Maddy summaryLD 339 allocates $100,000 annually from the General Fund to the Maine Indian Education School District to develop and implement a Wabanaki-centered curriculum specifically for Native American high school students. The bill requires the school district to administer a pilot program in partnership with state-approved high schools across Maine, using funds for curriculum development, staff, transportation, and support services. It mandates the Department of Education to coordinate with the school district to share the curriculum with appropriate high schools statewide and requires a report to the Education Committee by December 3, 2025, detailing dissemination and fund usage. This resolution directly affects the Maine Indian Education School District, its partner schools, and Native American students in Maine’s public education system.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $1 million annually from the General Fund for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to support Maine's Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program. It directly assists healthcare professionals (like doctors, nurses, and mental health providers) who work in underserved areas of Maine by repaying their student loans. The program targets providers in communities facing workforce shortages, helping them afford to stay and serve local residents. The funding mechanism is straightforward: dedicated annual appropriations to the existing program without altering its structure or eligibility rules. This is a funding measure, not a new policy.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a scholarship program at the Maine Maritime Academy to improve ferry service reliability by helping students gain initial training credits needed for ferry jobs. It requires the academy to provide up to $1,250 in scholarships for at least 115 students, specifically to prepare them for work with Maine-based ferry operators (state, municipal, private, or quasi-public). The program must be developed with input from ferry operators to align training with their staffing needs, and the academy and operators must jointly design application processing. The bill directly affects Maine Maritime Academy students and ferry service providers across the state.
Maddy summaryLD 1293 prohibits organized coyote-killing contests in Maine, where participants compete for prizes by killing coyotes. The law makes it illegal to arrange, host, provide a venue for, or knowingly participate in such contests, with violations classified as Class E crimes. It explicitly excludes self-defense, property protection, and government-sanctioned coyote culling from the prohibition. The bill directly affects organizers, venues, and participants in these contests, while allowing existing legal wildlife management practices to continue.
Maddy summaryLD 1929 requires owners of seasonal residential dwellings (properties unoccupied over 30 days yearly) to conduct annual hazard inspections, arrange for caretakers during unoccupied periods, and share caretaker contact information with utilities and municipalities. It mandates the Public Utilities Commission to create a statewide hazard reporting system (hotline/online portal), run public education campaigns, and offer financial help to low-income owners. Public utilities must maintain caretaker contact lists, develop repair protocols prioritizing occupied homes during outages, and conduct annual inspections on utility lines with outage histories linked to seasonal properties. The bill aims to prevent utility disruptions caused by unattended seasonal properties through clear owner obligations, utility protocols, and commission support.
Maddy summaryLD 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.
Maddy summaryThis bill increases Maine's funding for special education costs in public schools. Starting in fiscal year 2026-27, the state must cover 100% of the minimum required funding for all school administrative units (districts), up from current rates of 45% in 2019-20 and 50% in subsequent years before 2026-27. It directly affects all public school districts across Maine by guaranteeing full state reimbursement for mandated special education services under the existing funding formula. The change is phased in gradually, with the 100% requirement taking effect in 2026-27.
Maddy summaryLD 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.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires all freight trains operating in Maine to have a minimum of two crew members directly operating the train, excluding those providing hostler or utility services. It amends Maine law (23 MRSA §7016) to mandate this two-person crew requirement for freight movement. The law directly affects freight train operators and rail companies conducting business within Maine. Key provisions specify that trains cannot operate with fewer than two people managing the train's operation during freight movement. The bill focuses on establishing a concrete safety standard for freight train operations in the state.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires rail operators to install infrared thermal sensors (called "hotbox detectors") every 20 miles on all railroad lines in Maine that carry passenger trains. The requirement begins January 1, 2027, and applies to any line operating passenger service within the state. These sensors monitor axle bearings for overheating as trains pass over the detectors.