Healthcare

failed · Maine · House Jun 10, 2025

LD 253: An Act To Prevent The Mainecare Program From Covering Abortion Services

LD 253 repeals Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 3196, which previously required the MaineCare program (Maine's Medicaid program) to cover abortion services for enrollees. This bill removes the mandate that the Department of Health and Human Services fund abortion services, including state funding when federal Medicaid does not cover them. As a result, MaineCare would no longer be required to cover abortion services for its members. The bill directly affects MaineCare enrollees who previously had access to this coverage under the repealed law.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRemoves mandate requiring MaineCare to cover abortion services, restricting healthcare coverage under Medicaid.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · Senate Jun 10, 2025

LD 682: An Act To Amend Certain Laws Regarding Abortions

LD 682 requires healthcare providers to report abortion procedures to Maine's Department of Health and Human Services, including patient demographics like race, marital status, and education level, as specified by national public health standards. It changes the standard for abortions after fetal viability to allow them only when medically necessary to preserve the mother's life or health, or when a fetus has a "lethal fetal anomaly" (a condition likely to cause the baby's death within three months after birth). The bill reinstates criminal penalties for unlicensed individuals performing abortions or assisting unlicensed providers, and clarifies that only licensed physicians, physician assistants, or advanced practice nurses may perform abortions. These changes directly affect abortion providers, patients receiving care, and state health data collection.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts abortion access after viability and imposes mandatory reporting, limiting patient access to reproductive healthcare services per defined standards.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · House Jun 4, 2025

LD 1712: An Act To Amend The Paid Family And Medical Leave Benefits Program To Balance Support Of Businesses And Employees

LD 1712 amends Maine's Paid Family and Medical Leave program to adjust requirements for employees and employers. It requires employees to give reasonable notice before taking leave and allows employers to deny leave based on specific, defined hardships (such as having fewer than 15 employees, a summer labor shortage, or more than 25% of staff already on leave), without review of such decisions. The bill also revises benefit calculations to replace 65% of average weekly wage (with 90% replacement for wages up to 50% of the state average and 66% for higher wages), shortens application deadlines for benefits (with waivers for good cause), and modifies premium payments so employers deduct 50% of the cost from employee wages while covering the remaining 50%.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill allows employers to deny medical leave for business hardships, restricting employee access to healthcare-related leave and reducing benefit replacement rates.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentAllows employers to deny leave based on business hardships (e.g., staff shortages), restricting employee access to benefits without review.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · House Jun 3, 2025

LD 1273: An Act To Make Paid Family And Medical Leave Voluntary

This bill repeals Maine's mandatory paid family and medical leave program, making participation voluntary instead. It limits the program to employers with 50 or more employees and requires the Department of Labor to refund all contributions made under the previous mandatory system to both employers and employees by June 2026. Unappropriated funds from the leave program must be transferred to the state's general fund by June 30, 2026. The changes take effect retroactively to October 25, 2023.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill defunds mandatory leave program by refunding contributions and transferring unappropriated funds to general fund, eliminating dedicated revenue stream for the program.95% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRepeals mandatory paid family/medical leave, limits coverage to large employers, and refunds contributions - reducing access to healthcare-related leave benefits and defunding the program.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRepeals mandatory paid leave program, making it voluntary and limiting coverage to employers with 50+ employees, weakening worker protections and reducing benefits.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · Senate Jun 3, 2025

LD 952: An Act To Exempt Agricultural Employers And Employees From The Maine Paid Family And Medical Leave Benefits Program

This bill exempts agricultural employers and employees from Maine's Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Program, directly affecting those working in agriculture as defined by state and federal law. It requires the Department of Labor to refund all contributions paid by agricultural employers and self-employed individuals to the program, including any premiums deducted from employee wages that must be returned to workers. The refunds apply retroactively to October 25, 2023, when contributions began. The legislation aims to halt economic harm to the agricultural sector by eliminating these financial obligations.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareExempts agricultural workers from medical leave program, restricting access to benefits under healthcare access policies.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExempts agricultural workers from paid leave benefits, removing a key worker protection and requiring refunds of prior contributions, weakening coverage for this workforce.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · House Jun 3, 2025

LD 406: An Act To Repeal The Laws Providing For Paid Family And Medical Leave And To Reimburse Taxpayers

LD 406 repeals Maine's paid family and medical leave program and requires the state to refund all contributions collected from employers and employees since January 1, 2025. The bill stops future contributions and mandates immediate refunds to taxpayers to address economic harm to businesses and workers. As an emergency measure, it bypasses Maine's standard 90-day legislative waiting period for immediate effect. This directly affects Maine employers and employees who had begun paying into the program in 2025.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRepeals Maine's paid family and medical leave program, restricting employee access to healthcare services during medical needs by eliminating income support for leave.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRepeals Maine's paid family and medical leave program, removing worker benefits and requiring refunds of contributions, directly weakening employment protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · Senate May 22, 2025

LD 828: An Act To Allow Chiropractors To Be Designated As School Health Advisors

This bill (LD 828) amends Maine law to allow school boards to appoint licensed chiropractors as school health advisors, alongside physicians and nurse practitioners. It specifically adds "chiropractic doctors licensed under Title 32, Chapter 9" to the list of eligible professionals for this role. The change directly affects Maine public school districts and licensed chiropractors seeking this school-based advisory position. The bill does not alter the scope of practice for chiropractors or require them to treat students beyond their licensed role.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAdds chiropractors to school health advisor roles, expanding access to healthcare professionals in schools per healthcare policy subjects.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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failed · Maine · House May 21, 2025

LD 174: An Act To Restore Religious Exemptions To Immunization Requirements

LD 174 reinstates religious exemptions for immunization requirements in Maine schools and childcare settings. It allows parents to exempt their children from school vaccination mandates by providing a written statement of sincere religious belief, and extends this exemption to nursery school staff and healthcare practitioners who object to vaccines on religious grounds. The bill repeals previous restrictions that eliminated religious exemptions and specifies that medical exemptions remain separate and unaffected. This policy change directly affects students, school staff, and healthcare workers seeking to avoid immunizations based on religious beliefs, without altering medical exemption processes.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill restores religious exemptions for school vaccines, weakening public health immunization requirements. This limits a key public health initiative aimed at preventing disease spread.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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signed · Maine · Senate Apr 22, 2025

LD 5: An Act To Clarify The Law Regarding Prior Authorization For Air Ambulances

This bill corrects a drafting error in a 2023 law that unintentionally applied to all air ambulance providers. It clarifies that health insurance carriers cannot require prior authorization for air ambulance transport only when the service provider is a nonprofit organization. The law specifically applies to nonprofits transporting patients to or between hospitals for urgent care, as defined in Maine law. The correction is retroactive to August 9, 2024, the effective date of the original 2023 law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves prior authorization barriers for nonprofits providing urgent air ambulance transport, improving patient access to emergency care without bureaucratic delays.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

failed · Maine · House Apr 17, 2025

LD 219: An Act To Limit Hypodermic Apparatus Exchange Programs To A One-For-One Exchange

LD 219 limits certified hypodermic apparatus exchange programs in Maine to a one-for-one exchange. The bill requires participants to return one used needle to receive one new needle from the program. This change directly affects participants in Maine's certified needle exchange programs and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which administers these programs under the updated law. The policy change modifies existing law to ensure participants receive only one new needle per needle they exchange.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts needle exchange access to one-for-one, limiting participant access to new needles and weakening harm reduction public health initiative.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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