted gross income, Maine counts them too; if federal excludes them, Maine excludes them. This can change your state taxable income when your employer pays your loans.
Insurers must cover physician associate care
If your health plan covers a service by other providers, it must also cover it when done by a licensed physician associate within their scope. Managed care plans must also let enrollees choose a primary care provider who is a physician, a physician associate, or a certified nurse practitioner approved to practice without physician supervision.
MaineCare covers medically needed donor milk
MaineCare pays for pasteurized donor breast milk when an MD, DO, PA, or advanced practice nurse orders it as medically necessary. Coverage is for infants who cannot get maternal milk or whose mothers cannot make enough and who meet clinical criteria, such as birth weight under 1,500 grams or other serious conditions.
Minors can get confidential STI and substance care
Licensed providers may treat minors for sexually transmitted infection prevention or treatment, treat substance use disorder, or collect sexual assault evidence without telling a parent or getting consent. The provider may choose to inform a parent or guardian but is not required to.
More coverage and protections for kids
Private health plans must cover pasteurized donor breast milk when an MD, DO, PA, or APRN orders it. Coverage applies if the baby cannot get enough maternal milk and has a listed medical need, like birth weight under 1,500 grams, poor weight gain, formula intolerance, low blood sugar, congenital heart disease, a transplant, or another serious condition. Hospitals and treatment centers may treat minors for STIs, substance use, or perform sexual assault evidence exams without telling a parent. If the hospital stay lasts more than 16 hours, they must notify and get consent from a parent or guardian. Licensed providers cannot advertise, offer, or give conversion therapy to minors.
More telehealth options and PA consultations
Licensed providers may deliver care by telehealth within their scope and privacy laws. Telehealth includes live video, store-and-forward messages, and remote monitoring. The Board sets technical rules for safe telehealth practice. Physician associates can consult or refer by electronic communication without a physician being physically present.
Doctors: easier ways to practice or pause
The board may issue a temporary license without an exam for up to one year when needed for emergencies, shortages, or locum tenens work. That fee may not be more than $400. You can move to inactive status to keep your license while not practicing and skip CME and the jurisprudence exam until you return to active status. Some foreign‑trained physicians licensed in another state with at least 3 years of clinical work may get a waiver of certain training rules. Out‑of‑state team doctors can treat their teams in Maine during events under a written team agreement, but not at Maine hospitals.
More loan help for primary care
More primary care professionals qualify for the state loan-repayment program. You must be licensed under the new chapter, practice full time in an underserved area on or after January 1, 2013, agree to at least five years of service, be certified by DHHS, and have unpaid student loans tied to primary-care training.
New Maine Board of Medicine takes over
The law creates the Maine Board of Medicine on January 1, 2027. It takes over all licenses, rules, records, funds, contracts, complaints, and cases from the two old boards. Current board appointees keep serving until their terms end, and current licenses stay valid until they expire. Old statutes for the prior boards are repealed, and legal references now point to the new chapter. The new board also handles any pending investigations under one set of disciplinary rules.
Only licensed individuals may practice medicine
You must be licensed to practice medicine in Maine. Only individuals can hold these licenses. Practicing without a valid license or privilege is a Class E crime. The ban also applies if your license is inactive, expired, suspended, surrendered, or revoked.
DO licensure rules and exam costs
To get a Maine DO license, you must graduate from a COCA‑accredited osteopathic school. If you graduated before Jan 1, 2026, you need at least 12 months of accredited post‑grad training; if you graduate on or after that date, you need 36 months. You must pass COMLEX‑USA or a board‑approved equivalent. You must have practiced clinically in the past 24 months or submit a plan that shows current skill. The application fee is capped at $700, plus exam costs. The board does not require specialty board certification for initial licensure or renewal.
MD licensure rules and exam costs
To get a Maine MD license, you must graduate from an LCME-accredited U.S. or accredited Canadian school, or hold ECFMG certification or pass a board-approved exam if your school is unaccredited. Required post‑grad training depends on when you graduated: 12, 24, or 36 months for more recent graduates. You must pass the national licensing exam and a Maine jurisprudence exam. You must have practiced clinically in the past 24 months or submit a plan that shows current skill. The application fee is capped at $700, plus exam costs.
Physician noncompetes can start right away
Noncompete agreements with licensed MDs and DOs can take effect without the usual delay. For most other workers, noncompetes start only after one year on the job or six months from signing. This keeps stronger limits on physician job changes.
PA scope, collaboration, and dispensing limits
Physician associates (PAs) may perform any medical service they are trained and competent to do. A PA with under 4,000 clinical hours must have a board‑approved collaborative agreement with an active physician, unless working in a physician group practice or under a facility’s credentialing system. Collaboration can be electronic. Physicians and PAs may delegate tasks to trained staff, but the delegating clinician remains legally responsible. PAs may dispense drugs only when no pharmacy is reasonably available, it is in the patient’s best interest, or in an emergency, and must follow all laws.
License renewal dates, fees, and CME
Licenses renew every two years and expire at midnight on the last day of your birth month. If your birth year is odd, your license expires in odd years; if even, in even years. The board gives at least 60 days’ notice. If a complete renewal is not in before expiration, the license ends immediately. You have 90 days to reinstate by sending a complete application and paying renewal and late fees (late fee up to $100; renewal up to $600). The board may prorate fees for those newly licensed in the past 12 months and may waive fees for hardship. If your license lapsed over 5 years, you must apply anew, pay arrears, the current renewal fee, and a $100 reinstatement fee, and you may need to show current skill. To practice clinically, your license must be marked “active,” which requires CME completed in the past 24 months. You may withdraw your license in writing to stop future fees, but you cannot practice until reinstated.
Physician associate licensing caps and checks
To get a PA license, you must finish an approved program, pass the national exam, show recent clinical work or a plan to prove skills, and have no active discipline. The board caps fees at $400 for an initial PA license and $350 for biennial renewal, and compact renewal fees cannot exceed $350. If you use a compact privilege in Maine, you must renew on time and pay required fees. You must be fingerprinted for state and FBI checks, and the board keeps background results confidential. If your license expires and you do not renew, you can ask the State Bureau of Identification to remove your fingerprints.
Patient safety rules and provider protections
By applying or renewing, a licensee agrees to take a mental or physical exam if the board orders it. A court must suspend a license right away if evidence shows the person cannot practice safely. Providers on peer‑review and similar committees have civil immunity, and hospital review records are confidential and not discoverable. Providers must warn or take steps if they reasonably believe a patient is likely to be violent, and they are immune from money damages for protective disclosures.
Eye exam required for eyeglass prescriptions
A doctor cannot write an eyeglass prescription based only on a kiosk reading. You must have an eye exam by a licensed physician before getting the prescription.
Privacy protections for licensee records
The board keeps your home address, personal phone, personal email, and health information confidential. When someone asks to see your records, the board must remove nonpublic data first and notify you at your last address. The board may share needed information only with licensing or disciplinary authorities and health care providers when allowed.
Stronger consumer rules for contact lenses
After your contact lens fitting and release from follow-up care, your doctor must give you a free copy of your contact lens prescription. The prescription must have an expiration date no more than 24 months from the issue date. Sellers may dispense lenses only with a written prescription, though physicians may fill another clinician’s order without a separate copy.
Long-term antibiotics allowed for Lyme disease
Physicians may prescribe antibiotics for more than four weeks to treat Lyme disease or similar symptoms after making and recording a clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis may be based on history and physical exam, with or without testing.
No board certification for MD license
The licensing board cannot require specialty board certification to get or renew an MD license. You also do not have to keep up maintenance of certification to stay licensed.
Funding to staff the new board
The law funds staff and legal support to run the new board. It adds two Assistant Attorneys General ($558,387 in 2026–27). It creates 14.5 board staff positions with $1,415,473 for salaries and operations in 2026–27. It provides a one‑time $200,000 for transition and $17,125 to compensate board members. It also reimburses the Attorney General’s office for related legal costs.
Post your Medicare assignment policy
Providers who treat Medicare‑eligible patients must clearly post whether they accept Medicare assignment and name a contact person. Boards may fine violations $100 to $1,000 each and may discipline providers.
Compact licensure: fingerprints and fees
If you apply for expedited licensure through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, you must give fingerprints and pay processing fees. The board runs state and FBI background checks and keeps results confidential. Except for the FBI fee, fingerprint money goes to the Treasurer of State for public safety administration. The board must set routine rules for how these checks work.
License applicants: fees and public contact rules
You must file a complete application and pay all required board fees. These fees are not refundable. You must give a current professional address and phone for public contact. If you do not have them, your personal contact info is used. You must publicly display your license at your main practice site.
Stricter rules for contact lens sellers
Mail‑order contact lens suppliers serving Maine must be licensed and registered with the Maine Board of Pharmacy. Anyone who fills a contact lens prescription must keep a copy for five years. Filling prescriptions improperly or filling expired ones is a civil violation with fines of $250 to $1,000 per violation.
Provider legal protections and record rules
Starting January 1, 2027, collaborating or consulting physicians get civil and criminal immunity in certain cases involving physician associates. Providers are protected from discipline for using expedited partner therapy when they follow the law. Government licensing agencies and health care employers may get certain records without redaction or notice. Peer‑review records stay confidential, but required safety reporting still applies.
Stronger background checks and privacy for applicants
When your fingerprints are taken for a medical license, they are sent right away to the State Bureau of Identification for state and FBI checks. The Bureau keeps the prints as allowed by law. The Board keeps background check results confidential and does not share them with the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact or others.
Short-term medical licenses and fees
The board issues short-term licenses to boost access. A youth camp physician license is limited to one camp and costs up to $400 each year. In emergencies, an out-of-state doctor can get a Maine license for up to 100 days for a fee up to $400. Residents can get an educational certificate, renewable every 3 years for up to 8 years, for a fee up to $300; an exam may be required. Out-of-state physicians may teach and perform procedures in Maine hospitals with board authorization for a fee up to $300.
One board oversees all physicians
Maine creates one Maine Board of Medicine for MDs, DOs, and physician associates. The Governor appoints 22 members. The board licenses, sets rules, investigates complaints, and can set fees to fund its work. It meets first on the second Tuesday in January 2027 and uses staggered terms. Officer elections start July 2027, and yearly reports to lawmakers begin March 1, 2028. The state regulator acts as a liaison but cannot control the board’s licensing decisions.
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 738
4/16/2026PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.
4/13/2026SenatePASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/13/2026HouseThe House RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-1025) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-659) thereto.ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/13/2026HouseReport READ and ACCEPTED. READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (H-1025) READ. On motion by Senator BAILEY of York Senate Amendment "A" (S-659) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-1025) READ and ADOPTED Committee Amendment "A" (H-1025) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-659) thereto ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-1025) as Amended by Senate Amendment "A" (S-659) thereto In NON-CONCURRENCE Sent down for concurrence
4/13/2026SenateCONSENT 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-1025).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
4/8/2026HouseReport READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.Bill and accompanying papers REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, in concurrence.
3/17/2026SenateRepresentative MATHIESON for the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Order 2025, H.P. 1486 reports that the Bill be REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES and printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.Report was READ and ACCEPTED.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
3/12/2026House
Bill Text
Amendment C-A (H-1025), adopted by House & Senate
Amendment S-A to C-A (S-659), adopted by House & Senate
Enacted
Introduced
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