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 legislative session to provide you with the latest status and background information on the priority bills that we are following.
The 131st Maine Legislature is in session. NRCM tracks and works on many bills, but our highest priorities are listed below. We’ll update this page as bills move so you can track the status, read NRCM testimony, and find out how you can take action.
| 2023 Priority Issue | NRCM Position | Status Update & Actions to Take |
|---|---|---|
| Boosting offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine (LD 1895) | Support | Work session to be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m. at EUT Committee 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 | Public hearing held on April 27 at Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs 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 | Work session to be held on Thursday, June 1 at 1:00 p.m. at ENR Committee Read bill fact sheet.Read NRCM testimony. |
| Recognizing the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations | Support | Bill will be introduced in the 2024 legislative session. No bill this year. 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 | Work session held on February 1. Voted out of committee as Ought to Pass as Amended. 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 | Work session held on February 14 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Maine Climate Corps (LD 142) | Support | Passed House and Senate. Now on Appropriations table Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for lakes restoration and protection (LD 164) | Support | Passed House and Senate. Now on Appropriations table 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 | Work session held on February 16 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony |
| Bill related to State budget for FYs ending in June 2023, 2024, and 2025 (LD 258) | Support | Public hearings at multiple committees on various days (View list of past & upcoming public hearings) Read NRCM testimony by Climate & Clean Energy Director Jack Shapiro |
| Require transparency from transmission & distribution utilities for political activity spending (LD 325) | Support | Voted out of Committee with divided report 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 | Work session held on April 6 at Committee on Taxation Read NRCM testimony. |
| Repeal law regarding Northern Maine Renewable Energy Development Program (LD 376) | Oppose | Committee voted, divided report. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Two bills to make renewable energy credits permanent for waste-to-energy facilities (LD 399) and (LD 437) | Oppose | LD 399 work session held on May 10 at EUT Committee 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 | Public hearing held on March 7 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require EV charging station installation in new commercial and multi-family parking lot construction (LD 524) | Support | Public hearing held on March 8 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Comprehensively and equitably reform electric rates (LD 542) | Support | Public hearing held on March 16 at EUT Committee 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. |
| Would delay implementation of bill that closed out-of-state waste loophole in Maine law (LD 718) | Oppose | Bill voted out of ENR Committee with divided report Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require direct wine shippers to comply with Maine Bottle Bill (LD 846) | Support | Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs voted Ought to Pass as amended at May 5 work session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit municipalities from prohibiting a particular energy system or distributor (LD 894) | Oppose | Voted out of Committee on State and Local Government with divided report (7-6) on May 23 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Legislative approval of Aroostook County transmission project (LD 924) | Support | Voted out of EUT Committee with divided report on April 11 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create 21st century electric grid (LD 952) | Support | Voted out of EUT Committee with divided report on May 10 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduces the need for plastic water bottles by installing water refilling stations in schools (LD 957) | Support | Work session held on May 22 at Committee for Education and Cultural Affairs Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban use and sale of painted lead fishing jigs, to protect loons (LD 958) | Support | Voted out of Committee on Inland Fisheries & Wildlife as Ought to Pass (10-3) 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 | Passed in the House (80-58) on May 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Lengthens school lunch periods to reduce wasted food and establishes share bins to safely redistribute uneaten food (LD 1002) | Support | Work session held on March 29 at Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. Voted out of committee as Ought to Pass as Amended. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establishes goals and requirements to reduce and divert food waste in Maine (LD 1009) | Support | Work session held on May 18 at ENR Committee 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 on this bill. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Promote passenger rail service for commuters (LD 1170) | Support | Voted out of Committee on Transportation with divided report on May 17 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase fees for solid waste generators (LD 1171) | Neither For Nor Against | Bill is dead. No further action on this bill. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Increase protection for threatened and endangered species habitat from development (LD 1246) | Support | Voted out of ENR Committee as Ought to Pass as amended on April 27 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Extend funding for the Land for Maine's Future program (LD 1285) | Support | Voted out of committee with a unanimous "Ought to Pass as Amended" vote on April 19 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Eliminate net energy billing policy (LD 1347) | Oppose | Work session to be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m. at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Proposed amendments to Maine's Metallic Mineral Mining Act (LD 1363) | Support | Voted out of ENR Committee with divided report on May 17 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require adoption of sector-specific greenhouse gas emissions limits (LD 1411) | Support | Voted out of ENR Committee with divided report on May 10 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Have State add water refill stations in State buildings (LD 1418) | Support | Work session held on May 17 at ENR Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require the PUC to adopt rules promoting renewable energy (LD 1431) | Support | Voted out of EUT Committee with divided report on May 3 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Proposed legislation related to Maine's Mining Law (two bills: LD 1433 and LD 1476) | Oppose | Work session on both bills held on May 17 at ENR Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Advance Maine's public transit system through Public Transit Advisory Council and increased funding (LD 1559) | Support | Work session to be held on Wednesday, May 24 at 10:00 a.m. at Committee on Transportation Read NRCM testimony. |
| Surcharge on electric vehicle registrations to fund Maine's highway fund (LD 1572) | Oppose | Public hearing on April 25 at Committee on Transportation Read NRCM testimony. |
| Promote reuse of contaminated land for renewable energy development (LD 1591) | Support | Work session held on May 3 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| An Act Regarding Environmental Justice (LD 1621) | Support | Voted out of ENR Committee with a divided report on April 27 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Reduce plastic packaging waste (LD 1645) | Neither For Nor Against | Voted out of ENR Committee with divided report on May 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Verify global greenhouse gas emissions for certain transmission line projects (LD 1658) | Support | Voted out of ENR Committee as Ought Not to Pass on May 10 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Protect Maine's Solid Waste Hierarchy by not allowing "advanced recycling" technologies to count as recycling (LD 1660) | Support | Work session held on May 18 at ENR Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Require and encourage safe interconnected transportation construction projects (LD 1674) | Support | Voted out of Committee on Transportation as Ought to Pass as amended on May 11 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create Maine experiential education program (LD 1682) | Support | Voted out of ACF Committee as Ought to Pass as amended on May 1 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Changes to eligibility for Tree Growth Tax program (LD 1685) | Oppose | Work session held on May 24 at Committee on Taxation Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish a clean hydrogen pilot program (LD 1775) | Oppose | Public hearing held on May 2 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Phase out certain fluorescent light bulbs (LD 1814) | Support | Work session held on May 17 at ENR Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish an outdoor school for all Maine students program (LD 1817) | Support | Voted out of ACF Committee as Ought to Pass as amended on May 16 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Related to port facilities for offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine (LD 1818) | Support | Work session held on May 23 at Committee on Labor and Housing Read NRCM testimony. |
| Advance Maine's clean energy goals (LD 1830) | Support | Public hearing held on May 9 at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Modify visual impact standards for offshore wind ports (LD 1847) | Support | Work session held on May 17 at ENR Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Compensation fees and conservation efforts to protect soil and habitat related to wind & solar projects (LD 1881) | Support | Voted out of ACF Committee as Ought to Pass as amended (10-2) on May 24 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Expand the use of funds to support land conservation (LD 1969) | Support | Voted out of ACF Committee with a unanimous Ought to Pass as amended vote on May 24 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Net Energy Billing, distributed solar, and energy storage systems (LD 1986) | Support | Work session to be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m. at EUT Committee Read NRCM testimony. |
| Restore access to federal laws beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations (LD 2004) | Support | Public hearing held on May 31 at Committee on Judiciary 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 on January 5, 2022, the first day of the 2022 legislative session. Photo by Beth Comeau
