1 p.m.

Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee; work session; room 211; Cross Building

L.D. 675, “An Act To Amend the Charter of the Veazie Sewer District To Expand Its Boundaries”: emergency bill, includes in the Veazie Sewer District territory all of the Town of Veazie that lies between the Penobscot River and Interstate 95.

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

L.D. 170, “Resolve, To Allow the Use of Live Bait When Ice Fishing in Certain Waters of the State”: directs the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to reverse the proposals that prohibit the use of live bait for ice fishing in specific lakes and requires the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to review the issue of live bait and submit legislation.

L.D. 599, “An Act To Review Possible Expansion of Dip Net Fishing in Northern Maine”: proposes to consider the expansion of dip net smelt fishing in northern Maine in specific streams in Aroostook County that are now closed.

Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee; work sessions; room 206; Cross Building

L.D. 254, “Resolve, To Establish the Northern Maine Advisory Task Force on Deer”: establishes the Northern Maine Advisory Task Force on Deer which would be charged with examining deer predation and ways to improve the deer population in northern Maine.

L.D. 280, “Resolve, Concerning Rights-of-way over Eastern Road in Scarborough”: ratifies certain conveyances made by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife that granted access to Eastern Road in the Town of Scarborough.

L.D. 423, “An Act Regarding the Driving of Deer”: allows a group of six or fewer persons to hunt together in a deer hunt as long as they are accompanied by a registered Maine guide and do not use noise-making devices.

L.D. 544, “An Act To Give Certain Landowners First Priority for Antlerless Deer Permits”: requires that all antlerless deer permits available in a wildlife management district be issued to landowners who own at least 25 contiguous acres of land open to hunting by the public and have applied for the permit.

L.D. 705, “An Act To Amend the Junior Hunting License Requirements”: allows a junior hunting license to be issued to a person who attains 10 years of age in the calendar year of the hunting season.

L.D. 717, “An Act To Provide Free Fishing Licenses to Certain Children in the Custody of the Department of Health and Human Services”: allows a complimentary fishing license to be issued to any resident 16 or 17 years of age who is in the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services.

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

L.D. 158, “An Act To Amend the Notice of Risk to Personal Data Act To Further Protect Consumers”: requires that notice of a personal information security breach must be made no later than 30 days after the discovery of the breach to residents affected by the breach, made immediately to state regulators and doubles the fines for a civil violation.

L.D. 580, “An Act To Prohibit Denial of Insurance Coverage When a Building Contains a Wood Stove”: requires an insurance policy to provide coverage for a property containing a wood stove if the installation of the stove has been inspected and approved by the municipal building official and meets all applicable fire safety codes and ordinances.

L.D. 603, “An Act To Repeal an Insurance Reporting Requirement”: repeals a requirement that the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, superintendent of insurance provide an annual report regarding workers’ compensation insurance premium and loss costs data.

L.D. 645, “An Act To Allow the Adjustment of the Assessment Rate for the Rural Medical Access Program”: authorizes the superintendent of insurance to lower the assessment rate in order to allow for the orderly and prudent drawdown of excess funds not needed by the Rural Medical Access Program.

L.D. 648, “An Act To Make Records of External Review Proceedings Overseen by the Bureau of Insurance Confidential”: protects the confidentiality of records concerning an insurance carrier’s adverse health care treatment decision.

L.D. 653, “An Act To Remove an Unnecessary Provision in the Maine Insurance Code”: repeals the requirement a carrier offering standardized Medicare supplement plans that include prescription drug coverage to allow an insured of that carrier who was formerly eligible for the low-cost drugs for the elderly or disabled program to purchase a plan with drug benefits from that carrier.

L.D. 683, “An Act To Assist Homeowners with Wood Stoves in Obtaining Property Insurance”: requires an insurance policy to provide coverage for a property containing 2 heating sources sharing the same flue.

Judiciary Committee; work sessions; room 438; State House

L.D. 46, “An Act To Protect Maine Business Names”: requires the Secretary of State to disregard certain words, symbols and numbers when determining whether the name of a business is distinguishable from the names of other businesses.

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. 206, “An Act To Protect Title to Real and Personal Property of Public Employees”: permits a civil action by a public employee to recover damages from a person who knowingly files a false lien of encumbrance against the public employee for the amount of the lien and the legal costs to bringing the action.

L.D. 352, “An Act To Prohibit Prisoners from Filing Protection from Harassment Complaints against Corrections Personnel”: prevents a person who is confined in a state correctional or detention facility or a county jail from bringing a complaint of harassment against a corrections officer or any other person responsible for the person’s custody, care or treatment.

L.D. 395, “An Act To Allow a Pet Owner To Collect Noneconomic Damages for the Death of a Pet”: creates a cause of action for people to collect damage if another person or another person’s animal kills their pet at a limit of $5,000.

L.D. 424, “An Act To Amend the Short Form Deeds Act”: provides that the giving of real estate title must be done to be given in the highest form of ownership, unless a different intention is clearly expressed.

L.D. 458, “An Act Regarding Comparative Negligence”: provides that if a jury finds that the fault of the claimant is greater than the fault of all other persons, the claimant may not recover.

L.D. 503, “An Act To Amend the Limited Liability Company Laws”: requirements for the name of a limited liability company that is filling an assumed name or registering a name of a foreign LLC to make the provision consistent with other filing laws.

L.D. 550, “An Act To Require Probate Judges, Registers of Probate and Registers of Deeds To Be Appointed”: reforms the probate court system by: requiring probate judges to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the senate, registers of probate will be appointed by the probate judge in that county and registers of deeds will be appointed by the county commissioners of their counties.

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

L.D. 696, “An Act To Include Raising Equines in the Definition of Agriculture for the Purpose of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Act of 1992”: amends the definition of “agriculture” to include the raising of equines and equines are included in “products used in animal agriculture” for purposes of providing an exemption from the sales and use tax.

L.D. 761, “An Act To Clarify the Agricultural Exemption to the Workers’ Compensation Laws”: exempts from workers’ compensation if the employer has 6 or fewer full-time agricultural or aquacultural laborers.

L.D. 914, “An Act To Certify Nuclear Medicine Technologists in Computed Tomography”: creates a computed tomography certification for nuclear medicine technologists that hold a current license to practice and has successfully passed the certification examination.

L.D. 933, “An Act To Establish a Separate Regulatory Board for Dental Hygienists”: establishes the State Board of Dental Hygienists.

L.D. 934, “An Act To Amend the Laws on Extended Warranties for Used Cars To Make Terms of Coverage Transparent”: requires that used car dealers disclose in a written statement, either handwritten or typed, the date an extended warranty begins and ends.

Transportation Committee; public hearings; room 126; State House

L.D. 473, “Resolve, To Widen the Shoulders of Highways”: directs the Department of Transportation to review and evaluate the roadside brush program and report by Feb. 1 and increase the safety clear zone along highways to at least 12 feet giving priority to where there have been accidents.

L.D. 582, “An Act To Enhance and Encourage Economic Development of the Lower Penobscot River Basin by Creating a Niche Port Plan”: proposes to amend the current law to enhance and encourage economic development and opportunities in the lower Penobscot River basin through the development of a strategic plan for niche port development.

1:15 p.m.

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

L.D. 826, “An Act To Eliminate the Opt-out Charges for Smart Meters”: prohibits a transmission and distribution utility from charging a customer a fee or a higher rate for declining the installation or for the removal of a wireless smart meter and may not read the meter less frequently than once every 12 months, and may establish a rate collection method that is based upon the average electricity consumption of the customer.

L.D. 885, “An Act To Remove Obsolete Provisions of the Electric Industry Restructuring Laws”: repeals the requirement that electric utilities to issue unbundled bills to consumers that state the cost of electricity separately from the cost of the transmission and distribution of that electricity, the consumer education program and the requirement that each investor-owned utility prepare a plan for providing transition services; it transfers funds for the consumer education program to the General Fund.

L.D. 950, “An Act To Establish the Electromagnetic Field Safety Act”: requires that, beginning Oct. 1, all new transmission line and electrical installations capable of carrying 5,000 volts or more of electricity must be set back at least 300 feet from residential homes, residential care facilities, hospitals, schools, licensed daycare facilities, playgrounds, youth centers, religious facilities and youth camps.

1:30 p.m.

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

L.D. 434, “An Act To Provide a Safe Working Environment for Home Care Workers”: requires home health care providers to provide safe working conditions for their employees, including checking the sex offender registry for information on a client before sending an employee to the home of the client.

L.D. 515, “An Act Regarding the Annual Service Fee for Child Support Services Provided by the Department of Health and Human Services”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to pay the $25 annual fee for the assistance of the department in the collection of child support for certain families.

L.D. 520, “An Act To Protect Maine Consumers from Predatory Medical Pricing”: proposes to establish standardized pricing for health care procedures in order to protect Maine consumers from predatory pricing.

L.D. 539, “An Act To Ensure Parity in the Ability To Counsel Patients”: adds licensed clinical professional counselors to the list of persons who may provide counseling to a minor in connection with the minor’s decision regarding pregnancy.

L.D. 610, “Resolve, To Amend the Rule Regarding Certain Mandatory Charity Care Policies To Be Consistent with MaineCare and the Federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act”: requires the Department of Health and Human Services to permit hospitals to impose the asset test for MaineCare in effect as of Jan. 1, 2013 and to establish the federal poverty limit eligibility threshold at 133 percent for individuals eligible for federal premium tax credits to purchase insurance through exchanges.

L.D. 625, “An Act To Exempt Certain Businesses from Being Considered Campgrounds”: emergency bill, exempts a commercial lot permitted by the municipality as a racetrack or for another mass public gathering purpose where any camping is incidental and the owner or renter does not charge a fee beyond the attendance fee for a person to camp overnight from licensing as a campground.

L.D. 629, “An Act To Restore Eligibility and Funding for Drug Programs for the Elderly and Disabled”: instructs the commissioner of Health and Human Services to submit an application to increase the income eligibility levels for the Medicare savings program by 10 percent contingent upon the approval of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

2 p.m.

Agriculture, Conservation and Foresry Committee; public hearings; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 493, “An Act To Provide Economic Development in Aroostook County through Expanded Sale and Lease of State-owned Land”: proposes to increase economic development in Aroostook County by permitting expanded leasing or sale of state-owned property.

L.D. 639, “An Act To Require Payment Quotes in Service Contracts for the Harvesting and Hauling of Wood”: proposes that the contracting party notify those hired to harvest or haul wood the price per ton they are being paid prior to the service.

L.D. 714, “An Act To Clarify the Laws Governing the Rule-making Authority of the Maine Forest Service”: provides that the Maine Forest Service may develop rules to destroy or order the destruction or other mitigation of nearby trees that are likely to become infested in order to control the spread of the outbreak of a plant pathogen or insect.

L.D. 837, “An Act To Clarify the Laws Establishing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry”: emergency bill; establishes the Potato Marketing Improvement Fund Committee to advise the Maine Potato Board; transfers the responsibility for maintenance of the Aroostoock County office to the Maine Potato Board; expands the mission statement of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to include the economy; changes the guiding principles of the department to include Noneconomic and locally grown, sustainable principles; refines the scope of the two deputy commissioners’ oversight and specifies the qualifications of the commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; and authorizes the Finance Authority of Maine to make payments from the Potato Marketing Improvement Fund to the Maine Potato Board.

3 p.m.

Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; work sessions; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 484, “An Act To Revise the Animal Welfare Laws”: includes small animals under the laws relating to animal shelters and animal control officers and provides guidelines for the disposition of small animals, permits applicants for licenses as animal shelters and boarding kennels to receive conditional licenses to be able to begin operations pending completion of the full licensing process and provides standards for the humane trapping of animals by animal control officers.

L.D. 524, “An Act To Increase the Membership of the Land for Maine’s Future Board”: increases the membership of the Land for Maine’s Future Board to 11 members.

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

L.D. 488, “An Act To Improve Access to Home-based and Community-based Care in the MaineCare Program”: provides that Department of Health and Human Services coverage for services to a member who is served under one of the home-based and community-based care waiver programs in MaineCare must be at least 95% of the cost of a member served in a nursing facility.

L.D. 597, “An Act To Inform Persons of the Options for the Treatment of Lyme Disease”: directs the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to include on its publicly accessible website information about the treatment of Lyme disease, both alternative treatments and the treatment recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

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