Maine State Register

The proposed changes to Chapter 7 are intended to benefit the harness racing industry by making the rules clearer for participants and officials. The changes will keep racing practices current and protect the equines that compete by adding more restrictions to the whipping rule and requiring that claims not be announced until after the race is official.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is proposing to amend the areas open to hunting during the expanded archery season. The proposed change adds land area and joins and consolidates several existing expanded archery deer hunting areas along the southern and central Maine coast and adds some coastal islands to expanded archery. This proposed change provides additional deer harvest opportunities in areas where doe harvest tends to be below desired levels and where hunting as a management tool is limited by land access, challenging geography such as islands and peninsulas, and high levels of development. Please contact the agency contact person for a complete copy of the rule proposal.

MRS is proposing an amendment to Rule 205 that (1) clarifies the administration of carry-forward continuing education credits; (3) creates a framework for the approval or denial of continuing education credit-awarding activities; (4) creates a framework for the enforcement of continuing education requirements, including advanced continuing education; (5) restructures the inactive/withdrawn and retired CMA statuses; and (6) makes other technical and clarifying changes.

The proposed changes would update agency rules to reflect P.L. 2025, Chapter 593, which requires paid communications to the public containing images or audio of a candidate that have been misleadingly manipulated or altered to contain a specific disclosure statement, and P.L. 2025, Chapter 600, which increased the spending threshold for communications to the public that require the filing of an “independent expenditure report” from spending $250 per candidate to spending $1,000 per candidate.

The Department proposes routine technical changes to 10-144 C.M.R. Ch. 301; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Rules to ensure compliance with P.L. 2025, Ch. 647, 1-A signed into law on April 6, 2026. Consistent with P.L. 2025, Ch. 647, 1-A, the proposed rule would update Section 111-2 to provide clarity for participants, applicants, and Department staff for Special Immigrant Juvenile requirements and survivors of human trafficking that do not qualify for federal food assistance benefits who may be potentially eligible for State Funded SNAP. Other non-substantive changes were made to align the language of the rule with the amended language in the law.

The Board of Licensure of Water System Operators, established within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, proposes changes to its Water System Operators Licensing Rule. This rule regulates the licensure of Public water system operators, establishes classifications, sets license fees, and outlines complaint procedures. The primary purpose of the Department’s and Board’s proposed amendments include updating the classification of public water systems by adding a third classification - Very Small Water System (VSWS) - at Section 3(A); reorgani

The existing rule will be amended to incorporate by reference the new and amended NESHAP promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2025, for which the Department seeks delegation of enforcement authority.

The existing rule will be amended to incorporate by reference the new and amended NSPS promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2025, for which the Department seeks delegation of enforcement authority.

The rule package is being updated to reflect the changes in law requiring all licensees to pay 10% of gross fantasy contest revenues due on the 10th of January each year for the previous year.

This regulation would establish open harvest days for the taking of sea urchins by divers, rakers, trappers, and draggers in

This proposed rule-making amends the limited entry system for scallop licenses. Scallop dive licenses are proposed to be issued through a license lottery held annually, as is currently the case. Scallop drag licenses would be issued through a license lottery annually, but individuals selected through the lottery will need to complete a Scallop Drag Apprenticeship Program before they will be eligible to purchase their scallop drag license.

This Chapter establishes the procedures for the submission, consideration and disposition for requests for advisory rulings as required by 5 M.R.S. § 9001.

This Chapter outlines the procedure that may be used in selecting a contractor to provide deliverables to MainePERS. The proposed amended rule provides clarifications about the applicability of the rule, conforms to updated practices and updates language for clarity and accuracy.

This chapter places restrictions on retirees reemployment while receiving a MainePERS retirement benefit. This proposed repeal and replacement rule narrows those restrictions to only those otherwise required by law, including only applying restrictions to retirees returning to work with the same employer, incorporates information on early distribution taxes and clarifies the language of the rule.

The proposed changes focus on moderni

The Rule establishes standards for the Home Energy Assistance Program for the State of Maine as administered by the Maine State Housing Authority. The Home Energy Assistance Program provides Fuel Assistance and Energy Crisis Intervention Programs to income Eligible Households. The Rule also establishes standards for the HEAP Weatheri

The Department proposes routine technical updates 10-144 C.M.R. Ch. 331; Public Assistance Manual Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) consistent with legislative changes made to 22 M.R.S. § 3769-C(1)(D) made by P.L. 2023, Ch. 622, § 2.

Under current regulation, it is prohibited to fish or to possess fish or fish parts on the Androscoggin River upstream of the Route 201 bridge between Brunswick and Topsham, to the Central Maine Power Company dam. Following the installation of a new bridge, Maine DOT is removing the bridge referenced in the regulation, so this proposed rulemaking would amend the boundary to a line 150 feet downstream from the fishway in Brunswick, north to the eastern tip of the first unnamed point upstream of the Pejepscot Paper Company Mill in Topsham, to the Central Maine Power Company dam.

This proposed rulemaking would modify the mackerel recreational possession limit to align with recent changes adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under NOAA. Mackerel is regulated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC). The 2025 management track stock assessment indicated that the Atlantic mackerel stock was not overfished, allowing for a higher recreational bag limit. As a result, this proposed rulemaking increases the mackerel possession limit from 20 fish to 25 fish, in alignment with the private angler bag limit established by MAFMC.

This proposed rulemaking would modify the bluefish recreational possession limit to align with recent changes adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) under NOAA. Bluefish is regulated by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (MAFMC) and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC). The 2025 management track stock assessment projected that the bluefish stock would reach its rebuilding target in 2025, allowing for a higher recreational bag limit. As a result, this proposed rulemaking increases the bluefish possession limit from 3 fish to 5 fish, in alignment with the private angler bag limit established by MAFMC and ASMFC.

This proposed rulemaking seeks to modify the recreational si

Amended Rule 207 removes references to now-repealed tax rates (see PL 2025, c. 388), clarifies provisions relating to administration of the tax for multi-transfer transactions, and makes other clarifying and technical changes.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) is proposing its annual permit numbers for the hunting of antlerless deer. Also, as directed by the Legislature in Resolve 2025, Chapter 35, DIFW has assessed the ability of additional WMDs to support a 2nd week of mu

This rule creates a new Chapter 3 in the Maine Pilotage Commission rules, which includes rates for vessels required to take sea pilots transiting Portland Harbor.

The OSHA Ha

This rule package is to create rules to implement statutory changes in 17 M.R.S. ch. 62 as amended by LD 1490 in 2025, that allows nonprofit organi