# Maine LD 895: An Act to Support Immersive Outdoor Education by Establishing the Outdoor School for All Maine Students Program Maine LD 895, An Act to Support Immersive Outdoor Education by Establishing the Outdoor School for All Maine Students Program, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Richard A. Bennett (Independent); status signed, last action 2025-05-23 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 84) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD895-132 - 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 895 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Support Immersive Outdoor Education by Establishing the Outdoor School for All Maine Students Program - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-03-05 - Last action: 2025-05-23, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 84 - Sponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent) - Cosponsors: 8 - Subjects: AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORE, AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORE - POWERS - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (31 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Outdoor school grants for Maine 4th-8th graders: benefit, low. Beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, the University of Maine runs grants for immersive outdoor learning. Grants serve publicly funded students in grades 4-8 in Maine public and tribal schools, plus eligible home-schooled students. When money is tight, priority goes to tribal, migrant, low-income… - New fund for outdoor school program: benefit, low. The law creates a nonlapsing Fund at the University of Maine to pay for outdoor school grants and administration. Money can come from state appropriations, public or private donations, and investment income. Starting in 2025-2026 and each year after, the University sets how much is needed for 2-nig… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Richard A. Bennett (Independent), Senate - Cosponsor: Jeffrey L. Timberlake (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Joseph Rafferty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kelly Murphy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Morgan Rielly (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nathan Carlow (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Nicole C. Grohoski (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Stacey K. Guerin (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Stacy F. Brenner (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-05-21 | Senate | ENACTMENT-EMERGENCY | pass | 31 | 0 | | ## Actions (7) - 2025-05-23: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 84 - 2025-05-21: PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. On motion by Senator CURRY of Waldo the Senate RECONSIDERED whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Subsequently, the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENACTED. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 210 Yeas 31 - Nays 0 - Excused 3 - Absent 1 (Senate) - 2025-05-20: This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-14: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-61).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-05-13: Report READ and ACCEPTED.READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (S-61) READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-61).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) - 2025-03-05: Received by the Secretary of the Senate on March 5, 2025 and REFERRED to the Committee on AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-61), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&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-61), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0384&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-LD895-132 (as of 2026-10-19).