NRCM reviews every bill being considered by the Maine Legislature to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. This page is updated throughout the legislative session to provide you with the latest status and background information on the priority bills that we are following.
The 2023 Maine legislative session has ended but was marked by progress on clean energy, waste reduction, and wildlife protection. Read more.
Want to learn more about the results of the 2023 legislative session and what they mean for Maine's environment? Read our 2023 Legislative Report Card.
| 2023 Priority Issue | NRCM Position | Status Update & Actions to Take |
|---|---|---|
| Boosting offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine (LD 1895) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on July 27, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. To learn more about offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, visit our webpage. |
| Investing in trails statewide through a Maine Trails Bond (LD 1156) | Support | Bill will be carried over to the 2024 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. Read bill fact sheet. |
| Supporting redemption centers and Maine's Bottle Bill (LD 134) | Support | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on May 5, 2023. To learn more about Maine’s Bottle Bill, visit our webpage. |
| Supporting modernization of Maine's Bottle Bill (LD 1909) | Support | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on July 27, 2023 Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Recognizing the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations (LD 2007) | Support | Bill to be carried over to 2024 legislative session To learn more about the Wabanaki Alliance and their work, visit their website. |
How You Can Get Involved
- Sign up for NRCM's Action Network to receive action alerts to make your voice heard when legislators need to hear from you.
- To testify at a public hearing online or in person visit mainelegislature.org/testimony. For tips on how to testify visit our Take Action Toolkit.
- Watch public hearings at committees online live or you can attend the hearing in person.
As other bills are printed that NRCM staff are tracking, we’ll update the table below so you can take action and stay in the know.
| 2023 Bill Information & Summary | NRCM Position | Status Update & Actions to Take |
|---|---|---|
| Provide free access to State Parks for Indigenous people (LD 25) | Support | Committee requested to carry over the bill to 2024 session Read NRCM testimony. Read Portland Press Herald article. |
| Remove 100 MW limit on renewable resources for energy (LD 43) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Add wildlife species to Maine's Endangered and Threatened Species List (LD 57) | Support | Signed into law by Governor Mills on May 8, 2023 Read testimony by Dr. Jeffrey Wells. |
| Improve electrical supply cost transparency (LD 69) | Oppose | Resolve signed into law by Governor Mills on May 8, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Approve major substantive rule for petroleum storage facilities (LD 71) | Support | Resolve signed into law by Governor Mills on May 8, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish zero-emission vehicle-to-grid pilot program for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (LD 122) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Maine Climate Corps (LD 142) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for lakes restoration and protection (LD 164) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on July 26, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increased use of waste-to-energy as renewable energy (LD 175) | Oppose | EUT Committee voted Ought Not to Pass. There will be no further action on this bill. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Add electric bikes to EV rebate program (LD 256) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 8, 2023 Read NRCM testimony |
| Bill related to State budget for FYs ending in June 2023, 2024, and 2025 (LD 258) | Support | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on July 11, 2023 |
| Require transparency from transmission & distribution utilities for political activity spending (LD 325) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 23, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove climate from the Public Utilities Commission's responsibilities (LD 340) | Oppose | Voted down in House and Senate. Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Amend Maine's Tree Growth Tax (LD 341) | Oppose | House and Senate accepted Ought Not to Pass report from committee. Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Repeal law regarding Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program (LD 376) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Direct Maine DOT to Implement Recommendations of Mountain Division Rail Use Advisory Council (LD 404) | Support | Governor Mills signed Resolve into law on June 28, 2023 |
| Two bills to make renewable energy credits permanent for waste-to-energy facilities (LD 399) and (LD 437) | Oppose | Governor Mills signed LD 399 into law on June 30, 2023 LD 437 was killed in committee. No further action to be taken. Read NRCM testimony." |
| Repeal Maine's statewide single-use plastic bag ban (LD 425) | Oppose | Senate voted 24-9 against the bill; House voted 80-64 against the bill. Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create vehicle-to-grid pilot project with electric school buses (LD 519) | Support | Governor Mills signed Resolve into law on June 8, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require EV charging station installation in new commercial and multi-family parking lot construction (LD 524) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Comprehensively and equitably reform electric rates (LD 542) | Support | Governor Mills signed Resolve into law on June 26, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove five-cent fee on bags from retail stores (LD 572) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove 100 MW limit on renewable resources for energy (LD 622) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduce carbon emissions from State vehicles (LD 655) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Delay implementation of bill that closed out-of-state waste loophole in Maine law (LD 718) | Oppose | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 23, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require direct wine shippers to comply with Maine Bottle Bill (LD 846) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 22, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit municipalities from prohibiting a particular energy system or distributor (LD 894) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Legislative approval of Aroostook County transmission project (LD 924) | Support | Governor Mills signed Resolve into law on June 22, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create 21st century electric grid (LD 952) | Support | Governor Mills signed Resolve into law on June 22, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduces the need for plastic water bottles by installing water refilling stations in schools (LD 957) | Support | House and Senate passed to be enacted on July 25 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban use and sale of painted lead fishing jigs, to protect loons (LD 958) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 20, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Requires grocery stores to donate or divert surplus food and food waste instead of disposal in landfills and incinerators (LD 959) | Support | Bill pulled by sponsor. No further action to be taken. |
| Create a Forest Advisory Board to bring together a variety of viewpoints to share information, facilitate public input, and look at the forest comprehensively (LD 993) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Lengthens school lunch periods to reduce wasted food and establishes share bins to safely redistribute uneaten food (LD 1002) | Support | House and Senate passed the bill Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establishes goals and requirements to reduce and divert food waste in Maine (LD 1009) | Support | Bill is carried over to 2024 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Improve Access and System Preservation by Providing Shoulders and Bicycle Lanes on State Roadways Leading to State Parks and Other Significant Destinations (LD 1141) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Promote passenger rail service for commuters (LD 1170) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase fees for solid waste generators (LD 1171) | Neither For Nor Against | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Balance renewable energy development and natural and working land conservation (LD 1227) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase protection for threatened and endangered species habitat from development (LD 1246) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 12, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Extend funding for the Land for Maine's Future program (LD 1285) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Eliminate net energy billing policy (LD 1347) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further actions to be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Proposed amendments to Maine's Metallic Mineral Mining Act (LD 1363) | Support | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on July 7, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require adoption of sector-specific greenhouse gas emissions limits (LD 1411) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 20, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Have State add water refill stations in State buildings (LD 1418) | Support | Bill carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require the PUC to adopt rules promoting renewable energy (LD 1431) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Proposed legislation related to Maine's Mining Law (two bills: LD 1433 and LD 1476) | Oppose | Both bills are dead. No further action on either. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Advance Maine's public transit system through Public Transit Advisory Council and increased funding (LD 1559) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 26, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Surcharge on electric vehicle registrations to fund Maine's highway fund (LD 1572) | Oppose | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Promote reuse of contaminated land for renewable energy development (LD 1591) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 26, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| An Act Regarding Environmental Justice (LD 1621) | Support | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduce plastic packaging waste (LD 1645) | Neither For Nor Against | Bill died in non-concurrence. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Verify global greenhouse gas emissions for certain transmission line projects (LD 1658) | Support | Bill is dead. No further action. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Protect Maine's Solid Waste Hierarchy by not allowing "advanced recycling" technologies to count as recycling (LD 1660) | Support | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require and encourage safe interconnected transportation construction projects (LD 1674) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 20, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create Maine experiential education program (LD 1682) | Support | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Changes to eligibility for Tree Growth Tax program (LD 1685) | Oppose | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish a clean hydrogen pilot program (LD 1775) | Oppose | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Phase out certain fluorescent light bulbs (LD 1814) | Support | Bill became law without governor's signature on July 5, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish an outdoor school for all Maine students program (LD 1817) | Support | Bill is carried over to 2024 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Related to port facilities for offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine (LD 1818) | Support | Bill placed in legislative dead file. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Advance Maine's clean energy goals (LD 1830) | Support | EUT Committee requested this bill be carried over to 2024 session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Modify visual impact standards for offshore wind ports (LD 1847) | Support | Bill is dead. No further actions Read NRCM testimony. |
| Compensation fees and conservation efforts to protect soil and habitat related to wind & solar projects (LD 1881) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on July 26, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Expand the use of funds to support land conservation (LD 1969) | Support | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 23, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Net Energy Billing, distributed solar, and energy storage systems (LD 1986) | Support | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on July 10, 2023 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Restore access to federal laws beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations (LD 2004) | Support | House and Senate failed to override Governor Mills' veto of this bill Read NRCM testimony. |
Committee Abbreviations & Meeting Rooms: We have included which legislative committee will hear each bill below. Here are the abbreviations and the full committee names, as well as the room in which each committee meets:
- ACF Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee (Room 214 Cross Office Building)
- ENR Environment and Natural Resources Committee (Room 216 Cross Office Building)
- EUT Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee (Room 211 Cross Office Building)
- IFW Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (Room 206 Cross Office Building)
Be sure to stay informed about important actions on bills affecting Maine's environment by signing up for NRCM's Action Network. You will be able to take action at a moment's notice on bills related to Maine's air, land, water, and wildlife.
To view past years' legislative bill information, see green footer below.
Read all past testimony by NRCM staff.
Banner photo: Maine State House, Augusta. Photo by Beth Comeau
