Legislative Priorities

Bill	Num.	Detail & Notes	Status	Date	Committee
LD	199	An Act to Improve the Health of Maine Residents by Removing Exclusions to the MaineCare Program Maine is a stronger, healthier, and more resilient state when everyone has health care, including our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are immigrants. This bill will ensure that all Maine residents with low income have access to MaineCare coverage and would bring Maine one major step closer to a health care system that is equitable and works for all of us. Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross Priority: Health Care	Dead	Feb 10, 2023	Health and Human Services
LD	564	An Act to Improve Access to Civil Legal Services Civil legal aid provides access to legal help for people to protect their livelihoods, their health, and their families when they cannot afford it on their own. This bill increases funding for civil legal aid services to support equitable access to justice that would be distributed through the Maine Civil Legal Services Fund (MCLSF). One-time funding for civil legal aid providers was included in the supplemental budget, LD 258. Sponsor: Sen. Anne Carney	Law	Feb 10, 2023
LD	945	An Act to Allow Maine Families to Increase Their Savings Families need to be able to save for larger or unexpected expenses to build long-term economic security. Unfortunately, for low-income families in the TANF program, saving is discouraged due to an asset limit, a rule which is also burdensome for DHHS to administer. By removing the asset limit for this program, low-income families can truly begin to plan for and realize a brighter economic future. Sponsor: Rep. Michele Meyer Priority: Economic Security	Law	Feb 10, 2023
LD	1394	An Act to Expand and Strengthen the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) provides funding and support services for eligible Maine residents to pursue two and four-year degree programs or employer-recognized credentials leading to high-wage, in-demand jobs in Maine. This bill will help more Mainers sign up for education and training programs that lead to their financial success. LD 1394 extends CSSP funding to programs like apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, which have a proven track record for doubling wages for participants. Sponsor: Rep. Margaret Rotundo Priority: Economic Security	Law	Mar 28, 2023	Labor and Housing
LD	1432	An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Racial Impact Statements Racial impact statements (RIS) give policymakers information about racial disparities to allow them to consider the impact of future laws on racial, indigenous, and tribal populations. An RIS pilot program in the 130th Legislative Session provided valuable information about the ways these statements can support equitable policymaking and the process for using RIS to support our legislative process. LR 650 builds off the pilot program to ensure legislators have the information they need to craft equitable policies. Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross Priority: Racial justice	Carried Over	Feb 10, 2023
LD	1544	An Act to Improve Economic Security for Maine Children by Establishing the Maine Child Tax Credit In its final form as part of the budget (LD 258), this legislation will make Maine’s Child & Dependent Tax Credit fully refundable, which means the lowest income families will be able to access the $300 credit. It also indexes the credit to inflation so it will increase over time. This will go into effect in 2024 so families will be able to receive the credit when they file their taxes in 2025. Sponsor: Rep. Maureen "Mo" Terry Priority: Economic Security	Law	Feb 10, 2023
LD	1710	An Act to Enact the Housing Opportunity for Maine Act (The HOME Act) Maine is experiencing a severe housing crisis, resulting in a growing number of unhoused people across our state and challenges for our workforce. LD 1710 would help more people keep up with rising rents by creating a rental assistance program and protect tenants from discrimination. It would also provide consumer protections to tenants whose rent is unaffordable. Sponsor: Rep. Cheryl Golek Priority: Housing	Carried Over	Feb 10, 2023
LD	1877	An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides a safety net for low-income families in Maine. But at current benefit levels, most families receiving TANF can't afford rising rents and rising costs for essentials. LD 1877 would increase benefits to provide more financial security to Maine families and help parents access transportation to work, training, and education opportunities so they can move their families to economic stability. Sponsor: Rep. Michele Meyer Priority: Economic Security	Carried Over	Feb 10, 2023
LD	2007	An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act Restoring self-government to Maine’s tribes is necessary for racial equity. LD 2007 would implement consensus recommendations from a bipartisan task force convened by the Maine Legislature to address long-standing issues with the land claims act passed in 1980 that governs the relationship between the state and the tribes in Maine. Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross Priority: Racial justice	Carried Over	Feb 10, 2023

LD

199

An Act to Improve the Health of Maine Residents by Removing Exclusions to the MaineCare Program

Maine is a stronger, healthier, and more resilient state when everyone has health care, including our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are immigrants. This bill will ensure that all Maine residents with low income have access to MaineCare coverage and would bring Maine one major step closer to a health care system that is equitable and works for all of us.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross
Priority: Health Care

Dead

Feb 10, 2023

Health and Human Services

LD

564

An Act to Improve Access to Civil Legal Services

Civil legal aid provides access to legal help for people to protect their livelihoods, their health, and their families when they cannot afford it on their own. This bill increases funding for civil legal aid services to support equitable access to justice that would be distributed through the Maine Civil Legal Services Fund (MCLSF). One-time funding for civil legal aid providers was included in the supplemental budget, LD 258.

Sponsor: Sen. Anne Carney

Law

Feb 10, 2023

LD

945

An Act to Allow Maine Families to Increase Their Savings

Families need to be able to save for larger or unexpected expenses to build long-term economic security. Unfortunately, for low-income families in the TANF program, saving is discouraged due to an asset limit, a rule which is also burdensome for DHHS to administer. By removing the asset limit for this program, low-income families can truly begin to plan for and realize a brighter economic future.

Sponsor: Rep. Michele Meyer
Priority: Economic Security

Law

Feb 10, 2023

LD

1394

An Act to Expand and Strengthen the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program

The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) provides funding and support services for eligible Maine residents to pursue two and four-year degree programs or employer-recognized credentials leading to high-wage, in-demand jobs in Maine. This bill will help more Mainers sign up for education and training programs that lead to their financial success. LD 1394 extends CSSP funding to programs like apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, which have a proven track record for doubling wages for participants.

Sponsor: Rep. Margaret Rotundo
Priority: Economic Security

Law

Mar 28, 2023

Labor and Housing

LD

1432

An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Racial Impact Statements

Racial impact statements (RIS) give policymakers information about racial disparities to allow them to consider the impact of future laws on racial, indigenous, and tribal populations. An RIS pilot program in the 130th Legislative Session provided valuable information about the ways these statements can support equitable policymaking and the process for using RIS to support our legislative process. LR 650 builds off the pilot program to ensure legislators have the information they need to craft equitable policies.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross
Priority: Racial justice

Carried Over

Feb 10, 2023

LD

1544

An Act to Improve Economic Security for Maine Children by Establishing the Maine Child Tax Credit

In its final form as part of the budget (LD 258), this legislation will make Maine’s Child & Dependent Tax Credit fully refundable, which means the lowest income families will be able to access the $300 credit. It also indexes the credit to inflation so it will increase over time. This will go into effect in 2024 so families will be able to receive the credit when they file their taxes in 2025.

Sponsor: Rep. Maureen "Mo" Terry
Priority: Economic Security

Law

Feb 10, 2023

LD

1710

An Act to Enact the Housing Opportunity for Maine Act (The HOME Act)

Maine is experiencing a severe housing crisis, resulting in a growing number of unhoused people across our state and challenges for our workforce. LD 1710 would help more people keep up with rising rents by creating a rental assistance program and protect tenants from discrimination. It would also provide consumer protections to tenants whose rent is unaffordable.

Sponsor: Rep. Cheryl Golek
Priority: Housing

Carried Over

Feb 10, 2023

LD

1877

An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides a safety net for low-income families in Maine. But at current benefit levels, most families receiving TANF can't afford rising rents and rising costs for essentials. LD 1877 would increase benefits to provide more financial security to Maine families and help parents access transportation to work, training, and education opportunities so they can move their families to economic stability.

Sponsor: Rep. Michele Meyer
Priority: Economic Security

Carried Over

Feb 10, 2023

LD

2007

An Act Implementing the Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act

Restoring self-government to Maine’s tribes is necessary for racial equity. LD 2007 would implement consensus recommendations from a bipartisan task force convened by the Maine Legislature to address long-standing issues with the land claims act passed in 1980 that governs the relationship between the state and the tribes in Maine.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross
Priority: Racial justice

Carried Over

Feb 10, 2023