1 p.m.

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee; public hearing; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 718, “An Act To Protect Maine Food Consumers’ Right To Know about Genetically Engineered Food and Seed Stock”: requires disclosure of genetic engineering at the point of retail sale of food and seed stock and provides that food or seed stock except in those without knowledge of the genetic engineering, animals fed genetically engineered food, a minimum content produced by genetic engineering, restaurants, alcoholic beverages or medical food.

Education and Cultural Affairs Committee; public hearings; Augusta Civic Center

L.D. 1160, “An Act To Reduce Obesity among Schoolchildren”: requires students from kindergarten to grade five participate in at 30 minutes of physical activity and prohibits using food as a reward or punishment.

L.D. 1241, “An Act To Protect School Athletes from Head Injuries”: requires all students participating in field hockey, lacrosse, snowboarding or skiing as part of an activity of an elementary or secondary school, to wear protective headgear and requires the commissioner of Education to study the injuries that occur and determine measures to avoid injuries and report to the Legislature.

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L.D. 1321, “An Act To Promote Healthy School Lighting”: requires all public schools to install and maintain lighting that has a color rendering index of 90 or higher.

L.D. 1353, ” An Act To Further Reduce Student Hunger”: requires a school administrative unit with a public school in which at least 50 percent of students qualified for a free or reduced-price lunch during the preceding school year to operate a federal summer food service program in the area served by that public school during the following summer vacation if that public school operates a summer educational or recreational program and requires that school administrative units that don’t operate a summer educational or recreational program collaborate with a service institution to operate summer food service program.

L.D. 1366, “An Act To Require Students To Receive Instruction in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the Use of an Automated External Defibrillator prior to Graduation”: requires students receive instruction and achieve proficiency in CPR and use of an automated external defibrillator to graduate high school beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

L.D. 1394, “An Act To Make Parents More Aware of Eating Disorders”: directs the Department of Education with the Department of Health and Human Services, school boards, school superintendents, the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Association of School Nurses and the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to develop and implement policies for providing parents educational information regarding eating disorders and provide the information to parents annually.

Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee; public hearings; room 211; Cross Building

L.D. 219, “An Act To Establish a Long-term Funding Source for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife”: provides that 10 percent of all revenues derived from the use of state-owned land and assets for energy infrastructure, up to $5 million be used by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to support the operations of that department.

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L.D. 863, “Resolve, To Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Consumer Energy Costs”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Commission to work together to develop a new regional greenhouse gas initiative offset category for fuel switching and requires the department to submit substantive rules regarding the offset category by March 1, 2015.

L.D. 1145, “Resolve, To Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Consumer Energy Costs”: extends resources to the Efficiency Maine Trust to facilitate coordination of services, such as weatherization, heat pumping, heating oil efficiency programs and other energy conservation strategies.

L.D. 1386, “An Act To Allocate Net Revenue from Energy Corridor Leases on the Maine Turnpike for Purposes of Energy and Environmental Conservation”: requires 10 percent of the net revenue from the lease of an energy corridor on the Maine Turnpike’s right-of-way be deposited in the Efficiency Maine Trust and requires the balance to be used by the Maine Turnpike Authority for environmental and energy conservation initiatives.

Health and Human Resources Committee; public hearings; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 517, “An Act To Restore Funding for Head Start”: adds $4 million for the next two fiscal years o restore funding for Head Start services.

L.D. 1383, “An Act To Improve the Delivery of Early Child Care and Education Services”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to pay child care services at the 75th percentile of the most current local market rate survey and pay a 10 percent premium to providers who meet tiered quality rating standards; directs Head Start program funding to the Early Head Start program; requires the department and the Child Care Advisory Council to establish a definition of “at-risk child” for the purposes of child care eligibility; and contains funding appropriations for child care, home visiting and Head Start.

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Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee; public hearings; room 206; Cross Building

L.D. 199, “An Act To Allow Agents Designated by the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife To Hunt Coyotes at Night during the Deer Hunting Season”: allows the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to appoint and authorize agents to hunt coyotes at night during any open season on deer.

L.D. 264, “An Act To Allow Crossbow Hunting during Muzzle-loading Season”: allows a licensed crossbow hunter to hunt deer during the muzzle-loading deer hunting season.

L.D. 356, “An Act To Allow a Person Who Is 60 Years of Age or Older To Use a Crossbow during the Open Seasons on Wild Birds and Animals”: allows a person 60 years of age or older to hunt a wild bird or animal with a crossbow during any open season and removes the repeal.

L.D. 798, “An Act To Permit Night Hunting of Coyotes on Sunday”: permits a person to hunt coyotes at night on Sundays during the open season on coyote.

L.D. 970, “An Act To Eliminate Funding To Reduce Deer Predation”: eliminates funding to control deer predation.

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L.D. 1005, “An Act To Assist Hunters Transporting Animals for Registration”: changes the requirements for the condition of a big game animal before being presented for registration and allows for transporting dismembered carcasses under criteria.

L.D. 1015, “An Act To Expand Crossbow Hunting”: allows a person to hunt any wild bird or animal with a crossbow during any open season on that bird or animal and removes the restriction against using a crossbow within 100 feet of a dwelling.

L.D. 1016, “An Act Regarding the Buying and Selling of Animal Parts”: adds certain parts of a wild animals and birds may be purchased or sold.

L.D. 1148, “An Act To Expand the Season for Night Hunting of Coyotes”: establishes a night hunting season for coyotes from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15 at fixed bait locations and under the supervision of a game warden.

L.D. 1263, “An Act To Increase Funding for the Snowmobile Trail Fund and Adjust the Sales Tax Relating to Snowmobiles and Trail-grooming Equipment”: increases the resident snowmobile registration fee to $60; increases the nonresident seasonal snowmobile registration fee to $108; give people who buy an annual registration for their snowmobile before Jan. 1 receive a $10 deduction in registration fee; increases the three-day nonresident snowmobile registration fee to $50; directs all revenue from the increases, the sales tax on snowmobile purchases and a portion of vanity license plates are for the Snowmobile Trail Fund; creates a seven-day nonresident snowmobile registration with a fee of $75; and removes the sales tax on diesel fuel used in off-road trail-grooming equipment and the purchase of trail-grooming equipment and parts.

L.D. 1374, “An Act To Allow a Person To Hunt with a Crossbow during the Archery-only Deer Season”: allows crossbows to be used during the regular archery-only season and allows a person with a valid permit to hunt bear, moose and wild turkey with a crossbow without obtaining a crossbow hunting license.

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Insurance and Financial Services Committee; work sessions; room 220; Cross Building

L.D. 546, “An Act To Improve Transparency and Oversight of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association and To Make Changes Necessary To Comply with Federal Law”: makes meetings of the Board of Directors of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association public; adds two consumer members to the Board of Directors and reduces the number of board members who represent insurers to three; suspends the authority of the association to collect assessments and premiums or provide reinsurance and reimbursement for three years and also requires that the association submit a revised plan of operation to the superintendent of Insurance before resuming operations; provides that the association may not provide reinsurance or reimbursement to a member insurer unless the insurer meets the 80 percent minimum medical loss ratio for individual health insurance; and directs the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters to evaluate the transitional reinsurance program operating in the state from Jan. 1, 2014 until Dec. 31, 2016 under federal law.

L.D. 547, “An Act To Ensure the Accountability of Taxpayer Funds and State Collaboration, Planning and Oversight in the Implementation and Operation of a Health Exchange in Maine”: clarifies that the provisions relating to navigators apply only to any state-based health exchange; allows an insurance company authorized to do business in Vermont to offer individual health insurance for sale in this state; establishes the Maine Health Exchange Advisory Board to advise the Federal Government, the governor, the Legislature, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance on the implementation and operation of a health exchange in this state.

L.D. 628, “An Act To Clarify Uninsured Vehicle Coverage for Multiple Claimants”: provides that in the event that an underinsured vehicle policy applicable to two or more claimants contains a single per accident limit, the amount of underinsured vehicle coverage available to each claimant is calculated by deducting any payment received from the owner or operator of the underinsured motor vehicle from that single limit.

L.D. 706, “An Act To Amend the Workers’ Compensation Self-insurance Laws”: specifies that a group self-insurer that is part of a reinsurance account that has net assets of at least $40 million and that obtains reinsurance coverage with an initial attachment point of no greater than $1 million has sufficient assets to qualify for funding the group’s workers’ compensation exposures.

L.D. 756, “An Act Regarding Subrogation of Medical Payments Coverage”: strikes language in the law that allows subrogation or priority over the insured of medical payments in certain instances in a casualty insurance policy for any hospital, nursing, medical or surgical services or any expenses paid or reimbursed under the medical payments coverage in the policy in the event that the insured is entitled to receive payment.

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L.D. 806, “An Act To Allow the Purchase of Workers’ Compensation Insurance Coverage for Domestic Employees from an Insurance Company That Provides Liability Insurance for Homeowners or Tenants”: permits employers of domestic workers to voluntarily procure workers’ compensation insurance for those workers from an insurance company providing liability insurance for homeowners or tenants.

L.D. 812, “An Act To Create an Open Enrollment Period Consistent with Federal Regulations for Health Insurance Exchanges”: establishes an open enrollment period for individual health insurance plans; and provides for the same special enrollment periods as exist for coverage purchased through a health insurance exchange.

L.D. 1048, “Resolve, To Study the Effect of Insufficient Automobile Insurance Coverage”: directs the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance to study the current minimum automobile insurance coverage and determine the frequency and extent of claims by motorists with insufficient automobile insurance coverage and the resulting effects on victims, health care providers and the state and the affects of increasing minimum auto coverage and report to the Legislature.

L.D. 1049, “An Act To Establish an Insurance Exchange”: establishes the Maine Health Benefit Marketplace as the state’s health benefit exchange to facilitate the purchase of health care coverage by individuals and small businesses; and requires coverage to be available through the state-based marketplace no later than Jan. 1, 2015 and requires the Board of Directors of the Maine Health Benefit Marketplace to submit a declaration of intent to establish a state-based exchange by Nov. 18; and requires the board of directors to submit applications for any available federal grant funding to support planning and implementation of the state-based exchange as soon as practicable.

L.D. 1094, “An Act To Fully Implement Health Insurance Exchanges and To Make Maine Law Consistent with Federal Law”: establishes the Maine Health Exchange Advisory Board to advise the Federal Government, governor and Legislature on the implementation and operation of a health exchange; suspends the authority of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association from Jan. 1, 2014 until Dec. 31, 2016; expands medical coverage under the MaineCare program to adults with family incomes up to 133 percent of the nonfarm income official poverty line and qualifies Maine to receive federal funding for 100 percent of the cost of coverage for members who enroll under the expansion.

L.D. 1162, “An Act To Ensure the Rights of Patients”: protects a patient’s rights in the health insurance market; enhances accountability for hospitals and health care providers; increases the transparency of charges and expenses of hospitals and health care providers; and establishes a state health insurance exchange.

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L.D. 1167, “An Act Regarding the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association”: suspends the authority of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2016 and directs the Board of Directors of the Maine Guaranteed Access Reinsurance Association to amend the association’s plan of operation and submit the amendment on or before Oct. 1, 2013 to the Superintendent of Insurance for approval.

Judiciary Committee; public hearings; room 438; State House

L.D. 725, “An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Judicial Compensation Commission”: increases the salary of justices in the Supreme Judicial Court, Superior Court and District Court to provide a cost-of-living increase and changes the reporting deadline for the Judicial Compensation Commission to Dec. 15.

L.D. 744, “An Act To Extend the Statute of Limitations on Certain Civil Professional Negligence Suits”: extends the statute of limitations for professional negligence actions against health care providers and health care practitioners when the action is based on a sexual act or sexual contact that applies to all actions based on a sexual act or contact on or after the effective date.

L.D. 854, “An Act To Clarify When a Manufactured Home Becomes Residential Real Property”: states that manufactured housing for which no certificate of title has been issued is considered real property when it has been permanently affixed to real property that is owned by the owner of the manufactured housing; specifies that a certificate of title or salvage is not required if the real property is owned by the owner of the manufactured housing; and specifies that the real property must be owned by the owner of the manufactured housing.

L.D. 1046, “An Act To Provide Immunity for Prescribing and Dispensing Intranasal Naloxone Kits”: provides immunity for health care professionals and other persons who assist a person who is experiencing or likely to experience an opiate-related drug overdose with intranasal naloxone.

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L.D. 1081, “An Act To Establish Legislative Standing in Judicial Proceedings”: provides that a group of 25 or more legislators acting in good faith have standing to intervene in any court proceeding to defend a law enacted by the Legislature if the constitutionality, legality or application of the law is at issue.

L.D. 1119, “An Act To Establish Superior Court as the Forum in Which Appeals of Agency Decisions Must Be Taken”: makes appeals of decisions of the Workers’ Compensation Board, the Public Utilities Commission, Board of Environmental Protection or the commissioner of Enviornmental Protection on applications for expedited wind energy development, general permits for tidal energy demonstration projects and general permits for offshore wind energy demonstration projects are subject to the Superior Court.

L.D. 1200, “An Act To Impose a Duty To Warn and Protect on Mental Health Professionals”: imposes on physicians, psychologists, alcohol and drug counselors, social workers and counseling professionals a duty to warn and protect if a patient or client is likely to engage in physical violence that poses a serious risk of harm to self or others, or a threat of substantial property damage.

L.D. 1204, “An Act To Clarify the Appeal Process of Code Enforcement Officers and Boards of Appeal”: allows the board of appeals for a municipality to review a decision of a code enforcement officer for that municipality unless the charter or an ordinance of the municipality expressly provides that the decision of the code enforcement officer or board of appeals is only advisory.

L.D. 1331, “An Act To Amend the Law Pertaining to Defective or Unreasonably Dangerous Goods”: requires a user or consumer who has been injured by defective or unreasonably dangerous goods or products to bring a civil action within six years after the date that both that injury and its cause are known.

Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee; public hearings; room 208; Cross Building

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L.D. 1341, “An Act Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Establish a Program To Promote Economic Growth and Development”: requires the Department of Economic and Community Development to establish and monitor a program to provide funds to be used for on-the-job training for people receiving general assistance.

L.D. 1351, “An Act To Attract Military Families to Maine”: provides that the Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation may recommend legislation or other measures for the purpose of assisting the spouses of current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces in obtaining professional licenses.

L.D. 1360, “An Act To Amend the Motor Fuel Distribution and Sales Act”: allows a franchisor that has entered into a consignment agreement with a franchisee to set the price at which the motor fuel.

L.D. 1373, “An Act To Update the Polygraph Examiner Licensing Laws”: repeals and replaces the existing polygraph examiner licensing statutes effective April 1, 2014.

Taxation Committee; public hearings; room 127; State House

L.D. 692, “An Act To Provide Funding for Education by Restoring the 8.5 Percent Income Tax Rate for High-income Taxpayers”: reinstates the 8.5 percent tax rate for high-income taxpayers for funding 55 percent of the cost of the total allocation for kindergarten to grade 12 education.

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L.D. 815, “An Act To Tax Political Action Committees”: imposes a tax on political action committees of 5 percent of the amount contributed to the committees.

L.D. 834, “An Act To Make the Income Tax More Equitable for Citizens of the State”: reinstates the 8.5 percent tax rate for high-income taxpayers.

L.D. 1110, “An Act To Simplify the Tax Code”: repeals the sales tax, includes in the sales tax the end use of all items, repeals all current sales tax exemptions and provides sales tax reimbursement for sales of grocery staples to persons with incomes of less than $20,000.

L.D. 1113, “An Act To Provide Tax Fairness to Maine’s Middle Class and Working Families”: makes those with an annual income equal to or exceeding $250,000 pay at least the average rate paid by all other Maine households; and gives a credit those with an annual income below $125,000 and pay a higher than average tax rate.

L.D. 1124, “An Act To Provide Income Tax Relief”: reforms the Maine income tax by establishing a rate structure that includes 6 income tax bracket thresholds.

L.D. 1256, “An Act To Establish Tax Fairness”: creates a new top income tax rate of 8.5 percent on taxable income over $100,000 for single individuals and married persons filing separately, on income over $110,000 for taxpayers filing as heads of households and on income over $120,000 for individuals filing married joint returns or surviving spouses.

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Transportation Committee; work sessions; room 126; State House

L.D. 818, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority To Assess the Effects of Funding and Policy Decisions on the Maine Turnpike and I-295 between Portland and Augusta”: requires the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority to study the funding models, policy, interchange location decisions and long-term cost-of-living, land use and economic effects of tolls for the section of the Maine Turnpike from Exit 44 to Exit 113 and of I-295 between Portland and Augusta and report by Feb. 28, 2014.

L.D. 875, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority To Conduct a Study of Possible Connector Roads in Androscoggin and Franklin Counties”: directs the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority to conduct a study of possible connector roads in Androscoggin County and Franklin County.

L.D. 920, “An Act To Prohibit Herbicide Spraying on Abandoned Railroad Lines”: prohibits a state agency from applying herbicides to state-owned railroad lines that are abandoned or discontinued unless the state has contracted with an operator to provide service over the line.

L.D. 999, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Transportation To Fund or Seek Funding To Complete a Design and Engineering Assessment for the Extension of Passenger Rail Service from Portland North on the State-owned St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway Corridor”: directs the Department of Transportation to fund or seek funding to provide engineering and design work necessary to qualify the state-owned St. Lawrence and Atlantic railway corridor, from Portland to the Auburn city line and report by Dec. 15, 2013.

L.D. 1075, “An Act To Allow Motorists To Proceed through an Intersection after Stopping for a Red Light”: allows a vehicle to proceed straight through or turn right or left after stopping at a red light if conditions allow and if there is no sign indicating it is prohibited.

L.D. 1076, “An Act To Allow for the Equalization of Truck Weights between Maine and Canada for Limited Use at the Border Crossings”: establishes new authorized routes from the United States-Canada border in Van Buren, Limestone and Fort Fairfield to a value-added wood processing facility in Limestone and from the United States-Canada border in Calais to the Port of Eastport for certain commercial vehicles at Canadian gross vehicle weight limits and increases the allowable gross vehicle weight to 109,000 pounds.


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