State House Items

The pace of printing legislation, holding hearings, and scheduling committee work sessions is picking up. Nearly half of the more than 2,000 bills expected this session have been printed.  More than 100 bills are so-called “Concept Drafts” that have no content other than the bill title.

Notable Legislation

• Authorize 1% Local Option Sales Tax on Meals & Lodging to Provide Property Tax Stabilization for Older Maine Residents (LD 559)
• Remove Undue Hardship Scheduling Protection for Employers under PFML Law (LD 575)
• Update Privacy Protections for Maine Consumers (LD 595)
• Require Minimum Pay for Reporting to Work (LD 598)
• Codify Federal Salary Threshold ($58,656 & indexing) for Overtime Pay in Maine (LD 599)
• Require Health Insurance Coverage of GLP-1 Medication (LD 627)
• Authorize 2% Local Option Sales Tax on Lodging to Fund Affordable Housing (LD 632)
• Raise the Maximum Small Claim Limit & Adjust Based on the Consumer Price Index (LD 654)
• Make Numerous Changes (some substantive) in Unemployment Insurance (LD 706)
• Authorize 2% Local Option Sales Tax on Loding to Fund Municipalities & Affordable Housing (LD 746)
• Require Health Insurance Coverage for Specialized Risk Screening for First Responders (LD 784)
• Require Employer Reports on Gender Wage Gaps (LD 799)
• Replace the Minimum Hourly Wage with a Regionally Based Living Wage (LD 853)

Notable Concept Draft Labor Legislation (empty content)

• Improve Conditions for Maine Workers and Retirees (LD 571)
• Improve Maine Workers’ Compensation Laws (LD 572)
• Improve Penalty Collections for Labor Protection Violations (LD 573)
• Improve Unemployment Insurance (LD 664)
• Regarding Labor (LD 669)

For more information: https://legislature.maine.gov/