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Bills to Watch
Each week, we review the latest bills that have been flagged by the Retail Association of Maine. We are expecting upwards of 2,200 bill proposals this year.
Please let us know about the bills you care about.
Each week, we review the latest bills that have been released, and share the ones that we have flagged. We are expecting upwards of 2,200 bill proposals this year. This week, we review LD 1223 - LD 1338.
Please let us know about the bills you care about. It helps us prioritize certain bills over others.
LD 1224 (Data Privacy) Representative Roberts of South Berwick enacts the Maine Consumer Privacy Act, effective July 1, 2026. The law regulates how businesses collect, use, and share personal data of Maine residents. It grants consumers rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of data processing for targeted advertising or sales. The Attorney General is responsible for enforcement and must report on implementation by February 1, 2027.
LD 1230 (Firearm Waiting Period) Representative Chapman of Auburn repeals the 72-hour waiting period requirement for firearm purchases.
LD 1249 (Paid Family and Medical Leave) Representative Faulkingham of Winter Harbor delays implementation of the paid family and medical leave program to July 1, 2027, and postpones the start of benefits processing to November 1, 2027. The bill updates related dates accordingly.
LD 1257 (GMO Foods) Representative Quint of Hodgdon requires labeling of food products derived from genetically engineered aquaculture, livestock, or poultry.
LD 1267 (Wage Gap Task Force) Representative Pugh of Portland directs the Department of Labor to convene a task force to study the gap between worker productivity and wages. A report is due by December 3, 2025, and the Labor Committee may submit related legislation to the 132nd Legislature.
LD 1273 (Paid Family and Medical Leave) Representative Faulkingham of Winter Harbor repeals the paid family and medical leave program, requires refunds of employer and employee contributions, and transfers unspent funds to the General Fund. The bill establishes a voluntary paid leave program for large employers and individual employees, with coverage available by January 1, 2027, through an insurance provider selected by competitive bid.
LD 1277 (Prescription Monitoring Program) Representative Moonen of Portland exempts testosterone from the definition of controlled substances for prescription monitoring and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to purge related data from the system.
LD 1284 (Data Privacy) Senator Stewart III of Aroostook repeals laws requiring broadband providers to protect customer personal information and prohibiting disclosure without customer consent.
LD 1300 (Implied Warranty Laws) Senator Tipping of Penobscot requires the Attorney General to notify online sellers remitting $10,000 or more in sales tax of Maine's implied warranty laws and provide an online complaint form for consumers.
LD 1306 (Polystyrene Containers) Senator Bradstreet of Kennebec repeals the scheduled July 1, 2025 change that would expand the definition of “disposable food service container” to include packaging for raw or uncooked meat, poultry, fish, seafood, or eggs. The bill also preserves the current exemption for covered establishments to sell food or beverages in polystyrene foam containers purchased prepackaged at wholesale, eliminating the scheduled repeal of this exemption.
LD 1307 (Paid Family and Medical Leave) Senator Bradstreet of Kennebec suspends employer payroll premiums for the Paid Family and Medical Leave program until January 1, 2026. Employers may voluntarily continue payments. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to adopt rules by November 1, 2025, creating an expedited process for approving equivalent private plans and waiving premiums while an exemption application is pending.
LD 1323 (Neonicotinoid Pesticides) Representative Doudera of Camden prohibits certain applications of neonicotinoid pesticides and bans the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds for specific crops. The bill authorizes the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, in consultation with the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, to issue written exemptions if conditions are met.
LD 1325 (Property Tax Abatements) Representative Daigle of Fort Kent requires applicants seeking a property tax abatement for nonresidential properties valued at $1,000,000 or more to appeal directly to the State Board of Property Tax Review, rather than to county commissioners.
LD 1330 (Sales Tax Clarification for Software) Representative Ducharme III of Madison clarifies that leases, licenses, subscriptions, or similar rights to access or use software are not considered taxable rentals under the sales and use tax law when used by businesses.
LD 1333 (Paid Family and Medical Leave Program) Representative Poirier of Skowhegan makes multiple changes to the Paid Family and Medical Leave program. Please see bill for additional details.
LD 1334 (Liquor Retail Displays) Representative Bishop of Bucksport requires liquor displayed outside of cases or counters to be positioned at least 48 inches from cash registers or payment terminals in retail settings.
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