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 | Bill signed into law by Governor Mills on June 8.Read fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove Maine's statewide plastic bag ban (LD 39) | Oppose | Bill defeated by House and Senate. 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 | Bill will be carried over to 2022 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit off-shore wind development (LD 101) | Oppose | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove statewide plastic bag ban (LD 108) | Oppose | Bill defeated by House and Senate. 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 | Passed by House (77-53) on June 9. Further votes pending. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Resolve to prohibit certain types of pesticides for outdoor residential use (LD 155) | Support | Bill signed into law by Governor Mills on June 10. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Protections for Maine's drinking water (LD 164) | Support | Bill is dead. No further actions will be taken. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Transmission lines not needed for reliability or local generation (LD 170) | Support | Bill will be carried over to 2022 legislative session Read NRCM testimony. |
| Prohibit donations or involvement in Maine referenda by foreign government-owned entities (LD 194) | Support | Passed by House 76-55 on June 9. Further votes pending. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Governor’s Supplemental Budget (Change Package) (LD 221) | Support | Public hearing held on May 20. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Limit use of HFCs to help fight climate change (LD 226) | Support | Passed by House and Senate, expected to be signed by governor. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Remove Maine's statewide plastic bag ban (LD 244) | Oppose | Bill defeated by House and Senate. 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 | Defeated by House (79-52) and Senate (24-10). Read NRCM testimony. |
| Continue Green Power electricity offer (LD 314) | Support | Bill signed into law by Governor Mills on April 7. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Provide Gold Star Families free entry to State Parks and Historic Sites (LD 322) | Support | Passed by House and Senate, expected to be signed into law by governor. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Limit public land ownership in Maine (LD 324) | Oppose | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establishment of Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy Programs (LD 340) | Support | Passed by House and Senate, expected to be signed into law by governor. 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 | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establish a Maine Healthy Soils Program (LD 437) | Support | Passed by House and Senate, expected to be signed into law by governor. 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 | Bill defeated. |
| Protections for community solar projects (LD 507) | Support | Passed by House and Senate. Governor Mills signed into law on June 8. |
| Advance energy storage in Maine (LD 528) | Support | Public hearing held on March 9 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Accelerate weatherization efforts (LD 551) | Support | Passed by House and Senate. Placed on Appropriations table for funding. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Support alternative farming practices to remedy PFAS-contaminated soil (LD 558) | Support | Passed by House and Senate. Governor Mills signed bill into law on June 10. |
| Repeal 2019 solar energy law (LD 583) | Oppose | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Ban single-use plastic straws, splash sticks, beverage lid plugs (LD 602) | Support | Bill defeated. 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 | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Land for Maine's Future and State Parks (LD 687) | Support | Public hearing held on April 26 |
| 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 | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Enhance Maine's ecological reserve system (LD 736) | Support | Carried over to 2022 legislative session. |
| 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 | Passed House (82-62) on June 3. Additional votes needed. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Funding for Land for Maine's Future and State Parks (LD 983) | Support | Public hearing held on April 26 Read fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Categorize balloon releases as litter (LD 1023) | Support | Passed by House and Senate, expected to be signed into law by governor. Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Weatherization bond (LD 1094) | Support | Public hearing held April 21 Read bill fact sheet Read NRCM testimony. |
| Amend Maine's electronic waste recycling law (LD 1208) | Oppose | Governor Mills signed amended bill into law on June 8. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill about citizen referendum question about proposed CMP corridor (LD 1295) | Support | Legislative action sent this referendum question to the November ballot. |
| Expand Maine's clean energy economy (LD 1350) | Support | Public hearing held on April 20 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to ensure that forestry owners following accepted practices can't be consider nuisances (LD 1407) | Oppose | ACF Committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended on April 29 (10 yes-3 absent) Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to increase recycled content in plastic bottles (LD 1467) | Support | Voted "Ought to Pass as Amended" out of ENR Committee Read bill fact sheet Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to require legislative approval for State to enter compacts, programs and agreements related to climate & transportation (LD 1472) | Oppose | Bill defeated. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (LD 1541) | Support | ENR Committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended on May 24. Next will be House and Senate votes (at dates TBD). Read bill fact sheet What businesses need to know about EPR Read NRCM testimony. |
| Establishment of a Maine Forest Advisory Board (LD 1549) | Support | House and Senate have voted differently on the bill. Further votes expected. |
| Bill to recognize the sovereignty of the Wabanaki (LD 1626) | Support | Carried over to 2022 legislative session. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create Maine Generation Authority (LD 1634) | Support | Public hearing held on May 5 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Bill to close loophole that allows out-of-state waste in State-owned landfills (LD 1639) | Support | Bill will be carried over to 2022 legislative session Read bill fact sheet. Read NRCM testimony. |
| Governor's bond package, including Land for Maine's Future funding (LD 1702) | Support | Public hearing held on May 18 Read NRCM testimony. |
| Create a consumer-owned utility in Maine (LD 1708) | Support | Voted Ought to Pass as Amended out of EUT Committee on June 1. Read NRCM testimony. |
Governor’s COVID Funding Jobs & Recovery Plan (LD 1733) | Support | Public hearing held on June 9. Read NRCM testimony. |
| 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
