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 continually updated during the 2021 legislative session to provide you with the latest status updates and background information on the priority bills that we are following.
How You Can Get Involved
- For tips and videos on how to testify remotely in front of the Maine Legislature visit our new Take Action Toolkit.
- Sign up for NRCM's Action Network to receive action alerts to make your voice heard when legislators need to hear from you.
- Watch public hearings live on the Legislature’s YouTube channels, listed by committee.
- To testify at a public hearing or to submit written testimony on a bill, visit mainelegislature.org/testimony at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the hearing.
Note: Bills are listed in order by bill LD number (found in the left column).
| 2021 Bill Information & Summary | NRCM Position | Status Update |
|---|---|---|
| Require inclusion of racial impact statement in legislative process (LD 2) | Support | Bill signed into law by Governor Mills on Wednesday, March 10. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase safe disposal of prescription drugs (LD 8) | Support | Voted out of committee majority Ought to Pass (8-4) on Feb. 24. Read fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove Maine's statewide plastic bag ban (LD 39) | Oppose | Voted out of committee majority Ought to Pass on March 3 Read letter to ENR Committee from NRCM, Retail Association of Maine, and Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association asking Committee to preserve the statewide bag ban law. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Resolve to get Maine involved in planning and negotiations for Atlantic Loop Energy project (LD 82) | Support | Public hearing held on February 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit off-shore wind development (LD 101) | Oppose | Bill has been printed |
| Remove statewide plastic ban ban (LD 108) | Oppose | Voted out of committee majority Ought to Pass on March 3 Read letter to ENR Committee from NRCM, Retail Association of Maine, and Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association asking Committee to preserve the statewide bag ban law. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban on herbicide spraying of glyphosate and other synthetic herbicides (LD 125) | Support | Work session held on March 16. Bill tabled, another work session to be scheduled. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Resolve to prohibit certain types of pesticides for outdoor residential use (LD 155) | Support | Public hearing held on February 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Protections for Maine's drinking water (LD 164) | Support | Public hearing held on February 9 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Transmission lines not needed for reliability or local generation (LD 170) | Support | Public hearing held on February 25 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit donations or involvement in Maine referenda by foreign government-owned entities (LD 194) | Support | Voted out of Committee as Ought to Pass (10-2) on April 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Limit use of HFCs to help fight climate change (LD 226) | Support | Public hearing held on March 15 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove Maine's statewide plastic bag ban (LD 244) | Oppose | Voted out of committee majority Ought to Pass on March 3 Read letter to ENR Committee from NRCM, Retail Association of Maine, and Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association asking Committee to preserve the statewide bag ban law. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Eliminate net energy billing policy (LD 249) | Oppose | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Continue Green Power electricity offer (LD 314) | Support | Public hearing held on February 23 Work session held on February 25 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Provide Gold Star Families free entry to State Parks and Historic Sites (LD 322) | Support | ACF Committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended (12-1) Read NRCM testimony. |
| Limit public land ownership in Maine (LD 324) | Oppose | ACF Committee voted Ought Not to Pass (9-1, 3 absent) Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establishment of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs (LD 340) | Support | Public hearing held February 25 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Encouraging use of electric vehicles to meet Maine's climate goals (LD 347) | Support | Public hearing held on February 25 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Extend time for pursuing legal remedies to PFAS ("forever chemicals") contamination (LD 363) | Support | Work session held on April 7 |
| Changes to Shoreland Zoning law (LD 390) | Oppose | Public hearing held on March 3 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish a Maine Healthy Soils Program (LD 437) | Support | ACF Committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended (10-0, 3 absent) Read NRCM testimony. |
| Re-establish the State Planning Office (LD 446) | Support | Public hearing held on March 3 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require legislative approval for certain public land leases (LD 471) | Support | Public hearing held on March 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban on foreign contributions made in order to influence Maine elections (LD 479) | Support | Public hearing held on March 15 |
| Protections for community solar projects (LD 507) | Support | Public hearing held on March 9 |
| Advance energy storage in Maine (LD 528) | Support | Public hearing held on March 9 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Accelerate weatherization efforts (LD 551) | Support | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Support alternative farming practices to remedy PFAS-contaminated soil (LD 558) | Support | Work session held on April 8 |
| Repeal 2019 solar energy law (LD 583) | Oppose | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban single-use plastic straws, splash sticks, beverage lid plugs (LD 602) | Support | Public hearing held on March 15 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban outdoor balloon releases (LD 618) | Support | Work session held April 14 Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Cap the value of contracts for renewable resources and distributed generation resources (LD 634) | Oppose | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill related to use of certain funds by Efficiency Maine Trust (LD 667) | Oppose | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Land for Maine's Future and State Parks (LD 687) | Support | Bill has been printed |
| Support of State Parks for economic development and outdoor recreation (LD 700) | Support | ACF Committee voted Ought to Pass (11-0-2) on April 8. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Resolve for brief moratorium on certain new net energy billing arrangements( LD 709) | Support | Public hearing held on March 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Enhance Maine's ecological reserve system (LD 736) | Support | Bill has been printed |
| Support school decarbonization (LD 815) | Support | Public hearing held on April 6 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to establish energy and water efficiency standards for household appliances (LD 940) | Support | Public hearing held on March 29 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Land for Maine's Future and State Parks (LD 983) | Support | Bill has been printed Read fact sheet. |
| Categorize balloon releases as litter (LD 1023) | Support | Work session held on April 14 Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Weatherization bond (LD 1094) | Support | Public hearing held April 21 Read bill fact sheet Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill about citizen referendum question about proposed CMP corridor (LD 1295) | Support | Because Legislature adjourned and went into special session, there will be no public hearing. This question will be added to Maine ballot for November 2021. |
| Expand Maine's clean energy economy (LD 1350) | Support | Public hearing held on April 20 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to increase recycled content in plastic bottles (LD 1467) | Support | Public hearing: Monday, April 26 at 9:00 a.m. at the ENR Committee Read bill fact sheet |
| Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (LD 1541) | Support | Bill has been printed Read bill fact sheet What businesses need to know about EPR |
| Hearing on nomination of Melanie Loyzim to serve as DEP Commissioner | Support | Public hearing held on February 8 Read NRCM testimony. |
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 as seen from Howard Hill. Photo by Levi Hahn
