Healthcare

failed · Maine · House May 27, 2025

LD 1973: Resolve, To Establish The Commission To Study Oversight And Funding Structures For Recovery Residences And Resident Protections

LD 1973 establishes a 15-member commission to study oversight and funding for recovery residences in Maine. The commission will examine five key areas: state funding models for recovery residences, potential certification/licensure requirements, policies around prescribed medications (including medication-assisted treatment), standards for the National Alliance for Recovery Residences, and other operational policies. This study directly affects recovery residences (both certified and uncertified), residents (particularly regarding medication access), housing advocates, and state agencies like Health and Human Services. The commission must submit findings and recommendations to the Health and Human Services committee by December 3, 2025, to inform future legislation.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes commission to study funding/oversight for recovery residences (substance use treatment), directly advancing healthcare access and protections in mental health/substance use disorder services.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing Substance Abuse

Track

signed · Maine · House Jun 12, 2025

LD 1231: An Act Requiring Ferries To Dock Overnight On Certain Islands For Emergency Purposes

This bill requires the Maine State Ferry Service to dock a vehicle-carrying ferry overnight in the towns of Swan's Island, Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Islesboro. The mandate ensures ferries are available for immediate emergency use, including medical response, fire services, law enforcement, and mass evacuation. The policy directly affects ferry operations on these islands by changing their overnight docking schedule to prioritize emergency access.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates ferry docking for emergency medical response, improving access to healthcare services during critical incidents on islands.85% confidence

died · Maine · House Apr 29, 2026

LD 1843: An Act To Provide Peer Respite For Individuals With Mental Health Care Needs

LD 1843 requires Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to establish a 24-hour peer respite center providing short-term, nonclinical mental health support to adults aged 18 and older. The bill defines "peer respite" as community-based care where individuals with lived mental health experience offer support in a safe, low-barrier setting. It allocates $575,000 for the 2025-26 fiscal year and $500,000 for 2026-27 from the General Fund to fund this program. The center will serve people seeking voluntary, short-term assistance before or during mental health crises.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $575k/$500k from General Fund for mental health peer respite program, advancing public service funding per budget allocation indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $1.075M for peer respite centers, expanding mental health support services and directly funding community-based care under Maine's healthcare system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Mental Health

Track

failed · Maine · House May 14, 2025

LD 1631: Resolve, To Implement The Recommendations Of The Stakeholder Group To Address Child Stay Times In Hospital Emergency Departments

LD 1631 requires Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to implement recommendations from a stakeholder group aimed at reducing long waits for children and adolescents in hospital emergency departments. The bill directs the department to provide emergency funding for intensive staffing needs (like 2:1 or 3:1 ratios) to prevent closures of youth residential beds, develop an internal process for screening services, and submit two detailed data reports to the legislature by late 2025 and 2026. These reports must track children staying more than 48 hours in ERs, denials of residential services, youth in long-term care (over one year), and program closures. The bill focuses on concrete data collection and immediate staffing support to address systemic gaps in child and youth behavioral health services.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides emergency funding for ER staffing ratios and youth residential beds to reduce wait times and prevent closures, directly improving pediatric emergency care access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care Mental Health

Track

signed · Maine · Senate Jun 12, 2025

LD 769: An Act Regarding Access To Behavioral Health Supports For Adults With Certain Disabilities

LD 769 regulates behavioral health supports for adults with intellectual disabilities or autism in Maine. It prohibits harmful practices like seclusion, corporal punishment, and degrading language in support plans, and requires a medical assessment to rule out medical causes before addressing dangerous behavior. Support plans for behavior modification must be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services and cannot waive rights protected under the law. The bill establishes a quarterly committee to review implementation data and ensure compliance with these standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits harmful practices, mandates medical assessments, and requires DHHS approval for behavioral health plans, protecting patient rights and improving mental health services for disabled adults.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health

failed · Maine · House May 21, 2025

LD 1398: An Act Regarding Behavioral Health Support For Students In Public Schools

LD 1398 sets new student-to-clinical mental health provider and student-to-school counselor ratios for Maine public schools, directly affecting all public schools in the state. The bill establishes a 350:1 ratio for clinical mental health providers starting in the 2026-2027 school year (tightening to 250:1 by 2028-2029) and a 250:1 ratio for school counselors starting in 2028-2029 for both elementary/middle and high schools. These ratios are defined as part of the formula used to calculate salary and benefit costs for school funding. The bill does not mandate immediate hiring but sets benchmarks that will influence future funding allocations for behavioral health support staff.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates tighter student-to-counselor ratios (250:1 by 2028-2029) to expand mental health support in public schools, directly strengthening student services and access.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates specific student-to-mental-health-provider ratios to expand school-based behavioral health services, directly strengthening mental health access in public schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Funding Student Health

Track

failed · Maine · Senate Mar 19, 2026

LD 1646: An Act To Amend Maine'S Good Samaritan Laws Regarding Suspected Drug-Related Overdoses

LD 1646 amends Maine's Good Samaritan law to expand legal protection for people who call for help during suspected drug overdoses. It removes references to "medical emergencies" and instead covers any call for assistance regarding a person showing symptoms of an overdose (such as confusion, irregular breathing, or unresponsiveness). The bill grants immunity from arrest, prosecution, or revocation of probation for drug-related offenses if the person is identified during a response to such a call. This directly affects individuals seeking medical aid during suspected overdoses and encourages calling 911 without fear of legal consequences for minor drug offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands immunity for overdose callers, reducing criminalization of drug use and promoting public health over punishment in criminal justice context.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands legal protection for overdose callers, encouraging emergency medical assistance and improving access to life-saving healthcare without fear of prosecution.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole Substance Abuse

Track

signed · Maine · House Jun 17, 2025

LD 1695: An Act To Provide Law Enforcement Agencies With An Anti-Sex-Trafficking And Commercial Sexual Exploitation Protocol

This bill requires Maine law enforcement agencies to adopt specific protocols for responding to victims of human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation. The protocols must include information on victim resources like anti-trafficking organizations, housing, mental health services, and crisis support. By January 2026, the Department of Public Safety must create a model protocol for agencies to follow, and all agencies must adopt their own protocols by March 2026. The law directly affects law enforcement officers and ensures victims receive coordinated support during police interactions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires law enforcement protocols for trafficking victims, providing resources and standardized response, aligning with victim protection in criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates inclusion of mental health services in victim protocols, directly supporting access to healthcare resources for trafficking victims.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Policing

signed · Maine · Senate Apr 16, 2026

LD 579: An Act To Include Certain Mental Health Workers Under The 1998 Special Plan For Retirement

This bill expands Maine's 1998 Special Retirement Plan to include specific mental health workers. It adds two new categories of employees: (1) those providing direct care to people needing mental health services in community or residential settings, and (2) those offering crisis outreach services to adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The change applies to Department of Health and Human Services employees hired on or after October 1, 2025, who meet these role definitions. These workers will now qualify for the same retirement benefits as existing categories under the 1998 plan, including options for service-based retirement at age 55 with 10 years of service or 25 years total service.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands retirement benefits for mental health workers, strengthening workforce stability in public mental health services per bill's explicit focus on care providers.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands retirement benefits for mental health workers, strengthening employment benefits under state retirement system by adding new eligible categories.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits

signed · Maine · House Apr 22, 2025

LD 765: An Act To Amend The Laws Governing The Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program

This bill updates Maine's Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program. It expands the definition of "prescriber" to include health care professionals and veterinarians who prescribe controlled substances via telehealth to patients in Maine. The bill removes a fixed list of required reporting data and instead grants the Department of Health and Human Services authority to determine reporting requirements through rules. Additionally, it changes the annual report deadline from January 15 to April 15 and repeals a 2017 exception to rule-making. These changes aim to modernize data collection and reporting for the program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands telehealth prescribing access for prescribers, improving patient access to controlled substances under monitoring program90% confidence

Sub-Topics Telehealth