This bill requires medical cannabis dispensaries and caregivers to test all cannabis products before selling them to patients, ensuring they meet safety standards for contaminants like pesticides, microbes, and THC potency (max 10mg per serving, with a 10% variance allowance). It mandates testing for harmful substances including pesticides, molds, and PFAS, and requires detailed record-keeping of test results. The bill also directs a portion of adult-use cannabis tax revenue to fund medical cannabis programs and creates a study group to review the program’s effectiveness. These changes directly affect medical cannabis patients, dispensaries, and caregivers in Maine by aligning safety protocols with adult-use standards.
LD 1089 would impose a 4% tax on Maine taxable income exceeding $1,000,000 for tax years starting January 1, 2025. This tax applies only to high-income earners (those with Maine taxable income over $1 million) and would generate revenue exclusively for public prekindergarten through grade 12 education. The bill permanently establishes this tax as a dedicated funding source for K-12 education, replacing temporary funding mechanisms. All revenue collected must be used for K-12 education, with no other designated uses specified in the bill text.
This bill exempts certain over-the-counter (OTC) medicines from Maine's sales tax starting January 1, 2026. It applies to FDA-approved OTC medicines meeting specific labeling requirements, including antacids, contraceptive products, allergy medications, eye/ear/nose treatments, and opioid antagonists. The exemption covers medicines sold directly to consumers without a prescription, but excludes cannabis products. This change affects Maine residents purchasing these specific OTC health products, reducing their out-of-pocket costs for essential medications.
LD 1022 requires Maine to appropriate $9.5 million annually starting July 1, 2026, for civil legal aid services targeting low-income residents. It directly affects approximately 356,500 Mainers living below 200% of the federal poverty level who face civil legal issues like eviction, domestic violence, or benefits disputes without representation. Key provisions mandate quarterly fund distribution through the Civil Legal Services Fund Commission, annual reporting on unmet legal needs (including attorney-to-resident ratios), and biennial legislative hearings to assess funding adequacy. The bill aims to sustain and improve access to justice by ensuring consistent, increased funding for legal assistance in civil matters.
This bill (LD 1294) expands Maine's dependent exemption tax credit for tax years beginning January 1, 2025, or later. It doubles the credit to $600 for each dependent under age 6 (up from $300) while maintaining a $300 credit for dependents age 6 and older. The bill also updates income-based phase-out rules, reducing the credit for higher earners based on filing status (e.g., $100,000 threshold for single filers). It directly affects Maine resident taxpayers claiming dependents who qualify for the federal child tax credit or personal exemption. The changes apply to tax returns filed for 2025 and subsequent years.
LD 1665 increases property tax relief for Maine homeowners by raising the maximum qualifying property tax amount used to calculate the credit. For tax years beginning in 2025, it sets new "benefit base" limits: $2,450 for single filers, $3,200 for joint filers, up to $4,250 for heads of households with children, and $4,250 for residents 65+ (up from previous amounts). The credit, which offsets property taxes exceeding 4% of income, will now cap at $2,000 for most eligible seniors and families with children. The bill also mandates a study to simplify the credit application process by December 2025. This directly affects Maine homeowners filing state taxes who qualify for the property tax relief credit.
This bill establishes a permanent "Retirement Improvement Fund" within Maine's public pension system. Starting in fiscal year 2028-29, the state will transfer annual amounts from the General Fund to this fund - calculated as the difference between current pension payments and 2027-28 levels - to pay for specific benefit increases. The fund will be used to raise the benefit base for cost-of-living adjustments by at least $1,000 annually, until the base reaches $40,000, directly benefiting retired state employees, teachers, and their beneficiaries. Annual reports on fund usage and pension payments will be required for the legislature.
Maine LD 2226 amends the state's school funding formula to change how financial support is calculated for public schools and charter schools. The bill introduces a new method for predicting student transportation costs, capping them at 105% of recent actual expenditures adjusted for inflation, and updates the regional cost-of-living adjustment to align with teacher salary matrices. It also modifies funding weights for economically disadvantaged students and raises the special education prevalence threshold from 15% to 17%, while altering how high-cost special education placements are reimbursed. Additionally, the legislation caps certain maintenance of effort adjustments and prohibits midyear funding increases for unexpected out-of-district special education tuition costs.
LD 1865 establishes a Maine state pilot project to incentivize businesses with at least 15 employees to adopt a 4-day workweek. The program, administered by the Department of Labor, offers a tax credit to qualifying employers who maintain employee pay, benefits, and employment status while reducing weekly work hours. Participating businesses must submit detailed transition plans, and the pilot will run for 2-4 years starting January 2027. The Department will select diverse participants (including minority- and women-owned businesses) and study the impacts on both workers and employers through data collection and surveys. Public sector employers may join the pilot but are ineligible for the tax credit.
This bill establishes a dedicated fund to support the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Laboratory. It directs the State Liquor and Lottery Commission to create a $4 instant lottery game, with 50% of its net proceeds going to the fund starting by January 2026. The fund must be used exclusively for the lab's operations - including supplies, equipment, salaries, and educational materials - and cannot be diverted to other purposes. The Commission must report to the legislature by December 2028 on the lottery's revenue distribution to the fund and the General Fund. The bill directly affects the Tick Laboratory's funding stability and operations.
