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LD23 • 2025

An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist

An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senator Richard Bennett
Last action
2025-05-29
Official status
Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure)
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 Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist

An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure)

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist Sponsor: Senator Richard Bennett Reference committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Governor action: Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure)

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR0086(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR0086(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 23 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • S- ) 3HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6SENATE 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to S.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-29 Governor

    Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure)

  2. 2025-05-27 House

    This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary. PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-05-27 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence.

  4. 2025-05-15 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2025-02-05 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-02-05 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2025-01-06 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist
Sponsor:
Senator Richard Bennett
Reference committee:
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor (Emergency Measure)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR0086(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
S.P. 37 - L.D. 23
An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a
Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, Maine is experiencing a shortage of dentists; and
Whereas, this legislation extends the time by which the operations of a dental practice
may continue after the death or incapacitation of a dentist; and
Whereas, this legislation must take effect prior to the 90-day period to provide
additional time for dental practices to be sold after the death or incapacitation of a dentist;
and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 13 MRSA §732, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. C, §26 and
affected by PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14, is further amended to read:
5. Legal guardian or personal representative of deceased or incapacitated dentist.
For the purposes of this chapter, the legal guardian or personal representative of a dentist
licensed under Title 32, chapter 143 may contract with another dentist to continue the
operations of the practice of the deceased or incapacitated dentist for a period of up to 24
48 months after the death or incapacitation of the dentist or until the practice is sold,
whichever occurs first. For purposes of this subsection, "personal representative" has the
same meaning as in Title 18‑C, section 1‑201, subsection 40.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.
APPROVED
MAY 29, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
121
PUBLIC LAW