# Maine LD 628: An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma Maine LD 628, An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Michael Brennan (Democratic); status became law, last action 2025-06-15 (ACTPUB Chapter 312); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD628-132 - 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 628 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma - Status: became law - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-20 - Last action: 2025-06-15, ACTPUB Chapter 312 - Sponsor: Michael Brennan (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 9 - Subjects: SCHOOL POLICIES, SCHOOL POLICIES - GRADUATION - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - COVID-19 diploma option stays: benefit, low. If you are a 4th-year secondary student and the COVID-19 pandemic caused a major break in your schooling so you cannot meet local diploma rules, you can apply for a state Department of Education diploma. This COVID-related pathway remains in law. The Department of Education accepts and decides thes… - State diploma for disrupted students: mixed, low. If you are at least a 4th-year secondary student and cannot meet your school’s diploma rules because of a disruption, you can apply for a state Department of Education diploma. Disruptions now include homelessness, foster care, or other housing instability. They also include absences over 10% of th… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Michael Brennan (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ambureen Rana (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Deqa Dhalac (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Holly Stover (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Janice Dodge (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Joseph Rafferty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kelly Murphy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kristen Cloutier (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Teresa S. Pierce (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: William Bridgeo (Democratic), House ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-15: ACTPUB Chapter 312 - 2025-06-02: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-29: Reports READOn motion by Senator RAFFERTY of York the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED. Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (H-309) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-309) in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-05-29: Reports READ.On motion of Representative MURPHY of Scarborough, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-309) 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" (H-309). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 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. (House) - 2025-02-20: Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-309), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&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-309), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0396&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-LD628-132 (as of 2026-10-17).