LD 1219 requires the University of Maine System (UMS) campuses to receive state funding at 95% of their peer institution's per-student state funding starting July 1, 2026, and 100% starting July 1, 2027. Peer institutions are defined by UMS trustees and determined using the most recent available data. The bill also raises UMS hourly employee wages to 125% of Maine's state minimum wage, effective July 1, 2025. Funding allocations include $14.37 million for fiscal year 2025-26 and $24.53 million for 2026-27 to support these changes.
LD 655 establishes a state minimum hourly wage of $14.65 for agricultural workers in Maine, effective January 1, 2026, with annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region or matching federal minimum wage hikes. Employers must maintain detailed wage and hour records for three years and provide itemized pay statements showing hours worked, earnings, and deductions. Workers who are not paid the required wage can recover unpaid amounts plus an additional equal amount, while employers face fines of $50-$200 for violations or retaliation against employees who report issues. This bill directly affects agricultural workers and their employers, setting concrete wage standards and enforcement mechanisms.
LD 357 establishes a state minimum hourly wage of $14.65 for agricultural workers in Maine, effective January 1, 2026, with annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region. It requires agricultural employers to maintain detailed records of hours worked and wages paid for three years and to provide employees with itemized pay statements. Workers who aren't paid the minimum wage can recover unpaid wages plus liquidated damages, attorney fees, and court costs. Employers who violate the law face fines of $50-$200, and cannot exempt themselves through special contracts. This applies to most agricultural workers as defined in Maine's employment laws, excluding family members living with the employer.
LD 206 eliminates the automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for Maine's minimum hourly wage, fixing it at $14.65 per hour as of January 1, 2025. This change removes the requirement for the wage to increase each January 1st based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region. The bill directly affects all workers covered by Maine's minimum wage law, including most hourly employees in businesses across the state. It prevents future automatic raises tied to inflation, though the current $14.65 rate remains in effect until further legislative action.
LD 853 replaces Maine's current minimum wage with a regionally based living wage starting January 1, 2026. The bill divides the state into three regions (Coastal: Hancock, Waldo, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Kennebec, Oxford; Northern: Aroostook, Piscataquis, Penobscot, Somerset, Franklin, Washington, Androscoggin; Portland metropolitan: York, Cumberland) and sets the wage for each region based on annual data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (or successor) for "one adult with no children." Until December 31, 2025, the minimum wage remains $14.65 per hour. After 2026, the wage will automatically adjust each January based on the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region, rounded to the nearest 5¢.
LD 112 establishes a temporary student wage in Maine, setting the minimum hourly wage for secondary school students at 50% of the state's regular minimum wage for at least two years from their first day of employment. This applies specifically to students enrolled in secondary school (grades 9-12) who are employed in Maine, with the reduced rate ending automatically upon graduation. The bill requires employers to transition these students to the full minimum wage once they complete secondary school. This policy directly affects secondary students working in Maine by providing a lower initial wage rate during their education.
This bill extends Maine's wage and hour protections to agricultural workers and seasonal farm employees, including those in food processing and distribution (like canning, packing, and distributing perishable foods). It phases in overtime pay requirements: starting January 2026, employers must pay 1.5x regular pay for hours over 50 per week, gradually reducing the threshold to 40 hours by 2028. The law repeals existing exemptions that previously allowed agricultural workers to be excluded from overtime and minimum wage rules. It directly affects farm employers, seasonal laborers, and workers in related food handling industries across Maine.
LD 1932 requires MaineCare and state-funded programs to pay essential support workers (who provide home-based personal care and support services) at least 125% of the state minimum wage, with automatic adjustments when minimum wage increases. It also mandates an annual report to the Legislature by January 15, 2026, detailing current and projected costs for these services based on demographics. The bill expands an advisory committee to include essential support workers themselves and adds representatives from workforce development organizations. These changes directly affect workers, state-funded providers, and the MaineCare program, aiming to improve compensation and inform future funding decisions.
This bill requires private employers with at least 10 employees (not in seasonal industries or public employers) to pay workers for a minimum of two hours at their regular hourly rate if they report to work but the employer cancels or shortens their scheduled shift. Employers must pay the lesser of two hours’ pay or the full shift’s scheduled pay, unless they made a documented good-faith effort to notify the employee not to come. Exceptions include adverse weather, natural disasters, illness, or workplace injuries. The law does not apply to public employers or seasonal businesses as defined in Maine law.
LD 653 (An Act To Allow Teachers To Qualify For Overtime Pay) amends Maine's overtime law to remove the exemption for teachers. It specifies that public school teachers whose primary duty is teaching (imparting knowledge) are no longer automatically excluded from overtime and minimum wage protections. The bill directly affects Maine public school teachers who currently may not qualify for overtime under the existing exemption for "professional" employees. This change ensures teachers working beyond standard hours can earn overtime pay, aligning their eligibility with federal Fair Labor Standards Act principles.
