131st Maine Legislative Session
| 131st Second Regular Legislative Session | 2024-05-13 00:00:00 | Through bills #2291 | |||||
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| LD | Title | Sponsor | Committee Assigned | Brief Description | Recommended MAR Action | Information | |
| 37 | An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Property Tax Stabilization for Senior Citizens to Eliminate the Requirement for an Annual Application | Sen. Pouliot | Taxation | A new application is only required when an individual establishes a new homestead in the state. | Tom testified in support of this LD | 6/7/23 Voted ONTP | |
| 70 | An Act To Eliminate the Cap on Retirement Benefits for State Employees and Teachers to Which a Cost of Living Adjustment is Made | Rep. Dodge | Labor & Housing | Provides COLA increases on retiree's entire benefit instead of only to $24,186.25. Amended to $40,000 instead of entire benefit. | Bill testified in support of this LD | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER, Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24. Did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 89 | An Act to Clarify Eligibility for Property Tax Stabilization for Individuals 65 Years of Age or Older | Rep. Moriarty | Taxation | Expands eligibility to surviving spouses of eligible individuals if married for at least 10 yrs before eligible individual's death. | Tom testified in support | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Apr 13, 2023 | |
| 106 | An Act to Standardize Service Credit Qualifications for State Retirees | Rep. Parry | Labor and Housing | This bill specifies that when a member of the MainePERS in position covered by a special plan transfers to position not covered by a special plan & has completed 80% of member's service under the special plan, that additional time in the position not covered by the special plan is calculated as though the member had remained in the special plan. | Monitor | Public Law 6/16/23 Chapter 208 | |
| 111 | An Act Requiring the State to Pay a Share of a Retired State Employee's or Retired Teacher's Premium for Medicare Part B Under Medicare Advantage | Rep. Shagoury | Labor and Housing | Requires the State to pay share of retired employee or retired teacher Medicare Part B premium under MedAdvantagePlan if they meet certain conditions | Bill testified in support of this LD | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER, Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24. Did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 112 | An Act to Increase the State's Share of Retired Teacher Health Insurance | Rep. Dodge | Labor and Housing | Requires State to pay 60% of retired teacher's share of premium for group accident and sickness or health insurance from 7/23 to 6/24 and 65% after 6/24 | Diane wrote letter in support | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 130 | An Act to Eliminate Senior Citizen Property Tax Stabilization and Expand the Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Sen. Bennett | Taxation | Provides law enacted in 2022 providing process for stabilizing property tax of 65 and older beginning 4.1.23 For prop tax years beginning on or after 4.1.24 bill replaces stabilization program with an increased homestead property tax exemption of $75,000 just value. | Tom wrote letter neither for nor against. Needs clarifications. | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 149 | An Act to Amend the Definition of "Homestead" Under the Homestead Property Tax Exemption Laws | Sen. Bailey | Taxation | Current law provides one qualifications of a homestead for the homestead property tax exemption is real property held in trust must be in a revocable living trust. This bill removes the requirement that the living trust be revocable. | Monitor | Voted 4/13/23 ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 | |
| 167 | An Act Regarding Eligibility for the Maine Resident Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Rep. Bell | Taxation | Bill provides that a person who holds a life lease on a permanent residence is eligible for the Maine resident homestead property tax exemption | Monitor | Voted 4/13/23 ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 | |
| 185 | An Act to Reduce the Benefit Penalty Imposed on Career Educators Who Retire After 35 Years of Service | President Jackson | Labor and Housing | Bill allows school administrators and teachers in service after 35 years creditable service to retire & collect retirement benefits & reduces those benefits by 2% for each year that the school administrator's age or teacher's age precedes 60 years of age. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER,Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24. Did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 197 | An Act to Address Employee Retention at the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory and the Computer Crimes Unit in the Department of Public Safety | Rep. Collings | Labor and Housing | Bill establishes a new special retirement plan for certain civilian employees in Department of Public Safety, ME State Police Crime Laboratory & computer crimes unit that allows those employees to retire after 25 years of service regardless of age. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 206 | An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund for Expenditures of State Govt & to Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations for FY Ending June 30, 2023 | Rep. Sachs | Approps and Financial Affairs | Supplemental Budget - Part J provides a one-time COLA of 1% and is not included in the calculation of future benefit adjustments. | Monitor | Public Law 2/21/23 Chapter 3 | |
| 258 | An Act Making Unified Approps and Allocations from General Fund for Expenditures of State Govt and Changing Certain Provision of Law Necessary for FY Ending June 30, 2023, June 30, 2024 & June 30, 2025 | Rep. Sachs | Approps and Financial Affairs | Part H increases amount State will pay toward active employee health premiums. Since LD 111 uses language from present State pay for actives, should probably monitor this LD. | Monitor | Public Law 7/11/23 Chapter 412 | |
| 313 | An Act to Ensure Consistency in Retirement Plans for Certain Law Enforcement Officers | Sen. Hickman | Labor and Housing | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 108. This bill aligns provisions governing retirement plans of law enforcement including forest rangers, game wardens, and marine patrol officers. | Monitor | Public Law 6/22/23 Chapter 246 | |
| 426 | An Act to Amend the Eligibility Criteria for Creditable Service in Armed Forces of US Under the State Retirement System | Rep. Salisbury | Labor and Housing | Provides credit for service during operations in Lebanon and in Grenada for specific periods of time. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER, Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24. Did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 457 | An Act to Amend Maine's Tax Laws | Sen. Chipman | Taxation | Amendment proposed increase COLA base for one year to $40,000 and funding this in subsequent years by a reduction in State income tax deduction. | Testified neither for nor against | Last Senate Action 4/16/24 Unfinished Business. Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24. Did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 483 | An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Retirement Benefit Reductions for Certain Employees Currently Included in the 1998 Special Plan | Rep. Pluecker | Labor and Housing | Requires service retirement benefits to be computed on same basis and creditable service is included regardless of when earned. | Monitor | Public Law 7/26/23 Chapter 436 | |
| 499 | An Act To Change Maine's Tax Laws | Sen. Chipman | Taxation | Concept Draft | Monitor at this time | ONTP Report Accepted 3/21/24 | |
| 529 | An Act to Remove the Annual Filing Requirement in the Property Tax Stabilization Law | Rep. Poirier | Taxation | Removes annual application unless person establishes a new homestead in the state. | Monitor | Accepted Majority Report ONTP on 5/11/23 | |
| 591 | An Act to Require the State to Pay Medicare Premiums for Certain Retired State Employees | Sen. Hickman | Labor and Housing | Requires State to pay 100% for Medicare Part B premiums for State retirees not eligible under Social Security. | Bill testified | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER, Legislature adjourned and did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 610 | An Act to Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan to Include Employees Who Work for Office of Chief Medical Examiner. | Rep. Hasenfus | Labor and Housing | Expands eligibility in the 1998 Special Retirement Plan of MainePERS. | Monitor | ||
| 635 | An Act to Allow Retired Law Enforcement Officer to Serve as a School Resource Officer Without Affecting Officer's Retirement Benefits | Rep. Carlow | Labor and Housing | Allows retired law enforcement officer who is receiving benefits to become employed as a school resource officer without any reduction in those retirement benefits. | Monitor | Voted ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 on 3/16/23 | |
| 646 | An Act to Provide Appropriations and Allocations for the Operations of State Government | Rep. Sachs | Approps and Financial Affairs | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill, as emergency legislation, would provide appropriations and allocations for the operations of State Government. | Monitor | Voted ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 on 3/16/23 | |
| 709 | An Act to Support Home Share Programming for Seniors | Rep. O'Neil | Health & Human Services | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would support home share programming for seniors. | Monitor | Resolve 7/26/23 Chapter 108 | |
| 733 | An Act to Require an Annual Itemized Statement of Benefits for Public Employees and Retirees | Sen. Pouliot and Sen. Keim | Labor and Housing | Requires a public employer to provide to employees and the MainePERS to provide to retirees an annual statement that includes: 1. benefits the employee/retiree accrued; 2. pension benefits the employee/retiree accrued/received; 3. total amount of employer contributions and 4. total amount of employer contributions made from funds appropriated by the Legislature to applicable health insurance plan. Also requires the MainePERS board of trustees to create/display on a their website a dashboard to use to calculate the member’s retirement. | Chris wrote letter in support of this LD | Voted ONTP Pursuant To Joint Rule 310 on 5/23/23 | |
| 742 | An Act to Divest State Pensions from Companies Boycotting Maine Lobster | Sen. Brakey | Labor and Housing | Requires the Board of Trustees of the MainePERS to divest stocks, securities or other obligations of any corporation that trades in lobsters and has publicly stated it will not trade in lobsters caught in Maine waters. | Monitor | Voted ONTP Pursuant To Joint Rule 310 on 4/13/23 | |
| 753 | An Act to Allow Retired Teachers and Educational Technicians to Be Recertified | Sen. Rafferty and Pres. Jackson | Education and Cultural Affairs | This bill allows a professional teacher certificate or educational technician certificate to be reissued to a teacher or technician who has retired and whose certificate has lapsed. | Monitor | Voted ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 on 4/13/23 | |
| 803 | An Act Regarding Taxation | Rep. Perry | Taxation | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill would make changes to the laws governing taxation. | Monitor | Public Law 7/26/23 Chapter 442 | |
| 835 | An Act to Phase Out the Income Tax | Reps Boyer, Andrews,Ardell, Faulkingham,Hymes, Libby, Newman, Quint, Smith and Sen. Brakey | Taxation | This bill phases out the income tax over 5 years beginning in 2024 and requires that state department budgets be reduced proportionally. | Monitor | Accepted Majority ONTP Report, May 23, 2023 | |
| 926 | An Act to Improve Maine Public Employees Retirement System Representation | Sen. Tipping | Labor and Housing | An Act to Improve Maine Public Employees Retirement System Representation | Monitor | 2/1/2024 - Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) | |
| 1043 | An Act to Create an Office of Ombudsman to Help Nonprofit Organizations in Their Interactions with the Government | Sen. Baldacci | Judiciary | This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.This bill proposes to create an office of ombudsman to help nonprofit organizations in their interactions with the government. | Monitor | 4/5/23 Voted ONTP Pursuant to Joint Rule 310 | |
| 1096 | An Act to Help Retired Teachers and State Employees Keep Pace with Inflation by Matching the Cost-of-living Adjustment for Social Security Benefits | Rep. Dodge | Labor and Housing | This bill changes the index used to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment for state employee and teacher retirement benefits to the same index that is used to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment for benefits under the United States Social Security Act. This bill also removes the 3% cap on the cost-of-living adjustment for state employee and teacher retirement benefits. | MAR testified in support of this LD | 7/26/2023 - CARRIED OVER, Legislature adjourned and did not take any action on this bill. | |
| 1152 | An Act to Make Long-term Disability Insurance Coverage Available to Public Employees | Sen Ingwersen | Referred to Labor and Housing on 3/16/23 | This bill requires the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to offer long-term disability insurance coverage and requires employers to provide the coverage at employer expense to members of the system and certain employees who participate in the system's defined contribution plan or provide substantially equivalent coverage obtained from another source. | Monitor | Engrossed by Senate and House 3/21/24 | |
| 1202 | An Act to Increase the Homestead Exemption to $50,000 | Rep. Theriault | Taxation | Increases the property tax exemption for homesteads from $25,000 to $50,000 for property tax years beginning on or after 4/1/24. Also adds provisions increasing the rate of state reimbursement, which has the effect of reimbursing municipalities for revenue lost as a result of the increase in the homestead property tax exemption to $50,000. | Discuss | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Apr 27, 2023 | |
| 1225 | An Act to Protect Housing by Increasing the Property Tax Fairness Credit | Rep. O'Neil | Taxation | For income tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023, this bill increases the maximum property tax fairness credit from $1,000 to $1,500 for residents under 65 years of age and from $1,500 to $2,000 for residents 65 years of age or older. | Discuss | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 8, 2023 | |
| 1230 | Resolve, Directing the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to Study the Creation of an Interstate Compact Concerning the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset | Rep. Greenwood | Labor and Housing | Resolve directs the MainePERS to study the creation of an interstate compact with other states affected by the WEP and GPO. The MainePERS must submit a report with its recommendations to the Committee on Labor and Housing no later than 12/6/23. | Wayne wrote letter in support. | 6/1/23 Chapter 23 Resolves | |
| 1335 | An Act to Amend the Property Tax Stabilization for Seniors Law | Rep. Boyer | Taxation | This bill provides that eligible individuals who are married to each other may not receive property tax stabilization for more than one homestead, allows homesteads held in trust to qualify for stabilization and requires each application after the application upon which the stabilization was originally based to contain information indicating any additions or improvements that have been made to the eligible homestead since the previous application. | Monitor | 2/13/2024 - Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) | |
| 1345 | An Act to Permit Municipalities to Establish by Ordinance a Program for Partial Deferral of Property Taxes for Seniors | Rep. Moriarty | Taxation | This bill permits municipalities to establish a program by ordinance for seniors that provides for partial stabilization of property taxes accompanied by deferral of the amount of taxes due in excess of the stabilized amount. Residents of a municipality that adopts such a program may not participate in the State's property tax deferral or stabilization programs. | Support / Monitor | Public Law Chapter 547, March 19, 2024. | |
| 1380 | An Act to Fund Municipal Administrative Costs Associated with the Senior Property Tax Stabilization Program | Sen. Baldacci | Taxation | This bill requires the State to compensate municipalities for 100% of the cost of administering the senior property tax stabilization program. | Support / Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, May 9, 2023 | |
| 1386 | An Act to Require That a Completed Form for the Homestead Property Tax Exemption Be Provided to a Person Purchasing a Home | Sen. Pouliot | Taxation | Requires the settlement agent for the conveyance of residential real property to provide the buyer a completed application for the Maine resident homestead property tax exemption. If buyer signs the application, the settlement agent is required to submit it to the municipal assessor for the residential real property being conveyed. | Support / Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 12, 2023 | |
| 1406 | An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Estate Recovery and Planning for Long-term Care | Rep. Hasenfus | Health and Human Services | Requires the DHHS to return the state portion of estate recovery under the MaineCare program to the estate. This requirement does not impact the portion that is required to be paid to the Federal Government for estate recovery for Medicaid. | Monitor | Voted ONTP on 4/20/23 | |
| 1413 | An Act to Amend the Laws Establishing a Property Tax Stabilization Program for Senior Citizens | Rep. Russell | Taxation | This bill establishes an income eligibility requirement for the senior property tax stabilization program and provides for annual indexing of the income thresholds. The bill also requires certification of eligibility by the State Tax Assessor and repeals the provision in current law that eligibility for the program may be transferred to a different municipality if an eligible individual changes homesteads. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 1424 | An Act to Remove the Age Requirement for Correctional Staff Under the 1998 Special Plan | Rep Pluecker | Labor and Housing | Under current law, an employee of the Dept. of Corrections or Dept. of Admin. and Financial Services who was employed on or after 1/1/2000 and whose duties involve contact with prisoners, probationers, parolees or juvenile offenders or supervising such an employee qualifies for the 1998 Special Plan and may receive a service retirement benefit after completing 25 years of service. This bill removes the qualification that these employees must have been employed on or after January 1, 2000and they may receive a service retirement benefit after completing at least 25 years of service. | Monitor | Chapter 185 Public Law 6/15/23 | |
| 1499 | An Act Regarding Penalties for Early Retirement for Certain Members of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System | Rep. Shagoury | Labor and Housing | Under changes made to the MainePERS in 1993, employees who were members of MainePERS as of 7/1/93 but did not have 10 years of creditable service as of 7/1/93 are required to have 25 years of creditable service and attain 62 years of age in order to avoid incurring a penalty of 6% of earned benefits for each year the person retires before attaining 62 years of age. Prior to that change, the penalty was 2.25% for each year below 60 years of age the person retired. Beginning 10/1/23, this bill changes the rate of the penalty for those state employees and teachers who retired between 7/1/11 and 1/1/12 who had at least 25 years of service on 7/1/2011 but had not attained 62 years of age to 2.25% for each year the person was below 62 years of age upon retirement from service. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 1562 | An Act to Protect the Retirement of State Employees and Teachers by Establishing Standards for Fiduciary Responsibility | Rep Perkins | Labor and Housing | This bill establishes certain standards of care for fiduciaries of the MainePERS and generally prohibits decision making with regard to investments in the retirement system based on certain nonpecuniary factors such as environmental, social, corporate governance, ideological or political factors. | Monitor | 7/26/2023 - was placed in the Legislative Files. (DEAD) | |
| 1582 | An Act to Clarify What Constitutes a Homestead for the Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Rep Doudera | Taxation | This bill provides that a homestead, for purposes of qualifying for the Maine resident homestead property tax exemption, must be a legally established dwelling that meets all relevant state and local codes | Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 12, 2023 | |
| 1588 | An Act to Provide Public Sector Labor Unions Reasonable Access to Information Regarding Employees | Rep. Dodge | Labor and Housing | This bill expands the rights of bargaining agents of public sector unions for access to personal contact information about members of a bargaining unit that the bargaining agent exclusively represents from personal contact information regarding newly hired employees to, upon request, personal contact information regarding all other employees. | Monitor | Public Law 7/27/23 Chapter 467 | |
| 1607 | An Act to Stabilize the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System | Sen Pierce | Referred to Approps & Financial Affairs on 4/11/23 | This bill requires that the amount of surplus General Fund revenue be transferred annually to a nonlapsing fund to be used to pay for retirement benefit improvements for retired state employees and teacher and their beneficiaries. | Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 15, 2023 | |
| 1650 | An Act to Creat a Tiered Senior Resident Homestead Exemption | Rep Terry | Taxation | This bill replaces the property tax stabilization for senior citizens program enacted by the 130th Legislature with a tiered homestead exemption program for qualifying permanent senior residents in the State. The bill provides that qualifying seniors earning less than 80% of the regional median family income qualify for an additional $25,000 homestead exemption and those earning more than 80% but less than 100% of the regional median family income qualify for an additional $15,000 exemption. The bill also requires the State to reimburse municipalities for 100% of the property tax loss under the senior resident homestead exemption. | Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, Jun 15, 2023 | |
| 1717 | An Act to Provide a Property Tax Exemption for All Veterans over 62 Years of Age | Rep. Collamore | Taxation | This bill removes the requirement that the military service be performed during a federally recognized war period, allowing a veteran who is at least 62 years of age, regardless of when the military service was performed, to be eligible for the $6,000 exemption. A veteran who is receiving a pension or compensation from the Federal Government for a service-connected disability continues to be eligible for the $6,000 exemption, regardless of age or time of service. | Monitor | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, May 25, 2023 | |
| 1773 | An Act to Increase the State's Share of the Cost of Health Insurance for Retired Teachers | Rep. Collings | Education and Cultural Affairs | Emergency Bill to have State pay 60% of premium from 7/1/23 to 6/30/24 and 65% after 6/30/24. Bill provides a funding mechanism to pay for it. | MAR Testified in Support | Ought Not to Pass Pursuant To Joint Rule 310, May 25, 2023 | |
| 1882 | An Act to Increase the Deduction from Income for Pension Benefits | Rep. Faulkingham | Taxation | This bill increases the pension deduction amount for tax years beginning in 2023 from $30,000 to $35,000 and for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024 from $35, 000 to $50,000 | Testify | Died On Adjournment, July 26, 2023 | |
| 2144 | An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief by Increasing the Availability of the Property Tax Fairness Credit | Rep. Russell | Taxation | This bill amends the property tax fairness credit to increase, for tax years beginning in 2024 or after, the amount of the credit available to certain residents by excluding from the definition of "income," which is used in determining the amount of the tax credit, payments received under the federal Social Security Act and railroad retirement benefits if those payments or benefits are included in federal adjusted gross income. | Monitor | Legislature adjourned on 5/10/24 with no action taken on this bill. | |
| 2214 | An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, General Fund and Other Funds and to Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2024 and June 30, 2025 | Rep. Sachs | Approps and Financial Affairs | Part NN proposes to roll back income eligibility enhancements enacted in the Supplemental Budget 2023-2024. | Testify in Opposition (Medicare Savings Program) | Enacted 4/22/24, Chapter 643 |
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