LD 1753 establishes the Upper St. John Valley Recovery High School Pilot Program, a 3-year initiative based at the University of Maine at Fort Kent campus. The program targets high school students in recovery from substance use disorders or co-occurring disorders, requiring supervised housing during the school week and mandatory participation in concurrent recovery programs. It mandates specific staffing (including certified teachers, a recovery coach, and education technicians) and includes drug/alcohol testing protocols for enrolled students. The Department of Education must collaborate with the Valley Unified Education Service Center and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop curriculum and enrollment criteria, with the program set to expire September 1, 2029.
LD 377 increases Maine's cigarette tax from 100 to 150 mills per cigarette and dedicates 33% of the resulting revenue to establish a University of Maine medical school in Penobscot County. The medical school must include a rural health care curriculum and provide clinic outreach to seven rural counties: Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Washington, Waldo, Hancock, and Somerset. The remaining 67% of the tax revenue will go to the state's General Fund. The law takes effect on July 1, 2026.
LD 1162 establishes a hybrid Juris Doctor (JD) program at the University of Maine School of Law, requiring the university to create a program allowing students to complete their JD primarily through online coursework with periodic in-person instruction by the 2027-2028 academic year. The program must prioritize rural Maine students committed to practicing law in underserved communities, maintain equivalent academic standards to the traditional in-person program, and partner with local organizations for mentorship and internships. It mandates a self-sustaining funding model combining student tuition, local partnerships, and grants, with a report due to the Education Committee by January 1, 2026, detailing implementation plans. This resolve directly affects rural Maine residents seeking legal careers and aims to improve access to justice in underserved areas.
LD 1532 expands Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (DIFW) outdoor education programs to reach more students and communities. The bill allows DIFW to partner with schools and third-party locations (like community centers) to offer programs that count toward secondary school curriculum requirements. By January 2026, DIFW must secure at least three geographically diverse locations statewide and collaborate with the Department of Education to develop curriculum for these programs. Participating schools can host programs on-site or at partner locations, and the program is open to public school students, homeschoolers, and the general public. DIFW must report on program locations and effectiveness to the legislature by November 2026.
This bill requires Maine public schools to provide regular cursive writing instruction starting in third grade and continuing through fifth grade. It mandates that the Department of Education design curriculum to ensure students demonstrate cursive handwriting competency by the end of fifth grade, effective July 1, 2026. The policy directly affects all elementary students in Maine public schools during grades 3-5. The requirement is integrated into English language arts curriculum standards under state law.
LD 957 requires Maine's public and private K-12 schools to integrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history into existing history and social studies curriculum. It mandates that AANHPI history be included in curriculum reviews alongside American history, Wabanaki studies, and Maine studies, focusing on regional/US history and contributions to civil rights, government, arts, and economic development. The Maine Department of Education must develop teaching resources, form an advisory group with AANHPI community representatives, and create guidance for equitable curriculum integration. Schools will conduct internal curriculum audits to ensure accurate representation, with a progress report due by April 2030. The law takes effect July 1, 2029.
LD 1482 requires Maine public and private elementary and secondary schools to include LGBTQ+ studies in curriculum reviews. The bill amends education law to mandate that LGBTQ+ studies - defined as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and other allied communities - be reviewed alongside American history, African American studies, Maine studies, and Wabanaki studies. This requires schools to align their content standards with these subjects through the state's learning results review process under Title 20-A, section 6209. The policy affects all K-12 schools in Maine by integrating LGBTQ+ historical and cultural perspectives into required curriculum planning.
This bill requires all Maine high schools to include one year of personal finance instruction as part of the mathematics curriculum needed for a high school diploma. It changes the state's graduation requirement from two years of math to three years, with the personal finance component counting toward that total. The law mandates the state education commissioner to develop resources and annual reports to help schools implement the course, including collaboration with financial institutions and literacy organizations. This directly affects all Maine high school students seeking a diploma, ensuring they receive foundational money management education before graduation.
This bill (LD 701) requires Maine's Department of Education to submit a report by December 31, 2025, examining how financial literacy is taught across all public schools. The report must assess current implementation of personal finance standards under Maine's "Spiraling K-12" approach - where financial topics build progressively from kindergarten through 12th grade - and evaluate school performance against these standards. It must include recommendations for improving student achievement in financial literacy education. The report will be submitted to the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, which could propose new legislation based on the findings. The bill does not change current standards but mandates a review to inform future policy.
LD 1881 ensures parents of minor children in Maine schools have specific rights regarding their child's education and well-being. It requires schools to provide parents access to all school activity information, health records, instructional materials (including virtual learning content), and health screening forms before they are given to students. Parents may also refuse their child’s participation in non-educational activities or request alternatives, while schools cannot adopt policies that block parental notification about a student’s health or discourage parental involvement in critical decisions. The bill includes an exception allowing schools to withhold information if disclosure would risk child abuse, neglect, or abandonment.
