Climate, Land & Water Bills
scroll down to see Land, Water, & Pollution Bills
Climate Bills
LD 87 An Act To Implement the State Climate Action Plan, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Enhance Maine's Economy, sponsored by Rep. Ralph Tucker, ENR Committee ENR YouTube
LD 105 An Act to Adopt the Department of Economic and Community Development's 10-year Economic Development Strategy for Maine sponsored by Rep. Kyle Bailey, Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, This bill proposes to codify the 10-year economic development strategy for Maine that was developed by the Department of Economic and Community Development in 2019. The bill would provide additional clarity and include requirements for the Maine Economic Growth Council to fulfill its statutory mandate to develop, maintain and evaluate Maine’s long-range strategic economic and community development plan and build out the adopted 10-year strategy. It would also include provisions to support the State’s achievement of the adopted goals and objectives by establishing requirements for the Governor, the Legislature and state agencies to engage in the ongoing evaluation, reporting and review of the strategy. IDEA & Business YouTube
LD 726 An Act To Combat Climate Change and Address Its Impact in Maine sponsored by Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, referred to ENR Committee. This bill would propose actions to take as identified by the Maine Climate Council to combat climate change and mitigate the impact of climate change on the State's environment and economy. ENR YouTube
LD 736 An Act To Enhance the Ecological Reserve System sponsored by Rep Nicole Grohoski, referred to AFC Committee. This bill proposes to assess the status of the ecological reserve system and consider changes that reflect the importance of the ecological reserve system for supporting wildlife, sequestering and storing carbon, providing scenic and recreational value and serving as long-term ecological research sites. ACF YouTube
LD 754 An Act To Promote Municipal Climate Action sponsored by Rep Maggie O’Neil, referred to EUT Committee. This bill would create a program to help municipalities set ambitious climate goals and achieve them with state support. EUT YouTube
LD 815 An Act to Support School Decarbonization, sponsored by Sen. Chloe Maxmin, referred to EUT Committee. Current law requires the Efficiency Maine Trust to develop and administer a school energy savings program. This bill changes the program to a school decarbonization program and requires the trust to provide technical and financial support to help kindergarten to grade 12 schools become carbon neutral. EUT YouTube
LD 892 An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Governor's Economic Recovery Committee sponsored by Rep Teresa Pierce, referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement & Business Comm. IDEA & Business YouTube
LD 9 An Act To Promote Renewable Energy by Authorizing a Power-to-fuel Pilot Program Sponsored by Sen. Mark Lawrence referred to EUT Committee. This bill requires the Public Utilities Commission to establish and oversee a power-to- fuel pilot program. The commission is required to approve up to 2 power-to-fuel projects between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2027, each up to 10 megawatts in production capacity, that convert renewable energy to hydrogen gas, methane gas or other fuel. EUT YouTube
Land Bills
LD 219 An Act To Enhance the Agricultural Marketing Loan Fund by Establishing a Variable Interest Rate for Loans and To Allow Participants in the Maine Farms for the Future Program To Borrow at That Rate sponsored by Rep. Bill Pluecker, ACF Committee. This bill allows the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, in consultation with the Finance Authority of Maine, to periodically review interest rates and establish an interest rate for agricultural marketing loans that varies with the prime rate of interest and is a competitive interest rate at the time of loan origination. It prohibits the rate from being less than 1% per year. It also allows participants in the Maine Farms for the Future Program to borrow at that rate. ACF YouTube
LD 437 An Act To Establish the Maine Healthy Soils Program sponsored by Sen. Stacy Brenner, referred to ACF Comm. This bill establishes the Maine Healthy Soils Program within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for the purposes of promoting and expanding the use of healthy soils best practices among farmers and farmland owners. ACF YouTube
LD 568 An Act To Establish a Working Farmland Access and Protection Program within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and a Working Farmland Access and Protection Fund within the Land for Maine's Future Program sponsored by Rep Bill Pluecker, referred to AFC Committee. This bill establishes the Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Program within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The purpose of the bill is to strengthen the alignment between the department's farmland conservation goals and the Land for Maine's Future program. ACF YouTube
LD 937 Resolve, To Facilitate the Provision of Incentives for Soil Carbon Storage, sponsored by Rep. Laurie Osher, referred to ACF Committee Convenes a stakeholder group to develop recommendations for the establishment of programs and policies designed to incentivize the effective sequestration of carbon in soils by landowners and land managers in the State ACF YouTube
LD 983 An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Promote Land Conservation, Working Waterfronts, Water Access and Outdoor Recreation sponsored by Sen. Catherine Breen, referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Comm.
This bill does the following:
1. Part A provides a bond issue, in the amount of $80,000,000, that will be used to provide funds for the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands and the Land for Maine's Future Board; and
2. Part B allows proceeds of the Land for Maine's Future Fund to be spent on property that is determined by the Land for Maine's Future Board to be for a community conservation project. It also sets helping the State's natural ecosystems, wildlife and natural resources-based economies adapt to a changing climate as a priority of the board in making land acquisitions AFA YouTube
Water Bills
LD 342 An Act To Establish a Permanent Appointment of a Member of the Wabanaki Tribes to the Marine Resources Advisory Council sponsored by Rep. Rena Newell, referred to Marine Resources Comm. MAR YouTube
LD 489 RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Establish a Right to a Healthy Environment, sponsored by Sen. Chloe Maxmin, referred to ENR Committee, Work Session led to a divided report. ENR YouTube
LD 906 An Act to Provide Passamaquoddy Tribal Members Access to Clean Drinking Water sponsored by Rep. Rena Newell, Judiciary Committee JUD YouTube
LD 1146 An Act To Protect Maine's Ocean Waters and Support Regulatory Oversight and the Long-term Health of the Aquaculture Industry Sponsored by Rep Robert Alley referred to Marine Resources Committee. MAR YouTube
Pollutions Bills
LD 125 An Act To Prohibit the Aerial Spraying of Glyphosate and Other Synthetic Herbicides for the Purpose of Silviculture, sponsored by Pres. Troy Jackson, ACF Committee This bill prohibits the aerial application of glyphosate or other synthetic herbicides for the purpose of silviculture, including reforestation, regeneration or vegetation control after a timber harvest. ACF YouTube
LD 129 Resolve, To Require Testing of Public Drinking Water Supplies for Toxic Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and To Establish Maximum Contaminant Levels sponsored by Rep. Bill Pluecker, HHS Committee The purpose of this resolve is to adopt measures to protect consumers of public drinking water in Maine from potential health impacts associated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS. The resolve requires community water systems and schools and child care facilities regulated as nontransient, noncommunity water systems to conduct monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. If the monitoring results detect the presence of perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, perfluorononanoic acid or perfluoroheptanoic acid at a level in excess of an interim standard, the water system is required to conduct additional monitoring. The resolve also directs the Department of Health and Human Services to undertake rulemaking to establish an enforceable maximum contaminant level for the 5 PFAS by June 1, 2024, which can include adoption of a federal maximum contaminant level if one is available and at least as restrictive as the interim standard. HHS YouTube
LD 155 Resolve, Directing the Board of Pesticides Control To Prohibit the Use of Certain Neonicotinoids for Outdoor Residential Use sponsored by Nicole Grohoski, ACF Committee This resolve directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Board of Pesticides Control to prohibit the use of any product containing certain neonicotinoids used for application in outdoor residential landscapes such as on lawn, turf or ornamental vegetation. The resolve also provides that products used for preserving wood, controlling or treating indoor insects and treating pets are specifically exempt from the prohibition. ACF YouTube
LD 164 An Act To Establish Maximum Contaminant Levels under the State's Drinking Water Rules for Certain Perflouroalkyl and Polyflouroalkyl Substances sponsored by Rep. Ralph Tucker, HHS Committee. This bill amends the law authorizing the adoption of state drinking water rules by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to require that those rules establish a maximum contaminant level equivalent to 20 nanograms per liter for the following perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, both individually for each substance and as a sum concentration of 2 or more of those substances: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid; perfluorooctanoic acid; perfluorohexane sulfonic acid; perfluorononanoic acid; perfluoroheptanoic acid; and perfluorodecanoic acid. HHS YouTube
LD 226 An Act To Limit the Use of Hydrofluorocarbons To Fight Climate Change sponsored by Rep. Ralph Tucker, ENR Committee This bill prohibits the sale, lease, rent, installation, use or entering into commerce of any product or equipment that uses or will use a substance that is a hydrofluorocarbon with high global warming potential intended for any air conditioning, refrigeration, foam or aerosol propellant end use. ENR YouTube
LD 316 An Act To Prohibit the Use of Chlorpyrifos sponsored by Rep. Victoria Doudera, ACF Committee ACF YouTube
LD 558 Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry To Study Alternative Cropping Systems for Farmers Affected by Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Contamination, sponsored by Rep Bill Pluecker, referred to AFC Committee ACF YouTube
LD 602 An Act To Prevent Pollution from Single-use Plastic Straws, Splash Sticks and Beverage Lid Plugs sponsored by Sen David Miramant, referred to ENR Committee. This bill prohibits the manufacture and the sale and distribution, at retail or wholesale, of single-use drinking straws, splash sticks and beverage lid plugs made wholly or partly of plastic and prohibits food establishments and eating establishments from providing such items to customers at a point of sale ENR YouTube
LD 640 An Act To Ban Single-serving, Disposable Plastic Water Bottles sponsored by Rep Lori Gramlich, referred to ENR Committee This bill prohibits the sale, offering for sale and distribution for promotional purposes of uncarbonated, unflavored drinking water in containers of one liter or less that are made of plastic except during proclaimed a emergency. ENR YouTube
LD 890 An Act To Protect Maine Consumers and Decrease Environmental Pollution sponsored by Rep Sophia Warren, referred to ENR Committee. This bill proposes to enact measures to protect Maine consumers by removing incentives that lead to an increase in carbon emissions. ENR YouTube
LD 1158 An Act Regarding the Application of Certain Pesticides for Nonagricultural Use Sponsored by Rep Benjamin Collings referred to AFC Committee. This bill prohibits the use of persistent synthetic pesticides except pesticides that are used in the production of agricultural products. The bill also directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to convene a working group to review the composition of the Board of Pesticides Control with respect to whether the board equitably represents public, environmental and industry interests and to identify whether the service of any of the board members gives the appearance of a financial conflict of interest. ACF YouTube
The following Bills have not been published yet, and do not have an LD#.
An Act to Reduce Hunger and Promote Maine Agriculture sponsored by Pres. Troy Jackson, ACF Committee ACF YouTube
An Act To Provide Maine People with Access to Information Regarding the Use of Pesticides in Maine sponsored by Rep. Laurie Osher
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Food Processing Infrastructure in Targeted Areas of the State sponsored by Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee
An Act to Strengthen Maine's Agriculture, Food and Forest Economy sponsored by Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, ACF Committee
An Act Regarding Food Scraps Management and Diversion sponsored by Rep. Stanley Zeigle
An Act To Enact the Packaging Recovery and Recycling Financing Act sponsored by Sen. Jim Dill
An Act to Convene a Working Group to Develop Plans to Support Maine's Agriculture Lands and Heritage sponsored by Sen. Ned Claxton