Rep. Morgan Rielly

Maddy summaryThis bill is a joint resolution recognizing April 2025 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Maine. It expresses the legislature's support for survivors of sexual violence and directs the Secretary of State to send a copy of the resolution to the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The resolution serves as a symbolic gesture to raise community awareness about sexual violence, without creating new laws or allocating funding.

Maddy summaryLD 1352 amends Maine's scallop fishing licensing rules to make the system more predictable for fishermen. It prohibits using lotteries to award apprentice licenses (which cost $250 annually) and requires new fishermen to wait until an existing license expires before applying for a hand-fishing or dragging license. The bill also directs the Department of Marine Resources to end rotational access to fishing areas, requiring all licensed fishermen to have equal access to limited areas simultaneously. These changes, effective October 2026, aim to create a more transparent entry process for the scallop fishery.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $500 property tax reduction for owners of land adjacent to the intertidal zone who allow shellfish harvesters access to that area. To qualify, property owners must apply annually by April 1 with their local assessor, submitting proof of the access agreement. The exemption applies to property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2026, and remains in effect until the owner notifies the assessor to discontinue it. Applications are confidential and not publicly accessible, though the State Tax Assessor may review them upon request.

Maddy summaryLD 951 requires political committees in Maine that spend over $50,000 in an election cycle to disclose the sources of campaign contributions exceeding $10,000 from a single donor. It mandates committees to notify contributors about disclosure requirements, with donors having 21 days to confirm if funds are "original" (e.g., earned income) or "pass-through" (funds from others). If pass-through funds are used, donors must identify all sources contributing $2,500 or more and detail the transfer chain. Committees must retain these records for five years and provide them to the election commission upon request. This bill directly affects large campaign committees and wealthy donors who contribute significant sums.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Maine's elver fishing regulations to allow a license holder (who has a tag on a net) to permit another person with an elver fishing license to empty that net, provided the second person is under the license holder's direct supervision. It directly affects commercial elver fishers using fyke nets, changing who can handle the nets during the fishing season. The key provision removes a previous restriction that prevented license holders from delegating net-emptying tasks to other licensed individuals. This emergency measure takes immediate effect to ensure the change is in place for the March 2025 elver fishing season.

Maddy summaryLD 969 requires Maine's Emergency Medical Services Board to adopt rules that permit municipalities to conduct or host training for emergency medical services (EMS) licensing and relicensing. This change allows cities and towns to organize or provide venues for required training sessions, rather than relying solely on external providers. The bill does not alter training content or standards but expands where training can occur. As a result, EMS providers across Maine may access training through local municipal programs.

Maddy summaryLD 325 specifies that fees from river herring harvesting rights must fund the Migratory Fish Fund, which supports fishways, habitat improvements, conservation, research, and population management for river herring and other migratory fish. The bill adds that funds must also be distributed to municipalities with existing herring harvesting rights or known herring migration routes, at the commissioner's discretion. It further requires the Department of Marine Resources to study equitable fund distribution to municipalities and report findings by December 3, 2025, to the Marine Resources Committee. The committee may propose follow-up legislation based on this study.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Maine Clean Election Act to allow candidates running for district attorney positions to participate in the program, which provides public funding for independent campaign expenditures. The legislation requires the state commission to establish specific participation terms for these candidates, including contribution limits and distribution schedules, starting with the 2026 election cycle. These rules must consider factors such as the population of prosecutorial districts and historical spending patterns to ensure fair access to the program. Additionally, the bill mandates that the commission adopt administrative rules to oversee the effective implementation of these new provisions for district attorney races.

Maddy summaryLD 2237 allocates $17.3 million to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to expand mental health crisis intervention services available around the clock. The funding specifically supports mobile response teams by hiring peer support specialists, recovery coaches, and behavioral health liaisons, while also covering travel costs and critical incident response. Additionally, the bill amends the text to ensure the Public Utilities Commission coordinates with relevant agencies in the implementation of these safety measures. These changes aim to provide more immediate and accessible mental health support to individuals in crisis situations across the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the New Maine Resident Service Coordination Program within the Department of Economic and Community Development to assist new residents with state services. It requires the department to submit a progress report by January 1, 2024, which may lead to further legislation based on its findings. The bill also authorizes funding for two staff positions and related costs to support the program's operations.