# Maine LD 785: An Act to Amend Certain Tax Laws Regarding the Wabanaki Nations Maine LD 785, An Act to Amend Certain Tax Laws Regarding the Wabanaki Nations, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-15 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 705); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD785-132 - 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 785 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Amend Certain Tax Laws Regarding the Wabanaki Nations - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-04 - Last action: 2026-04-15, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 705 - Sponsor: Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 9 - Subjects: NATIVE AMERICANS, NATIVE AMERICANS - ME INDIAN CLAIMS IMPLEMENTING ACT - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (105 yes, 75 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Maine income tax break on tribal pay: benefit, high. Beginning January 1, 2027, pay you earn as a tribal member working for the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, or Mi’kmaq Nation is subtracted from Maine taxable income if it is in your federal adjusted gross income. This includes taxable noncash benefits. It applies no matt… - Equal pay and certification for Mi'kmaq legislator: benefit, medium. The Mi'kmaq Nation member in the Maine Legislature gets the same salary and allowances as other legislators, including cost‑of‑living raises, per diems, travel, and constituent‑service support. This starts with the First Regular Session of the 133rd Legislature. Before each session, the Mi'kmaq Tri… - Property tax relief for tribal government land: benefit, low. For property tax years starting April 1, 2027, property owned by a federally recognized tribe is exempt from local property tax if it is used for government or public purposes, is within 50 miles of the tribe’s tribal land, and has a pending federal trust application under the Maine settlement acts… - Sales tax break on designated tribal land: mixed, low. Each Wabanaki Nation can ask by August 1 each year to designate up to one parcel (or two abutting parcels) of fee‑owned land used for business in certain counties. Starting January 1 of the next year, sales sourced to that land are exempt from Maine sales tax. If the buyer uses the item or service… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Rachel Talbot Ross (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Adam LEE - Cosponsor: Amy Kuhn (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Anne M. Carney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Billy Bob Faulkingham (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Marianne Moore (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark Babin (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matthea E. L. Daughtry (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent), Senate - Cosponsor: Ryan Fecteau (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-13 | Senate | ACCEPT REPORT 'A' OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED | pass | 22 | 11 | | | 2026-04-13 | House | REPORT A OTP-AM BY CA-A | pass | 83 | 64 | | ## Actions (9) - 2026-04-15: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 705 - 2026-04-14: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table Subsequently, PASSED TO BE ENACTED in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-04-13: On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-04-13: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-04-13: Reports READ.On motion of Representative KUHN of Falmouth, REPORT A Ought to Pass as Amended was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 808(Yeas 83 - Nays 64 - Absent 3 - Excused 0 - Vacant 1)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-694) 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-694).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-04-13: Reports READ On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland The Report A Ought to Pass As Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-694) Report ACCEPTED. Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 944 Yeas 22 - Nays 11 - Excused 2 - Absent 0 READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (S-694) READ and ADOPTED Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-694) Sent down for concurrence (Senate) - 2025-06-25: CARRIED OVER, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. (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) - 2025-03-04: Received by the Secretary of the Senate on February 27, 2025 and REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-694), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&item=5&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&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 (S-694), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&item=5&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0344&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-LD785-132 (as of 2026-10-17).