# Maine LD 837: An Act to Require Positions Taken by the Public Advocate to Be Consistent with the Cost-effective Implementation of the State's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Obligations Maine LD 837, An Act to Require Positions Taken by the Public Advocate to Be Consistent with the Cost-effective Implementation of the State's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Obligations, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Mark W. Lawrence (Democratic); status became law, last action 2025-05-27 (ACTPUB Chapter 118); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD837-132 - 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 837 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Require Positions Taken by the Public Advocate to Be Consistent with the Cost-effective Implementation of the State's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions Obligations - Status: became law - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-04 - Last action: 2025-05-27, ACTPUB Chapter 118 - Sponsor: Mark W. Lawrence (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 4 - Subjects: PUBLIC ADVOCATE, PUBLIC ADVOCATE - POWERS - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (112 yes, 96 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Public Advocate prioritizes cost effective climate for ratepayers: benefit, low. The law changes how the Maine Public Advocate sets its positions in utility cases. When the office joins a proceeding or forum, it must back options that meet Maine’s greenhouse gas targets in a cost-effective way for ratepayers. This replaces a past aim to broadly stabilize or lower prices. It gui… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mark W. Lawrence (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kilton Webb (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Melanie Sachs (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Valli Geiger (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Walter Runte (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-14 | Senate | ENACTMENT | pass | 20 | 14 | | | 2025-04-30 | House | ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP | pass | 74 | 67 | | | 2025-04-29 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT | pass | 18 | 15 | | ## Actions (10) - 2025-05-27: ACTPUB Chapter 118 - 2025-05-14: Taken from the table by the President Subsequently, FINALLY PASSED in concurrence PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 169 Yeas 20 - Nays 14 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-05-07: On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending ENACTMENT Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-05-06: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-30: Reports READ.On motion of Representative SACHS of Freeport, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 104(Yeas 74 - Nays 67 - Absent 9 - Excused 0 - Restricted - 1)The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-29) 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-29). In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-29: Reports READ On motion by Senator LAWRENCE of York The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report ACCEPTED PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 129 Yeas 18 - Nays 15 - Excused 2 - Absent 0 READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (S-29) READ. ADOPTED Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-29) Ordered sent down forthwith 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) - 2025-03-04: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY.In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-03-04: Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY suggested and ordered printed REFERENCE to the Committee on ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-29), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&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-29), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0370&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-LD837-132 (as of 2026-10-17).