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LD377 • 2025

An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School

An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School

Education Healthcare Taxes
Active

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

Sponsor
Senator Joseph Baldacci
Last action
2025-03-18
Official status
Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 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 Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School

An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School Sponsor: Senator Joseph Baldacci Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School Sponsor: Senator Joseph Baldacci Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Latest committee action: Reported Out; 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. 2025-03-18 Senate

    Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-03-17 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP

  3. 2025-03-10 Committee

    Work Session Held

  4. 2025-03-10 Committee

    Voted; ONTP

  5. 2025-02-04 House

    The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS . In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  6. 2025-02-04 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School
Sponsor:
Senator Joseph Baldacci
Reference committee:
Education and Cultural Affairs
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 377
S.P. 133 In Senate, February 4, 2025
An Act to Establish a University of Maine Medical School and to
Dedicate Funds from Raising the Cigarette Tax to the School
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BALDACCI of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot, Representative: RANA of Bangor.

Page 1 - 132LR0732(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §4365, as amended by PL 2005, c. 218, §44 and c. 457, Pt. AA,
3 §1 and affected by §8, is further amended to read:
4§4365. Rate of tax
5 A tax is imposed on all cigarettes imported into this State or held in this State by any
6 person for sale at the rate of 100 150 mills for each cigarette. Payment of the tax is
7 evidenced by the affixing of stamps to the packages containing the cigarettes.
8Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4381 is amended to read:
9§4381. Tax credited to General Fund; University of Maine college of medicine
10 The revenue derived from the tax imposed by this chapter shall must be credited to the
11 General Fund of the State. as follows:
121. University of Maine System. Thirty-three percent of the revenue must be credited
13 to the University of Maine System for the location, construction, equipping and operation
14 of a college of medicine authorized pursuant to Private and Special Law 1865, chapter 532,
15 section 9-A; and
162. General Fund. Sixty-seven percent of the revenue must be credited to the General
17 Fund.
18Sec. 3. University of Maine System; college of medicine. The University of
19 Maine System shall locate, construct, equip and operate a college of medicine pursuant to
20 Private and Special Law 1865, chapter 532, section 9-A. The college of medicine must be
21 located in Penobscot County. The college of medicine must include, but is not limited to,
22 a rural health care course of study and clinic outreach to Aroostook County, Penobscot
23 County, Piscatiquis County, Washington County, Waldo County, Hancock County and
24 Somerset County.
25Sec. 4. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised
26 Statutes, Title 36, sections 4365 and 4381 take effect July 1, 2026.
27SUMMARY
28 This bill requires the University of Maine System to locate, construct, equip and
29 operate a college of medicine in Penobscot County. The college of medicine must include
30 a rural health care course of study and clinic outreach to Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscatiquis,
31 Washington, Waldo, Hancock and Somerset counties. The bill also increases the rate of
32 tax on cigarettes and credits that increase to the University of Maine System for the
33 location, construction, equipping and operation of a college of medicine. It also provides
34 an effective date of July 1, 2026 for the provisions regarding the increased tax and its use.
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