KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Maine

LD1131 • 2025

An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act

An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representative Michael Soboleski
Last action
2025-06-12
Official status
Reports Read On motion by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot the Report B Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 479 Yeas 19 - Nays 16 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act

An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act Sponsor: Representative Michael Soboleski Reference committee: State and Local Government Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act Sponsor: Representative Michael Soboleski Reference committee: State and Local Government Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-12 Senate

    Reports Read On motion by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot the Report B Ought Not to Pass Report ACCEPTED in concurrence. PREVAILED Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 479 Yeas 19 - Nays 16 - Excused 0 - Absent 0 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-06-11 House

    Reports READ . On motion of Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook, REPORT B Ought Not to Pass was ACCEPTED . ROLL CALL NO. 448 (Yeas 80 - Nays 62 - Absent 7 - Excused 2) Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-06-11 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

  4. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-03-18 Committee

    Referred to Committee on State and Local Government.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act
Sponsor:
Representative Michael Soboleski
Reference committee:
State and Local Government
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1131
H.P. 750 House of Representatives, March 18, 2025
An Act to Reform the Process by Which a Person May Petition an
Agency to Adopt or Modify Rules Under the Maine Administrative
Procedure Act
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SOBOLESKI of Phillips.
Cosponsored by Senator MARTIN of Oxford and
Representative: SMITH of Palermo.

Page 1 - 132LR0789(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §8055, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1985, c. 506, Pt. A, §4, is further
3 amended to read:
43. Receipt of petition. Within 60 days after receipt of a petition, the agency shall
5 either notify the petitioner in writing of its denial, stating the reasons therefor, or initiate
6 appropriate rule-making proceedings. Whenever a petition to adopt or modify a rule is
7 submitted by 150 or more a number of registered voters of the State that is equal to or
8 greater than 1% of the total number of votes cast for Governor at the last gubernatorial
9 election preceding the filing of the petition, the agency shall initiate appropriate rulemaking
10 rule-making proceedings within 60 days after receipt of the petition. The petition must be
11 verified and certified in the same manner provided in Title 21‑A, section 354, subsection
12 7, prior to its presentation to the agency. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are
13 major substantive rules and subject to legislative review in accordance with subchapter
14 2-A.
15SUMMARY
16 This bill changes the number of voter signatures required on a petition to require an
17 agency to adopt or modify an agency rule from 150 to 1% of the total number of votes cast
18 for Governor at the last gubernatorial election preceding the filing of the petition. The bill
19 also specifies that the rules are major substantive rules.
16
17
18
19