Rep. Barbara Bagshaw

Maddy summaryLD 1760 amends Maine law to clarify and expand options for elementary students to attend public schools in different school districts. The bill allows students living in areas without nearby public schools to transfer to adjacent districts in Maine or neighboring states if space is available, with the home district covering tuition and transportation costs. It also specifies that students can transfer to other districts for capacity reasons with the receiving district's consent, and ensures students in districts with school contracts (under Section 2701) can attend those schools with home district payment. The bill requires receiving districts to notify home districts of accepted students, aiming to increase access to public education for families in remote or underserved areas.

Maddy summaryLD 1439 requires Maine public schools to obtain written parental consent before conducting evaluations that test a student's intellectual, emotional, behavioral, psychological, or physical development, or that diagnose conditions related to these areas. The bill applies to all school administrative units in the state and directly affects parents or legal guardians of public school students. Schools must now secure a signed consent form for these specific evaluations, overriding any existing policies that might not require such permission. This policy change ensures parents have a formal role in decisions about these assessments before they occur.

Maddy summaryLD 1169 allows Maine employers with private paid family and medical leave plans approved by the Department of Labor before January 1, 2025, to request refunds for premiums they paid toward the state's program. These employers, who previously paid 1% of employee wages (with 50% potentially covered by employees), can now submit a refund request form to get back all premiums paid before their plan was approved, plus interest. The Department of Labor must process these requests within 90 days and make the refund form available online within 45 days of the bill's effective date. The bill does not change eligibility for the leave program itself but refunds overpayments made by employers whose private plans were later approved as substitutes.

Maddy summaryThis 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.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 369) allows Maine's Commissioner of Education to extend conditional teaching certificates for educators facing serious personal or community issues, such as public health emergencies, illness, or extended inability to teach. School districts must submit documented proof (e.g., medical notes or superintendent requests) to request these extensions. It also adds a new pathway for issuing conditional certificates to individuals with at least 5 years of full-time college teaching experience in Maine, and removes fees for fingerprinting these applicants. The changes directly affect current and prospective teachers in Maine's conditional certification program.

Maddy summaryLD 1255 ensures that Maine students registered to vote in the state are eligible for in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities, provided they meet standard residency requirements (like living in Maine for a period or graduating from a Maine high school). It also updates the free community college program to require students to either be Maine high school graduates or have lived in Maine for at least two years before enrollment. The bill does not change tuition amounts but clarifies who qualifies for in-state rates and free community college, affecting students seeking higher education in Maine. Family members of qualifying students may also be eligible for in-state tuition.

Maddy summaryLD 1431 authorizes Maine's Secretary of State to create an interstate voter registration cross-check program. The program would compare Maine's voter registration lists with those of other states to identify individuals registered in multiple jurisdictions, helping maintain accurate voter rolls. Maine must protect all voter data - including names, addresses, birth years, and registration details - during data exchanges, and the program must comply with federal voter registration laws. The Secretary of State may contract with private data systems to support this effort, but costs cannot exceed existing voter registration maintenance funding. This bill directly affects Maine's voter registration system and the privacy of registered voters' information.

Maddy summaryLD 277 would repeal Maine's current law prohibiting most businesses from opening on Sundays and certain holidays. This change would allow retail stores, restaurants, and other commercial establishments to operate freely on those days without legal restrictions. The bill directly affects businesses currently barred from Sunday and holiday operations under existing law. It removes the prohibition by repealing two specific sections of Maine law (17 MRSA §3202 and §3204) that enforced the ban.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits wildlife relocation programs from moving common loons from bodies of water that are 500 acres or less in Maine. It directly affects wildlife management programs operating in smaller lakes and ponds, preventing them from removing loons for relocation purposes. The key provision amends state law to explicitly ban such removals, applying only to water bodies of 500 acres or smaller. The law does not restrict relocation efforts from larger bodies of water.

Maddy summaryLD 1586 requires that the referendum question for approving a regional school unit's budget must include the exact dollar amount of the proposed budget. Currently, the question does not mandate specifying the amount, but this bill changes that requirement. The law applies to all regional school units in Maine holding budget validation referendums. Voters will now see the specific budget figure they are voting on, making the question clearer and more transparent.