NRCM reviews every bill under consideration at the State House to determine which ones deserve support and which ones should be opposed based on their potential impact on Maine’s environment. This page provides updates on the priority bills that we are following during the 2018 legislative session.
Another great way to stay informed during the session is to sign up for NRCM's Action Network. You can choose issues of importance to you and get emails and links to action alerts so that you can make your voice heard at a moment's notice when your legislators need to hear from you most on issues related to Maine's clean air, clean water, sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat, and more.
- Take action on important issues by visiting our Take Action page.
- Read legislative testimony by NRCM staff.
| Bill Information & Summary | NRCM Position | Status Update |
|---|---|---|
| Solar: Repeal gross metering (LD 91) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed bill into law on April 2, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Improve plastic bottles and bottle caps (LD 102) | NRCM Supports | Bill held over until 2020 session. Read NRCM testimony. Read bill fact sheet. |
| Changes to Maine's solid waste laws (LD 112) | NRCM is Neither For Nor Against | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 13, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Forests & Wildlife: Establish Office of Outdoor Recreation (LD 105) | Bill withdrawn. No further action. | |
| Eagle Lake Sporting Camp bill (LD 125) | NRCM Opposes | Work session held on April 9. Voted out of Committee as Ought to Pass as Amended. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Water quality protections (LD 216) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on Earth Day, April 22, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Move Bureau of Parks and Lands to Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife from Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (LD 233) | NRCM is Neither for Nor Against | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase reimbursement to bottle redemption centers (LD 248) | NRCM Supports | Bill became law on May 21, 2019 without governor's signature. |
| Major substantive DEP rule about siting of oil storage facilities (LD 281) | NRCM Opposes | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on May 16, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban use of polystyrene foam food containers (LD 289) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on April 30, 2019. Read NRCM fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Include trash incineration as "renewable energy source" as part of Renewable Portfolio Standard (LD 334) | NRCM Opposes | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase reimbursement to bottle redemption centers (LD 360) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Preserve state landfill capacity and promote recycling (LD 401) | NRCM Supports | Work session held on April 5. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Promote composting (LD 524) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require septic system inspections for all properties sold in Maine (LD 543) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on April 19, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Product stewardship for tobacco products like plastic cigarette filters (LD 544) | NRCM Supports | Held over until 2020 session. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Help Maine cities and towns prepare for sea-level rise changes due to climate change (LD 563) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on May 24, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Change composition of Maine Land Use Planning Commission (LD 568) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Electric vehicle rebates (LD 614) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on June 10, 2019. |
| Resolve to study climate benefits of proposed CMP line (LD 640) | NRCM Supports | Bill died in non-concurrence. No further action will be taken. Contact your State Rep today to urge their support of LD 640. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require DEP to study a product stewardship program for mattresses (LD 710) | NRCM Supports | Resolve became law without governor's signature on May 26, 2019. Read NRCM Testimony. |
| Limit use of RGGI funds for energy efficiency purposes (LD 754) | NRCM Opposes | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Comprehensive strategy to tackle climate change (LD 797) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Learn more about this bill. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Continue restoration of Penobscot River (LD 817) | NRCM Supports | Bill signed into law by Governor Mills on April 30, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Land for Maine's Future funding (LD 911) | NRCM Supports | Public hearing held on June 17. Read our fact sheet. |
| Add balloons to Maine litter laws and educate public about hazards posed by balloons (LD 937) | NRCM Supports | House passed the bill, but Senate voted down the bill. No further action to be taken. Read NRCM fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban offshore oil and natural gas drilling and exploration (LD 955) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on June 13, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for "LakeSmart" Program and volunteer lake monitoring program (LD 959) | NRCM Supports | Reported out of committee as Ought to Pass as Amended. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Exempt certain dams from permit requirements (LD 983) | NRCM Opposes | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on May 16, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduce landfilling of Municipal Solid Waste (LD 988) | NRCM Supports | Bill held over until 2020 session. Read NRCM testimony. |
| State budget (LD 1001) | Read NRCM testimony about Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry budget. | |
| Lift limit of 100 MW hydropower from Maine renewable energy laws (LD 1027) | NRCM Opposes | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| New purchases for State government vehicles to be zero-emission vehicles (LD 1086) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. |
| Bond to provide clean energy funding for Maine towns (LD 1119) | NRCM Supports | Public hearing to be held on Monday, June 17 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 228 of the Maine State House. Read fact sheet. |
| Electric vehicles and transportation planning (LD 1257) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. |
| Green New Deal for Maine (LD 1282) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 17, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Mercury clean-up in Penobscot River (LD 1287) | NRCM Opposes | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Protecting towns from unwanted transmission lines that are not required for energy reliability (LD 1383) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills vetoed the bill on June 12. House needed 2/3rds vote to override veto. Vote was 79-64 so veto stands. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Solar property tax fairness (LD 1430) | NRCM Supports | Public hearing held on April 24. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Improve recycling and reduce waste (LD 1431) | NRCM Supports | Resolve signed into law by Governor Mills on May 30, 2019. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduce toxic chemicals in packaging (LD 1433) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on June 13, 2019. |
| Collection and proper disposal of unwanted drugs (LD 1460) | NRCM Supports | Bill held over until 2020 session. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM Testimony. |
| State acquisition of Big Moose Mountain (LD 1481) | NRCM is Neither For Nor Against | Work session held on April 23. |
| Increase Maine's Renewable Portfolio Standard (LD 1494) | NRCM Supports | Senate (34-0) and House (93-48) voted in support on June 18. Bill heads to governor. Read fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Statewide ban of single-use plastic shopping bags (LD 1532) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed the bill into law on June 17, 2019. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Timber harvested from state lands must be sold to Maine companies (LD 1540) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. |
| Enhancing coordination between LUPC and towns adjacency to the UT (LD 1561) | NRCM Supports | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Float planes on Katahdin Lake (LD 1574) | NRCM Opposes | Bill is dead. No further action will be taken. |
| Battery recycling program (LD 1594) | NRCM Supports | Bill held over until 2020 session. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Implement DEP recommendations regarding bottle redemption laws (LD 1628) | NRCM Supports | Public hearing held on May 3. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Restore local ownership of state's power delivery systems (LD 1646) | NRCM Supports | Public hearing held on May 14. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Updates to Maine Product Stewardship Framework Law (LD 1649) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on June 6, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Improvement to product stewardship law for mercury-added lamps and bulbs (LD 1668) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on June 13, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Governor's climate bill (LD 1679) | NRCM Supports | House voted in support. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Water Quality Certification of Graham Lake on the Union River (LD 1687) | NRCM Opposes | Public hearing held on May 16. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase access to solar power and solar jobs (LD 1711) | NRCM Supports Read our position memo | Senate (32-2) and House (93-52) voted in support of bill on June 17. Sent to governor on June 18. Read bill fact sheet. Learn more about the benefits of community solar. Economic and jobs impact of community solar |
| River water quality reclassification (LD 1743) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on June 17, 2019. Read fact sheet. |
| Protect sustenance fishing rights (LD 1775) | NRCM Supports | Both House (132-4) and Senate (35-0) voted in support of the bill. |
| Increase Permit By Rule application fees to fund Land Bureau positions (LD 1784) | NRCM Supports | House and Senate passed bill. On to governor. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Restore authority of Board of Environmental Protection (LD 1789) | NRCM Supports | Governor Mills signed this bill into law on June 17, 2019. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (LD 1830) | NRCM Supports | House and Senate passed bill. On to governor. Read NRCM testimony. |
Today’s Happenings at the State House—LIVE ONLY DURING SESSION
Note: Bills are listed in order by bill LD number (found in the left column).
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, scroll to the green footer at the bottom of this page.
