Rep. Bill Bridgeo

Maddy summaryLD 541 requires the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to create and distribute a brochure explaining the Maine Parentage Act. The brochure must answer basic questions about the law and be provided to public health facilities, doctors' offices, and other public venues frequented by the general public. This bill directly affects healthcare providers and the public by increasing access to information about parental rights under the Parentage Act. It does not change the Parentage Act itself but aims to improve awareness through targeted distribution.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all Maine high schools to include one year of personal finance instruction as part of the mathematics curriculum needed for a high school diploma. It changes the state's graduation requirement from two years of math to three years, with the personal finance component counting toward that total. The law mandates the state education commissioner to develop resources and annual reports to help schools implement the course, including collaboration with financial institutions and literacy organizations. This directly affects all Maine high school students seeking a diploma, ensuring they receive foundational money management education before graduation.

Maddy summaryThis bill (LD 1171) restores complimentary hunting, trapping, and fishing licenses for Maine residents aged 70 and older. It repeals a previous law that prohibited issuing these free licenses to seniors, requiring the state to issue them automatically upon application. The policy change directly affects Maine residents 70+ who previously lost access to these complimentary licenses. The key mechanism is the repeal of the prohibition, reinstating the requirement that licenses must be granted without cost to qualifying seniors. This is a concrete policy change focused on restoring access to recreational activities for elderly residents.

Maddy summaryLD 1055 prohibits Maine healthcare facilities and providers from denying organ transplants or anatomical donations based solely on a person's disability. It directly affects individuals with disabilities seeking transplants by requiring facilities to consider them qualified if they meet medical standards with necessary support systems (like family or home care services) or accommodations (such as communication aids). Key provisions ban discrimination in waiting list placement, referrals, and post-transplant care, while mandating reasonable policy changes to ensure access. Facilities may only consider disability if medically significant after individual evaluation, but cannot deny care due to lack of independent ability to manage post-transplant needs with available support. The law aims to ensure equitable access to life-saving transplants for people with disabilities.

Maddy summaryLD 1173 establishes a study group to review Maine's current laws on adult guardianship and parental rights for parents of disabled adults (18+). The 8-member group - appointed from the Legislature, disability rights organizations, and the Attorney General's office - will examine existing guardianship alternatives and parental rights protections for adults with disabilities that impair their physical health, safety, or self-care. The group must submit findings and recommendations, including potential legislation, by December 3, 2025, to the Health and Human Services and Judiciary committees. This procedural resolution does not change laws but sets the stage for future legislative review.

Maddy summaryLD 728 amends Maine's smelt fishing regulations to allow recreational anglers to temporarily exceed the daily bag limit while actively fishing, provided the smelt remain alive in a grader or other live containment device. The bill requires anglers to measure their catch at day's end and immediately release any live smelt exceeding the daily limit at the water's edge. This change clarifies the process for handling excess live fish without altering the established bag limit itself. The bill directly affects recreational smelt fishermen in Maine who use live containment methods during fishing trips. It makes no changes to the actual bag limit or other fishing rules, only streamlining the handling of excess live fish.

Maddy summaryThis bill allocates $1 million annually from the General Fund and $1.63 million annually from the Federal Expenditures Fund for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to support in-home personal support services for qualified senior citizens in Maine. It directly affects senior citizens eligible under MaineCare's Home and Community Benefits for the Elderly and Adults with Disabilities program (MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 19) and the service providers who deliver these supports. The key provision is the specific annual funding appropriation to maintain and expand access to these in-home services. The bill does not alter eligibility criteria but ensures continued financial support for an existing program.

Maddy summaryLD 811 requires municipalities to hold a public hearing and vote before approving a new sports wagering facility's physical location. Applicants must first get written approval from local municipal officers (or county commissioners for unincorporated areas), who must provide written reasons for their decision. An applicant can appeal a denial to the Gambling Control Unit director within 15 days, with the director holding a public hearing to review the case. The bill ensures a facility's license is valid only at the specific location approved by the municipality or county.

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 establishes an Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias Advisory Council within Maine's Department of Health and Human Services to create and oversee a state plan addressing these conditions. The council will include staff members and two new voting members with expertise in biomedical research and primary care, and it must meet at least four times a year with a quorum of nine members. The legislation requires the council to submit annual and five-year reports to the legislature by January 2nd and recommends specific resources and services, including those for essential support workers. Additionally, the bill allocates funding for a new health planner position to support the council's operations.