1 p.m.

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee; pubic hearings; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 368, “An Act To Ensure the Continuation of Dairy Farming”: provides financial and technical assistance to dairy farms to adapt new techniques and utilize new technology to offset the high cost of farming overhead including the cost of feed and fuel.

L.D. 707, “An Act To Provide Assistance to Maine’s Dairy Farms”: limits hauling costs of milk by a milk transportation company for a dairy farmer to the mileage between the dairy farm and the nearest milk plant still operating in the state.

L.D. 789, “An Act To Lessen the Impact of High Feed and Fuel Costs on Maine Dairy Farmers”: adjusts the price levels of dairy in order to account for the recent dramatic increases in feed and fuel costs.

Environment and Natural Resources Committee; work sessions; room 216; Cross Building

L.D. 694, “An Act To Clarify Solid Waste Policy”: emergency bill, amends the declaration of policy in the laws governing waste management to provide that the Legislature finds that the highest and best use of a state-owned solid waste facility is for waste that cannot be handled by waste reduction, reuse and recycling and provides that a change in the type or volume of waste accepted by a facility requires approval by the Department of Environmental Protection and a public benefit determination.

L.D. 695, “An Act To Amend the Site Location of Development Laws”: exempts from review a site of new construction at or modification of an existing licensed development if the additional disturbed area not to be regrown does not exceed 20,000 square feet and does not exceed 40,000 square feet in total and does not involve a division of the parcel of land.

L.D. 825, “Resolve, To Study Climate Change and Implement the Recommendations of the Department of Environmental Protection Report on Climate Change”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection to resume its study on climate change and submit a plan by Feb. 27, 2015.

L.D. 845, “An Act To Change the Classification of the Lower Androscoggin River”: changes the classification of the lower Androscoggin River from the Worumbo Dam in Lisbon Falls to Bath-Brunswick boundary across Merrymeeting Bay to class B.

L.D. 966, “An Act To Clarify an Exemption to the Municipal Subdivision Laws”: specifies that a parcel of land created by a division that is transferred to an owner abutting that parcel is not subject to municipal review and regulation.

L.D. 1028, “Resolve, Authorizing a Visual Impact Assessment of Roxbury Pond and Webb Lake”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection to authorize a visual impact assessment be done by an independent third party to review the scenic and visual attributes of Roxbury Pond and Webb Lake.

L.D. 1058, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Environmental Protection To Set the Motor Vehicle Fuel Volatility Level for the State”: directs the Department of Environmental Protection to adopt rules to allow gasoline with a Reid Vapor Pressure of 9.0 psi to be sold in all counties of the state year-round.

L.D. 1147, “An Act To Protect Maine’s Scenic Character”: increases to 15 miles the jurisdictional distance for requiring visual impact assessments; creates a rebuttable presumption that proposed grid-scale wind energy development projects within 15 miles of Acadia National Park, Baxter State Park, the Appalachian Trail, a federally designated wilderness area or the Allagash Wilderness Waterway will have an unreasonable adverse effect on a scenic resource; requires the Department of Environmental Protection to consider the cumulative impacts of development when permitting grid-scale wind energy development projects; and requires the Department of Environmental Protection to undertake rulemaking with respect to required decommissioning plans and directs updates of the great ponds studies done in 1987 and 1989.

L.D. 1178, “An Act To Encourage the Use of Biofuels in the State”: requires that a seller provide documentation of the amount of biofuel in certain blended products at the time of sale.

L.D. 1186, “An Act To Allow Removal of Trees for Shoreline Stabilization Adjacent to Coastal Wetlands under the Natural Resources Protection Act”: exempts from the permit requirement the cutting or clearing of a shrub, tree or other woody vegetation that has been naturally uprooted or partially uprooted and threatens sedimentation in or the stability or erosion of a shoreline of a coastal wetland.

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

L.D. 144, “An Act To Remove the Requirement That a Person Training Dogs on Sundays Possess a Valid Hunting License”: emergency bill, removes the requirement that a person who trains dogs on wild birds or wild animals on Sundays possess a valid hunting license.

L.D. 391, “An Act To Allow a Person To Possess Small Game in Excess of That Person’s Possession Limit”: allows a person to possess a small game animal in excess of the possession limit if the small game animal is marked with the name and address of the person who legally possesses that animal and the date it was taken by that person.

L.D. 540, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Discharge of a Firearm or Crossbow near a Dwelling or Building”: defines “projectile” as bullet, pellet, shot, shell, ball, bolt or other object propelled or launched from a firearm or crossbow to clarify what may be discharged within 100 yards of a building or residence when hunting.

L.D. 601, “An Act To Require That Certain Changes in Conservation Law Not Be Made by Rule”: provides that the commissioner of Inland and Fisheries and Wildlife may not adopt or amend a rule that affects or changes the public use of a fishery or body of water.

L.D. 736, “An Act To Establish the Review Board of Appeals To Review the Denial of Hunting and Fishing Licenses”: establishes the Review Board of Appeals within the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to review hunting and fishing license denials by the department.

L.D. 757, “An Act To Amend the Hunting Laws as They Pertain to the Training of Dogs”: allows a person to train dogs on pen-raised birds at any time without a hunting license.

Insurance and Financial Services Committee; public hearings; room 220; Cross Building

L.D. 1067, “An Act To Allow Certain Small Retail Businesses To Pass Credit and Debit Card Transaction Fees on to Consumers”: allows a small retail business to impose a surcharge on a purchase of a customer who elects to use a credit card or debit card

L.D. 1192, “An Act Prohibiting Property Insurance Discrimination Based on Breed of Dog”: prohibits the refusal to issue or the cancellation or nonrenewal of a property insurance policy or an increase in the premium for the policy solely on the basis of a policyholder’s ownership of a certain breed of dog, unless the dog is deemed dangerous in accordance with state law.

L.D. 1266, “An Act To Provide the Securities Administrator with the Power To Investigate Potential Violations Involving the Sale of Business Opportunities”: provides the securities administrator with the authority to investigate potential violations involving the sale of business opportunities and is charged with administering the law regarding the regulation of the sale of business opportunities.

L.D. 1277, “An Act To Streamline the Charitable Solicitations Act”: raises the threshold for licensure of charitable organizations to $25,000 per calendar year, eliminates licensing of commercial co-venturers and requires licensees only to update changed information and requires licensees to notify the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation of any change in the application within 10 days.

Judiciary Committee; work sessions; room 438; State House

L.D. 154, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Limited Liability for Recreational or Harvesting Activities”: includes premises to include private railroad crossings where recreational or harvesting activities may take place regardless of whether an agreement exists, removes the exemption where permission was granted for recreational or harvesting activity for money and provides recreational or harvesting activities do not limit liability that exist by a contract.

L.D. 165, “An Act To Prohibit the Use of Eminent Domain in Certain Public-Private Partnerships”: prohibits the use of the power of eminent domain for the development, operation, management, ownership, leasing or maintenance of a transportation facility as a public-private partnership project.

L.D. 236, “An Act To Protect the Privacy of Citizens from Domestic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Use”: for the permitted operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the bill requires the consent of the subject person, a warrant or court order, an emergency situation that threatens life or serious bodily injury or an emergency enforcement situation that threatens national security or evinces conspiratorial criminal conduct requiring immediate operation of the vehicle before a warrant can be obtained.

L.D. 548, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Award of Spousal Support in Divorce Actions”: renames “general support” as “transitional support”; removes the rebuttable presumption against an award of transitional support for marriages shorter than 10 years; provides for an end to transitional support if either party dies or reaches normal retirement age or if the party receiving support remarries or cohabits with someone for more than one year; provides that an award of transitional support may be modified for any other significant change in circumstances of either party; renames “transitional support” as “rehabilitative support” and limits the award of rehabilitative support to four years from the date the divorce action is filed; and eliminates the ability of the court to award nominal support.

L.D. 549, “An Act To Allow a Person Who Is 21 Years of Age or Older To Expunge Certain Criminal Convictions”: allows a person who is 21 years old or older to petition the secretary of state to expunge their criminal record if the crime was committed when the person was between 18 and 20 years old and it is their only criminal conviction.

1:30 p.m.

Education and Cultural Affairs Committee; pubic hearings; room 202; Cross Building

L.D. 906, “An Act To Permit a School Administrative Unit Discretion Concerning Participation of Students from Charter Schools in School Extracurricular and Interscholastic Activities”: allows a public charter school, at the discretion of the superintendent of the school administrative unit, to participate in school administrative unit-sponsored interscholastic and other activities and a student of the public charter school to participate in a school’s extracurricular activities.

L.D. 1346, “An Act To Ensure That Charter Schools Are Funded by the State”: establishes a moratorium on the authorization of new public charter schools until the State provides at least 55 percent of the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 and clarifies that teachers employed by a public charter school have the choice to join or not join a collective bargaining unit.

L.D. 1349, “An Act To Change the Process for Approval of Charter Schools”: designates the Legislature as the sole authorizer of public charter schools and virtual public charter schools in the state; amends the duties of the Maine Charter School Commission to advising the Legislature on approval or denial, and renewal or nonrenewal of public charter school applications, enter into contracts with authorized charter schools and monitor public charter schools.

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

L.D. 1293, “An Act To Create the Presque Isle Utilities District”: combines the Presque Isle Sewer District and the Presque Isle Water District to create the Presque Isle Utilities District.

L.D. 1336, “An Act To Dissolve the Lisbon Water Department”: dissolves the Lisbon Water Department.

L.D. 1342, “An Act To Ensure Just and Reasonable Sewer Utility Rates”: gives the Public Utilities Commission authority to investigate rate changes of sewer districts and sanitary districts if the commission receives a petition that meets certain criteria requesting it to do so.

Health and Human Services Committee; work sessions; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 517, “An Act To Restore Funding for Head Start”: add $4 million for the next two fiscal years to restore head start.

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.

3 p.m.

Health and Human Services Committee; work session; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 1066, “An Act To Increase Access to Health Coverage and Qualify Maine for Federal Funding”: expands medical coverage under the MaineCare program to adults who qualify with incomes up to 133 percent of the nonfarm income official poverty line with the 5 percent federal income adjustment for family size and qualifies Maine to receive federal funding for 100 percent of the cost of coverage for members who enroll under the expansion.

Copy the Story Link