# Maine LD 246: An Act to Establish the Option of Sentencing Alternatives for Primary Caregivers Maine LD 246, An Act to Establish the Option of Sentencing Alternatives for Primary Caregivers, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic); status became law, last action 2025-06-22 (ACTPUB Chapter 402) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD246-132 - 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 246 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Establish the Option of Sentencing Alternatives for Primary Caregivers - Status: became law - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-01-21 - Last action: 2025-06-22, ACTPUB Chapter 402 - Sponsor: Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 7 - Subjects: CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, CRIMINAL PROCEDURE - SENTENCES - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (94 yes, 81 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Caregiver status counts in sentencing: benefit, low. The law requires judges to weigh a defendant’s caregiving duties at sentencing. When setting the maximum prison term, courts must consider how jail time would affect people who rely on the defendant as a primary caregiver. In contested alternative sentencing for Class D or Class E crimes, courts mu… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Adam LEE - Cosponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Pinny H. Beebe-Center (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Anne M. Carney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Craig V. Hickman (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Eleanor Sato (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tavis Hasenfus (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-05 | House | ACC REPORT "A" OTP-AM | pass | 74 | 67 | | | 2025-06-04 | Senate | ACCEPT REPORT 'A' OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED | pass | 20 | 14 | | ## Actions (8) - 2025-06-22: ACTPUB Chapter 402 - 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-09: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-05: Reports READ.On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, REPORT A Ought to Pass as Amended was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 338(Yeas 74 - Nays 67 - Absent 8 - Excused 2)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-253) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-253).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-04: Reports READ On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland Report A Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-253) Report ACCEPTED. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 353 Yeas 20 - Nays 14 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (S-253) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-253) Sent down for concurrence (Senate) - 2025-03-21: CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519. (Senate) - 2025-01-21: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-01-21: Committee on JUDICIARY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-253), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&item=4&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&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 (S-253), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&item=4&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0112&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) - [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-LD246-132 (as of 2026-10-17).