# Maine LD 86: An Act to Update the Laws Regarding Education Maine LD 86, An Act to Update the Laws Regarding Education, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Holly Sargent (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-05-23 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 112) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD86-132 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 86 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Update the Laws Regarding Education - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-01-06 - Last action: 2025-05-23, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 112 - Sponsor: Holly Sargent (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION - PLANNING - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (91 yes, 81 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Stricter rules for homeless-student status: cost, low. The law tightens who counts as "sharing housing" for school services. Being abandoned in a hospital no longer counts. Waiting for foster care no longer counts. Some students may lose access to help tied to this status. - New local school district governance options: mixed, low. Towns in a community school district can vote to let the school committee take on trustee duties. Voters can set one start date for all new members, after the last annual town election and no later than July 1. A town’s residents can petition and vote to leave the district using the same process us… - Old education statute subsection repealed: mixed, low. The law removes one subsection from the education statutes. Any rules in that subsection no longer apply. The remaining law stays in force. - School audits streamlined and reports expanded: mixed, low. An education service center under a school administrative unit’s fiscal authority is included in that unit’s audit. The center no longer files a separate audit. The initial report to the Commissioner is part of the audit. The school board must state if budget controls are proper, include an auditor… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Holly Sargent (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-20 | Senate | ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS REPORT | pass | 19 | 13 | | | 2025-05-06 | House | ACC MAJ OUGHT TO PASS REP | pass | 72 | 68 | | ## Actions (10) - 2025-05-23: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 112 - 2025-05-22: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-05-22: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-20: Taken from the table by the President On motion by Senator RAFFERTY of York ACCEPTANCE of The Majority Ought to Pass Report PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 186 Yeas 19 - Nays 13 - Excused 3 - Absent 0 READ ONCE Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-05-14: Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-05-13: Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-05-07: On motion by Senator RAFFERTY of York Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending ACCEPTANCE OF EITHER REPORT Unfinished Business (Senate) - 2025-05-06: Reports READ.On motion of Representative MURPHY of Scarborough, the Majority Ought to Pass Report was ACCEPTED.ROLL CALL NO. 109(Yeas 72 - Nays 68 - Absent 10 - Excused 0 - Restricted - 1)The Bill was READ ONCE.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.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) - 2025-01-06: Received by the Clerk of the House on January 6, 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 - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0050&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0050&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 - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0050&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0050&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-LD86-132 (as of 2026-10-19).