Sen. David Haggan

Maddy summaryLD 660 requires Maine public school administrative units to post detailed curriculum and student data online for public access. It mandates schools to display 3 years of enrollment, subject offerings, and state assessment proficiency data on their websites, while prohibiting curriculum decisions based on student characteristics like race, gender, or disability. The bill also requires full transparency for state-funded professional development, including public posting of materials, schedules, attendance records, and costs for third-party contractors. This directly affects all Maine public schools, their administrative units, and the state education department, which must maintain centralized online portals for all curriculum materials and related expenses.

Maddy summaryLD 406 repeals Maine's paid family and medical leave program and requires the state to refund all contributions collected from employers and employees since January 1, 2025. The bill stops future contributions and mandates immediate refunds to taxpayers to address economic harm to businesses and workers. As an emergency measure, it bypasses Maine's standard 90-day legislative waiting period for immediate effect. This directly affects Maine employers and employees who had begun paying into the program in 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates new certification paths for industrial arts teachers in Maine who have significant hands-on industry experience but lack traditional teaching credentials. It allows teachers to earn a conditional certificate or a separate endorsement for specific industrial arts areas (like automotive repair, welding, electrical work, carpentry, or CAD) by meeting three key requirements: completing a registered apprenticeship, earning a 2-year technical degree, or having 36 months of paid work experience (including 12 months at a supervisory level in the past 5 years). The State Board of Education must adopt rules to implement these pathways, directly affecting current and prospective industrial arts teachers seeking to qualify through practical experience rather than standard teaching programs.

Maddy summaryLD 1881 ensures parents of minor children in Maine schools have specific rights regarding their child's education and well-being. It requires schools to provide parents access to all school activity information, health records, instructional materials (including virtual learning content), and health screening forms before they are given to students. Parents may also refuse their child’s participation in non-educational activities or request alternatives, while schools cannot adopt policies that block parental notification about a student’s health or discourage parental involvement in critical decisions. The bill includes an exception allowing schools to withhold information if disclosure would risk child abuse, neglect, or abandonment.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Maine's insurance and hearing aid dealer laws to remove a barrier for people needing replacement hearing aids. It ensures health insurance (for both individual and group plans) cannot deny or delay coverage for a replacement hearing aid solely because the person is too ill or infirm to attend a required hearing examination. Similarly, it allows hearing aid dealers to sell replacements without an exam when the person is unable to safely attend due to illness, provided they are replacing an existing aid of the same type. The change directly affects Maine residents who require hearing aid replacements but face health challenges preventing them from completing routine exams.

Maddy summaryLD 1536 reverses the 2021 bail code changes by requiring that defendants in custody who cannot pay a $60 bail commissioner fee must be released on personal recognizance or unsecured bond. County sheriffs may establish a fund to cover this fee for indigent defendants, ensuring financial inability does not block release. The bill also modifies the factors judges consider when setting bail, adding domestic violence risk assessment results while removing prior provisions like probation status checks.

Maddy summaryLD 671 would eliminate Maine's state income tax for tax years beginning January 1, 2026, removing this tax from residents and businesses. It requires the state to review and update laws referencing income tax and establish a new budgeting system for state agencies. Under this system, agencies must justify their entire budget from scratch every eight years (zero-based budgeting) and during other years, submit proposals for 5% and 10% funding reductions. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services must report on necessary legal changes by the 2026 legislative session to implement these provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Maine's Good Samaritan law for drug-related medical emergencies by adding three new crimes to the list of offenses that do not qualify for immunity: illegal firearm possession by a prohibited person, unlawful drug trafficking, and unlawfully providing drugs. Previously, individuals seeking medical help during a drug overdose might avoid prosecution for minor drug-related offenses, but this change removes that protection for these specific crimes. The law applies to anyone who contacts emergency services during a drug-related incident but is also involved in one of these three new offenses. This affects people who might seek medical assistance but are engaged in these serious illegal activities.

Maddy summaryLD 885 would amend Maine law to allow individuals aged 21 or older who hold a valid concealed handgun permit under Title 25, Chapter 252 to possess and discharge firearms on school property. This exception applies only to non-student permit holders, removing a general prohibition that previously barred all firearms on school grounds. The bill specifically targets permit holders meeting the age and non-student criteria, without altering restrictions for students or unpermitted individuals. It creates a clear, limited exception to existing school firearm rules for this specific group.

Maddy summaryLD 1288 amends Maine's drug laws by adjusting possession thresholds for heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. It defines "trafficking" to include possessing 2 grams or more of heroin/fentanyl powder or 90+ bags/containers, and "furnishing" to include possessing 200mg-2g of these drugs. The bill also sets new thresholds for cocaine base (32g for aggravated trafficking) and removes provisions allowing courts to infer drug trafficking from possession of certain quantities. These changes directly affect individuals possessing specified amounts of these drugs, altering the criminal classifications for such offenses. The bill removes prior provisions about permissible inferences under Maine's evidence rules for heroin and fentanyl.