# Maine LD 2233: 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 Maine LD 2233, 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, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by no sponsor on record; status signed, last action 2026-04-16 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 738); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2233-132 - 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 2233 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: 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 - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-03-12 - Last action: 2026-04-16, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 738 - Sponsors: no sponsor on record - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL, HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL - LICENSING - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 34 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Aid for rural family medicine students: benefit, high. 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. - Insurers must cover physician associate care: benefit, medium. 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 appro… - MaineCare covers medically needed donor milk: benefit, medium. 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… - Minors can get confidential STI and substance care: benefit, medium. 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: benefit, medium. 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 he… - More telehealth options and PA consultations: benefit, medium. 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 communicatio… - Doctors: easier ways to practice or pause: benefit, medium. 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 re… - More loan help for primary care: benefit, medium. 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 prima… - New Maine Board of Medicine takes over: benefit, medium. 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 f… - Eye exam required for eyeglass prescriptions: benefit, low. 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: benefit, low. 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 a… - Stronger consumer rules for contact lenses: benefit, low. 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 ph… - Long-term antibiotics allowed for Lyme disease: benefit, low. 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: benefit, low. 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: benefit, low. 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 mem… - Only licensed individuals may practice medicine: cost, medium. 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: cost, medium. 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 equivale… - MD licensure rules and exam costs: cost, medium. 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 graduate… - Physician noncompetes can start right away: cost, medium. 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. - Post your Medicare assignment policy: cost, low. 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: cost, low. 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 publ… - License applicants: fees and public contact rules: cost, low. 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 s… - Stricter rules for contact lens sellers: cost, low. 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… - Stronger board enforcement and fair hearings: mixed, high. 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 state… - Tighter opioid prescribing rules and training: mixed, high. 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… - Tax rules for hospital staff loan payments: mixed, high. 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… - PA scope, collaboration, and dispensing limits: mixed, medium. 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.… - License renewal dates, fees, and CME: mixed, medium. 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.… - Physician associate licensing caps and checks: mixed, medium. 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… - Patient safety rules and provider protections: mixed, medium. 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 co… - Provider legal protections and record rules: mixed, low. 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 emplo… - Stronger background checks and privacy for applicants: mixed, low. 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 L… - Short-term medical licenses and fees: mixed, low. 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… - One board oversees all physicians: mixed, low. 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 elec… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - (none) ## Actions (8) - 2026-04-16: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 738 - 2026-04-13: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-04-13: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-04-13: The 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. (House) - 2026-04-13: Report 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 (Senate) - 2026-04-08: 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-1025).Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-17: Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.Bill and accompanying papers REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Representative 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. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-1025), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=2&snum=132) - Amendment S-A to C-A (S-659), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=4&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=5&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&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-1025), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=2&snum=132) - [Amendment S-A to C-A (S-659), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=4&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&item=5&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1509&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) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2233-132 (as of 2026-10-17).