Title 22

1. Purposes. The Department of Health and Human Services may receive and disburse funds made available to it for financial support grants or contracts to rape crisis centers for the following purposes: A. Direct crisis intervention counseling of rape and sexual assault victims; […

The Commissioner of Health and Human Services is authorized and directed to adopt rules to implement this chapter to reflect widely accepted and current services that are presently provided. The commissioner shall consult with organizations who counsel rape victims, the Maine Coa…

Funds made available to the department for the purposes of this chapter, whether from state, federal or private sources, shall not lapse, but shall be carried forward to the next fiscal year to be expended for the same purposes.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 737, Pt. A, §53 (RPR).] 1. Shopping center. "Shopping center" means any building or facility containing 6 or more separate retail establishments that are…

In any building or facility constructed specifically as a shopping center after September 19, 1985, there shall be installed a minimum of 2 toilets for the use of the public. There shall be at least one separate toilet for each sex and the toilets provided shall be clearly marked…

1. Access for customers with eligible medical conditions. A retail establishment that has a toilet facility for its employees shall allow a customer to use that facility during normal business hours if: A. The customer requesting the use of the employee toilet facility suffers fr…

The Department of Health and Human Services may adopt, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, Title 5, chapter 375, rules to administer this chapter and thereby protect the public health.

This chapter shall be enforced by the Division of Health Engineering. Anyone violating this chapter or rules under this chapter commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more than $200 may be adjudged. Each date of violation shall be considered a separate offense.

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1987, c. 8, §2 (NEW).] 1. Eating establishment. "Eating establishment" means an eating establishment licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services under…

An eating establishment must provide at least one toilet facility for the use of its customers. Toilet facilities that require access through the food preparation area or the use of which would in any way cause the establishment to be in violation of any state law or rule may not…

Any eating establishment regardless of the number of seats that permits on-premises consumption of alcoholic beverages is bound by section 1686, regarding the provision of a toilet facility. An eating establishment that has a seating capacity of 40 or fewer persons is required to…

The Department of Health and Human Services may adopt, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, Title 5, chapter 375, rules to administer this chapter and thereby protect the public health.

This chapter shall be enforced by the Division of Health Engineering. Anyone violating this chapter or rules under this chapter commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of not more than $200 may be adjudged. Each day of violation shall be considered a separate offense.

The Maine Water Well Program, known in this chapter as "the program," is established to provide the public with the highest quality drinking water possible by ensuring that water wells are drilled, constructed, altered or abandoned in a manner that protects groundwater from conta…

The Maine Water Well Commission, as established in Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 13‑B, shall administer the program. The commission has the powers and duties set forth in Title 32, chapter 69‑C.

This chapter is enforced by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Engineering.

The Legislature finds that adequate measures must be taken to ensure that any threats to the health of the people of the State posed by natural phenomena or the introduction of potentially toxic substances into the environment are identified, appropriately considered and responde…

The department shall create an Environmental Health Program within the Division of Disease Control of the Bureau of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. This program shall be staffed by individuals with training and experience in environmental medicine, epidemiology, …

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1983, c. 835, §1 (NEW).] 1. Bureau. "Bureau" means the Bureau of Health. 2. Director. "Director" means the Director of the Bureau of Health or the director's desi…

1. Access to reports and records. The Department of Health and Human Services must be given access to all confidential reports and records filed by physicians, hospitals or other private or public sector organizations, with all departments, agencies, commissions or boards of the …

The Environmental Health Program shall, to the maximum extent feasible, and within the amounts appropriated for these purposes, contract with educational, research and eleemosynary institutions within the State for research and investigation activities which can be carried out mo…

The department is authorized to accept any public or private funds which may be available for carrying out the purposes of this chapter.

1. Findings and declaration of purpose. The Legislature finds that: A. Pure scientific considerations must govern the review and evaluation of potential health risks associated with chemical pollutants; [PL 1983, c. 835, §1 (NEW).] B. Scientific review and evaluation of potential…

The Director of the Bureau of Health shall assess regularly whether any health threats exist for persons consuming freshwater and anadromous fish caught in state waters by noncommercial anglers. The assessment must be based on appropriate technical and scientific data and public …

The Bureau of Health shall establish work-site high blood pressure programs at work sites that have not previously been providing regular high blood pressure programs to their employees in order to screen all employees, detect and confirm those who have elevated blood pressures, …

The Bureau of Health shall actively seek health care providers throughout the State to participate in identifying workers with high blood pressure and helping them control their disease through physician-prescribed treatment regimen. Standards of quality and criteria for awarding…

1. Heart attack and stroke prevention programs; establishment. The Bureau of Health shall establish a program to develop heart attack and stroke prevention programs in communities and regions throughout the State. The community programs shall: A. Provide public education to schoo…

1. Program established. The Bureau of Health shall establish an asthma prevention and control program to provide leadership for and coordination of asthma prevention and intervention activities. The program may include, but is not limited to, the following: A. Monitoring of asthm…

1. Advisory board established. The Rare Disease Advisory Council, as established in Title 5, section 12004‑I, subsection 48‑A and referred to in this section as "the council," advises the commissioner and provides information to the public on issues regarding rare diseases. As us…

The department shall enter into partnerships with health care providers, including obstetricians, gynecologists, primary care providers, nurse practitioners and physician associates, and community-based health care programs and hospitals to create and disseminate informational ma…

For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 2025, c. 507, §2 (NEW); RR 2025, c. 2, Pt. A, §111 (RAL).] 1. Council. "Council" means the Healthy Brain Initiative Council established in section 1700‑H…

The Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Prevention and Support Program is established in the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department. The department shall implement the requirements of this chapter within existing budgeted resources. The depart…

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department shall establish and convene the Healthy Brain Initiative Council to examine the needs of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias, the services available in the State for those indiv…

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the department and the Healthy Brain Initiative Council shall create the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias prevention and support plan. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall submit the plan to …

The department, through its Bureau of Health, is authorized to administer a program to extend and improve its services for promoting the general public health. The department is authorized to: 1. Apply for federal aid. Apply for federal aid under the Public Health Service Act (Pu…

The department shall have authority to accept any federal law now in effect or hereafter enacted which makes federal funds available for public health services of all kinds and to meet such federal requirements with respect to the administration of such funds as are required as c…

This Title may not be construed to empower or authorize the department or its representative to interfere in any manner with the right of an individual to select the physician or mode of treatment of the individual's choice, as long as sanitary laws, rules and regulations are com…

The department, with the approval of the Governor, may, for the purpose of aiding in national defense in case of war or in any state emergency declared by the Governor under Title 37‑B, section 742, procure and distribute inside the State and sell or give away, in its discretion,…

1. Compensation for hospitals. Such sums of money as may be appropriated by the Legislature in aid of public and private hospitals shall be expended under the direction of the department, and the expense of administration shall be charged to the appropriation of that department f…

Nursing facility services provided by a veterans' facility must be reimbursed by the MaineCare program at rates established by the department pursuant to this section. This section applies to all funds, including federal funds, paid by an agency of the State to a veterans' facili…

The Department of Health and Human Services may make a payment to each general hospital in the State which is certified for participation in the Medical Assistance Program under Title 19 of the Social Security Act, not to exceed the average amount paid to that hospital by the dep…

If a patient of an institution licensed as a hospital by the State, after discharge from such institution, makes written request for copies of the patient's medical records, the copies must, if available, be made available to the patient in accordance with the requirements of 45 …

Whenever a health care practitioner defined in section 1711‑B furnishes in paper form requested copies of a patient's treatment record or a medical report or an addition to a treatment record or medical report to the patient or the patient's authorized representative, the charge …

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in section 1711‑C, subsection 1, paragraph F. [PL 1997, c. 793, Pt. A, §3 (AMD); PL 1997, c. 793…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Authorized representative of an individual" or "authorized representative" means an individual's legal guardian; agent pursuant to Title 18‑C, sec…

1. Designation of visitors. A patient in a hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 405 may designate persons to be considered as immediate family members for the purpose of granting visitation rights. The following provisions apply to the designation of visitors under this section.…