1 p.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; public hearing; room 436; State House

L.D. 1079, “An Act To Provide for Alternatives for the Courts To Address Settlement of Fines in Certain Cases”: allows the court, prior to the default hearing, to offer the offender of a class D or E crime, the option of performing community service work under the same terms and conditions as community service work ordered after the default hearing.

Environment and Natural Resources Committee; work sessions; room 216; Cross Building

L.D. 1058, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Environmental Protection To Set the Motor Vehicle Fuel Volatility Level for the State”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules to allow gasoline with a Reid Vapor Pressure of 9.0 psi to be sold in all counties of the state year-round.

L.D. 1359, “An Act To Update and Simplify Maine Gasoline Requirements”: requires beginning Jan. 1, 2014 a retailer who sells gasoline in York, Cumberland, Sagadahoc, Androscoggin, Kennebec, Knox or Lincoln County to sell only reformulated gasoline in those counties and study the use of single type gasoline throughout the state and report by Dec. 4.

Insurance and Financial Services Committee; public hearings; room 220; Cross Building

L.D. 727, “An Act Establishing Health Care Practitioner Transparency Requirements”: ensures that patients receive accurate health care information by prohibiting deceptive or misleading advertising or misrepresentation in the provision of health care services.

L.D. 1236, “An Act To Amend the Maine Insurance Code To Ensure Fair and Reasonable Coverage and Reimbursement of Chiropractic Services”: requires that coverage and payment by health insurers and health maintenance organizations for services within the scope of practice of chiropractic doctors be at least equal to and consistent with coverage for services provided by allopathic or osteopathic doctors.

L.D. 1367, “An Act To Require Health Insurance Carriers and the MaineCare Program To Cover the Cost of Transition Services To Bridge the Gap between High School and Independence”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to require providers of behavioral and mental health services for children to establish or participate in so-called bridge teams for the purpose of ensuring continuity of care for students receiving behavioral and mental health services who are likely to be in need of such services following graduation.

Judiciary Committee; work sessions; room 438; State House

L.D. 777, “An Act To Protect Working Mothers Who Breast-feed”: provides that it is unlawful employment discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act for an employer to fail to provide certain workplace accommodations for an employee with a nursing child.

L.D. 830, “An Act To Further Protect Pregnant Women under the Maine Human Rights Act”: provides that it is unlawful employment discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act for a covered entity to fail to provide an employee who is pregnant the same reasonable accommodations applicable to a qualified individual with a disability.

L.D. 982, “An Act To Create a Gambling Offset To Enhance the Collection of Child Support”: requires that licensees that operate slot machines and table games intercept the gambling winnings of individuals with outstanding child support debt and forward the amount owed to the Department of Health and Human Services.

L.D. 1034, “An Act To Increase Child Support Collections by Requiring the Interception of Certain Gambling Winnings”: requires that licensees that operate slot machines and licensees that conduct pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing and table games intercept the gambling winnings of individuals with outstanding child support debt and forward the amount owed to the Department of Health and Human Services.

L.D. 1068, “An Act To Prevent the Reduction in Adoption Subsidy after an Agreement Has Been Signed by the Prospective Adoptive Parents and the Department of Health and Human Services”: emergency bill, prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from reducing its adoption assistance payments to adoptive parents once an adoption assistance payment is agreed upon.

L.D. 1107, “An Act To Provide a Uniform Process for the Use of Orders Awarding Parental Rights and Responsibilities To Dispose of a Child Protective Case”: clarifies that the court has authority to completely dispose of a child protective case by entering an order awarding parental rights and responsibilities; requires the court to open a new family matters case and have it docketed; and repeals the authority of the court to order child protective reviews once the order awarding parental rights and responsibilities is entered.

L.D. 1114, “An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning Parental Rights in Child Abandonment Cases”: provides that criminal abandonment of a child does not include voluntary placement of a child with a person, agency or medical facility resulting from a coordinated effort with the Department of Health and Human Services and health care professionals to secure a placement that is in the best interests of the child.

L.D. 1136, “An Act To Provide State Recognition for the Kineo Band of Maliseet Indians”: provides for state recognition of the Kineo Band of Maliseet Indians as a Native American tribe.

L.D. 1249, “An Act To Make Statutory Changes To Address Certain Conflicting Requirements of the Maine Rules of Professional Conduct and the Federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 Regarding Maine’s Protection and Advocacy Agency”: requires that the Maine’s protection and advocacy agency maintain the confidentiality of client records; changes the role of the agency in investigating rights violations and in behavior modification and management review committees.

Marine Resources Committee; public hearings; room 206; Cross Building

L.D. 583, “An Act To Allow the Exchange of Scallop Licenses”: allows a holder of a hand fishing scallop license and a holder of a scallop dragging license to exchange licenses.

L.D. 935, “An Act To Permit the Harvest of Sea Cucumbers as Bycatch of Sea Urchin Dragging and To Allow Areas To Be Closed to Sea Cucumber Dragging”: allows those authorized to engage in sea urchin dragging to possess, ship, transport and sell up to two fish totes per day of sea cucumbers caught as bycatch.

L.D. 946, “An Act To Allow Municipalities To Petition the Department of Marine Resources To Establish Dive-only Areas for Scallops in Mooring Fields”: gives the commissioner of Marine Resources authority to establish dive-only areas in harbors in which a person may not fish for or take scallops by any means other than by hand.

State and Local Government Committee; work sessions; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 955, “Resolve, Authorizing the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services To Sell or Lease the Interests of the State in Certain Real Property Located in Bangor, Boothbay Harbor and Hallowell”: gives the commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services authority to sell or lease the Bangor Mental Health Institute in Bangor and the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay Harbor and provides that any proceeds from a sale in Hallowell be deposited into the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services’ capital repair and improvement account for capital improvements.

L.D. 1073, “An Act To Establish Minimum Fuel Economy Standards for State Vehicles”: requires that a new motor vehicle of the state must have a fuel economy standard that exceeds by at least 10 miles per gallon the corporate average fuel economy standard established by the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

L.D. 1152, “Resolve, To Continue Consultation and Conditions Prerequisite to the Sale or Lease of Certain Real Property in Hallowell”: emergency bill, directs the state to enter into a lease to extend the current terms of School Administrative District 16 or any successor school administrative unit that includes the City of Hallowell as a tenant at the site through June 30, 2017; specifies that a subgroup of stakeholders must be invited to participate in interviews of qualified developers and to participate in interviews with developers prior to the transfer of any portion of the site to a developer; and requires the commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services to report on the status of all efforts toward the sale or transfer of the property.

L.D. 1254, “An Act To Increase Consumption of Maine Foods in All State Institutions”: requires that all foodstuffs 15 percent must be from Maine for the next 10 years beginning Jan. 1, 2014 and 25 percent for the next 10 years and 35 percent beginning in 2034.

L.D. 1338, “An Act To Prohibit State and Local Governments from Contracting with Corporations That Engage in Business in Known Terrorist States”: excludes any business entity or individual from doing business with the State, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System, the Maine Maritime Academy or a municipality if that business entity or individual does business with any company, or any subsidiary, affiliate or parent of any company, that does business with a country designated by federal law as a state sponsor of terrorism.

L.D. 1378, “Resolve, Authorizing the Sale of the Guy P. Gannett House in Augusta to a Nonprofit Organization for Use as a Museum”: authorizes the commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services to sell as is at current market value 184 State St. to the Gannett House Project.

Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee; work sessions; room 437; State House

L.D. 504, “An Act To Amend the Election Laws and Other Related Laws”: decreases the retention period for some election documents and filings; clarifies the restrictions during the 15-day period after change of party enrollment; authorizes the secretary of State to adopt rules for voter list maintenance; specifies that federal and state court systems are entitled to voter registration data; provides a process for formation of a new party by enrolling a certain number of voters in the proposed party; moves the dealine for submission of nonparty petitions for a slate of presidential electors up two weeks; removes the requirement that the municipal clerk report to the secretary of State; authorizes the secretary of State to act administratively to facilitate voting by Maine registered voters who are civilians living in an area of the U.S. in which their is a state of emergency; contains unopened, sealed, rejected absentee ballots with other absentee ballots; allows the clerk to submit the notice of election, indicating that the municipality will process absentee ballots on the day prior to election day, to the secretary of State as a scanned attachment to an email, in addition to other means; and decreases the amount of time an absentee ballot application from a uniformed service voter or overseas voter remains valid to 18 months.

L.D. 518, “An Act To Establish Ranked-choice Voting in the State”: creates the ranked-choice voting method of determining winners in elections for U.S. senator, U.S. representative, governor, state senator and state representative that simulates what would occur if all voters participated in a series of run-off elections.

L.D. 860, “An Act To Require That the Governor, Senators and Members of the House of Representatives Be Elected by the Ranked-choice Voting Method”:

L.D. 1210, “An Act To Ensure Compliance with the Laws Governing Elections”: authorizes the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to undertake audits and investigations to determine whether a person has violated the laws governing campaign reporting and finances, the Maine Clean Election Act or commission rules; and authorizes the attorney general to issue subpoenas to nonresidents to enforce compliance.

L.D. 1306, “An Act To Enhance Voter Registration for Persons with Disabilities”: adds state agencies to the list of agencies where voter registration services must be made available.

L.D. 1358, “An Act To Amend the Election Laws To Require a Run-off Election for Governor”: requires that a successful candidate for governor receive more than 50 percent of the votes cast for the office of governor.

1:30 p.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; public hearings; room 436; State House

L.D. 1419, “An Act To Allow a Setoff of a Third-party Bailor’s Property under Certain Conditions”: allows a court to set off a portion of the bail posted by a third person on behalf of a defendant to pay any fine, fee or restitution that is owed by the third person.

L.D. 1433, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Mental Responsibility for Criminal Conduct”: provides that the State Forensic Service may observe a defendant who is incarcerated at the correctional facility where the defendant is incarcerated; sets deadlines for a court to hold a hearing on the question of a defendant’s competence to stand trial; provides that a person who is in prison for an offense and is found not criminally responsible by reason of insanity for another offense must finish that person’s prison term before beginning the commitment for the second offense; and provides that an individual who is in state custody on the basis of being not criminally responsible by reason of insanity with respect to an offense may petition the court to be off institutional grounds.

Health and Human Services Committee; work sessions; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 752, “An Act To Restore the Resource Development Centers to Full Operation”: restores the contracts with the resource development centers that provided professional development services to licensed and registered child care providers and referral services to parents in need of child care.

L.D. 803, “An Act Regarding Certain Aspects of Infant Care in Child Care Facilities”: allows a parent or guardian to request that a child care facility use cloth diapers for the parent’s or guardian’s child if allowed by the child care facility.

L.D. 828, “An Act To Improve the Administration of the Child Care Subsidy Program and To Prevent Erroneous Termination of Child Care Services”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to allow an applicant who is unable to comply a reasonable extension of time to meet the requirements or a modification of the application of eligibility rules and to provide the person an opportunity for a hearing and final agency determination.

L.D. 909, “Resolve, To Establish MaineCare Eligibility for Parents Participating in Reunification Activities”: directs the Department of Health and Human Services to submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services an application for a MaineCare waiver to cover MaineCare parents or are eligible to be MaineCare members who are participating in rehabilitation and family reunification activities until the parent ceases to participate in reunification activities or until parental rights are terminated.

L.D. 1024, “An Act To Enhance Enforcement of the Mandatory Reporting of Abuse and Neglect”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make a report to the licensing board of a professional who appears to have violated mandatory reporting laws.

L.D. 1031, “An Act To Require a Mandatory Peer Review Process for the Restraint and Seclusion of Children in a Hospital or Children’s Home”: requires the commissioner of Health and Human Services to establish a procedure for reviewing the use of restraint and seclusion for children receiving services in a hospital or children’s home.

Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee; work session; room 437; State House

L.D. 1219, “An Act To Establish a Run-off Process for the Election of the Governor, United States Senator or United States Representative”: requires that a successful candidate for governor, U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative receive more than 50 percent of the votes cast for the office.

2 p.m.

Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee; work sessions; room 211; Cross Building

L.D. 1293, “An Act To Create the Presque Isle Utilities District”: combines the Presque Isle Sewer District and the Presque Isle Water District to create the Presque Isle Utilities District.

L.D. 1342, “An Act To Ensure Just and Reasonable Sewer Utility Rates”: gives the Public Utilities Commission authority to investigate rate changes of sewer districts and sanitary districts if the commission receives a petition that meets certain criteria requesting it to do so.

Environment and Natural Resources Committee; work sessions; room 216; Cross Building

L.D. 365, “An Act To Define “Contaminant” in the Laws Governing Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Products”: defines “contaminant as a trace element of a chemical that is incidental to manufacturing and serves no intended function in the product component.

L.D. 735, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Environmental Protection To Add a Flame Retardant to the Lists of Chemicals of Concern and of High Concern”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection to add chlorinated tris, which is a flame retardant chemical, to the list of chemicals of concern and the list of chemicals of high concern unless the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Environmental Protection determines that chlorinated tris does not meet the statutory criteria.

L.D. 844, “Resolve, To Require a Study of the Availability of Food Packaging without Bisphenol A”: requires the Department of Environmental Protection to determine practical and economically feasible food packaging alternatives that do not contain bisphenol A and report back to the Legislature.

L.D. 1050, “An Act Requiring the Labeling of Food Packaging That Contains Bisphenol A”: requires that products containing bisphenol A that are designed to hold or contain products that are eaten by humans must be labeled as containing BPA.

L.D. 1181, “An Act To Further Strengthen the Protection of Pregnant Women and Children from Toxic Chemicals”: defines “contaminant” and adds a publication of an authoritative state agency to the definition of “credible scientific evidence”; requires the commissioner of Environmental Protection to name two additional priority chemicals annually beginning Jan. 1, 2014, unless the criteria is not met; requires reporting of high concern chemicals used in children’s products; requires assessments of safer alternatives to priority chemicals in children’s products by manufacturers or distributors; repeals the exemption of food and beverage packaging not intended for children under 3 years of age; authorizes the Board of Environmental Protection to require product labeling if it cannot make the findings necessary to prohibit sale of a children’s product containing a priority chemical; requires alternatives assessments for reported uses of nonylphenol ethoxylates and requires reporting of bisphenol A use in food can packaging.

Marine Resources Committee; work sessions; room 206; Cross Building

L.D. 898, “An Act To Require Labeling of Genetically Engineered Marine Organisms”: requires clear and conspicuous labeling of marine organisms offered for sale that are produced using genetic engineering.

L.D. 953, “An Act To Provide for and Recognize the Right of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians To Fish for Marine Organisms”: gives the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians the right to issue certain commercial licenses and permits for the taking of marine organisms and the right of members of the band to take, possess, transport and distribute marine organisms for sustenance and ceremonial uses; limits the number of lobster and crab fishing licenses issued by the band to 25, the number of sea urchin licenses to 24, the number of scallop licenses to 10 and the number of elver licenses to 25; and increases the number of elver licenses that may be issued by the Penobscot Nation to 50 and the number that may be issued by the Aroostook Band of Micmacs to 25.

L.D. 1020, “An Act Regarding the Swans Island Lobster Fishing Zone”: emergency bill, establishes the Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area making the maximum allowable number of lobster traps and tags per individual registered to obtain Swans Island Lobster Conservation Area trap tags is 550.

2:30 p.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; work sessions; room 436; State House

L.D. 297, “An Act To Require Forest Rangers To Be Trained in Order To Allow Them To Carry Firearms”: repeals the requirement of the commissioner of Conservation to sell all bulletproof vests, firearms and related equipment and the prohibition on the commissioner from purchasing bulletproof vests, firearms or related equipment without specific authorization; requires forest rangers to attend and complete a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy if they haven’t already; requires the state supervisor of the forest protection unit in the Division of Forestry and the director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other related equipment and report by Jan. 1, 2014.

L.D. 594, “An Act To Prohibit Possession of a Firearm by a Person Who Has Created a Police Standoff”: adds to the list of persons prohibited from possessing a firearm a person who has been adjudicated as creating a police standoff.

L.D. 685, “An Act To Require Investigation and Prosecution of Assaults by Law Enforcement Officers against Unarmed Individuals”: requires the attorney general to prosecute all credible claims of assault by a law enforcement officer against an unarmed person, allows law enforcement agencies to investigate a claim of assault on an unarmed person by a law enforcement officer of another agency and removes the immunity from personal civil liability from a law enforcement officer who assaults an unarmed person.

L.D. 1112, “An Act To Amend the Maine Juvenile Code and Related Statutes”: provides that a person or entity performing a court-ordered mental health exam or evaluation of a juvenile may make a written demand for the juveniles records; clarifies that juvenile crimes involving a useable amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, illegal transportation and certain types of intoxicating liquor need only be supported by a preponderance of the evidence; defines “mental disease or defect”, it is the same as the Maine Criminal Code except it excludes the juvenile level of mental or emotional development; removes duplicative or obsolete definitions for “he,” “law enforcement officer,” “organization” and “person”; clarifies that the general principles contained in the Maine Criminal Code with some exceptions are applicable to juvenile crimes; requires that a juvenile respond to through counsel to a petition of allegation of a juvenile crime; provides that a juvenile or a juvenile’s counsel may answer a petition by denying allegations, by asserting the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity or by not contesting the allegations otherwise the court must enter a denial; allows the court to accept that denial when the case has been continued for investigation and for a bind-over hearing; provides that a disposition hearing will be set for a juvenile if the court accepts an answer admitting or not contesting the allegations of the petition; provides that if the answer entered by a juvenile is a denial or an assertion of the absence of criminal responsibility by reason of insanity, or both, or if the court declines to accept an answer admitting or not contesting the allegations of the petition, an adjudicatory hearing must be set; provides a right to review of a disposition of a juvenile found incompetent to proceed; changes the period of time within which a juvenile may take an appeal from the juvenile court to the Superior Court to seven days after the entry of an order of disposition, is the appeal period as a petition contesting extradition.

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