Resolve, Establishing the Commission to Study Unmanaged Storm Water Pollution

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STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
H.P. 414 - L.D. 646
Resolve, Establishing the Commission to Study Unmanaged Storm Water
Pollution
Sec. 1. Commission established. Resolved: That the Commission to Study
Unmanaged Storm Water Pollution, referred to in this resolve as "the commission," is
established.
Sec. 2. Commission membership. Resolved: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule
353, the commission consists of 13 members appointed as follows:
1. Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including one
member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;
2. Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the
House, including at least one member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number
of seats in the Legislature;
3. One representative of an environmental group, appointed by the President of the
Senate;
4. One representative who is an engineer with expertise in the design and
implementation of storm water planning for development purposes, appointed by the
President of the Senate;
5. One representative of municipal government, appointed by the Speaker of the
House;
6. One representative of the development industry, appointed by the Speaker of the
House;
7. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner's designee;
8. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the commissioner's designee;
9. The Commissioner of Marine Resources or the commissioner's designee; and
10. The Commissioner of Transportation or the commissioner's designee.
APPROVED
APRIL 16, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
166
RESOLVES
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Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate chair
and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the
commission.
Sec. 4. Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: That all
appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this
resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative
Council once all appointments have been completed. After appointment of all members,
the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission within 45 days. If 30
days or more after the effective date of this resolve a majority of but not all appointments
have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant
authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business.
Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the commission shall meet to review, study and
analyze existing scientific literature and data on storm water pollution gathered from
stakeholder input and how it has affected or potentially will affect the State's valuable
waters, habitats and species along the coast and shall:
1. Compile and review data regarding the actual and potential effects of storm water
pollution on public and environmental health;
2. Identify and develop strategies to address knowledge gaps that hinder the State's
ability to craft law, policy and other responses to mitigate storm water pollution;
3. Identify pollutants of concern that are not effectively managed through state and
federal storm water laws and rules, including, but not limited to, chloride pollution, and
recommend strategies to address those identified pollutants;
4. Identify and recommend strategies to address storm water pollution associated with
development that is not effectively managed through state and federal storm water laws
and rules, including through the municipal separate storm sewer system general permitting
process, or through other regulatory tools; and
5. Identify barriers, such as staffing and budget, to adopting the necessary policies and
tools to properly address storm water pollution to protect public health, water quality,
essential habitats and commercially important species.
Sec. 6. Staff assistance. Resolved: That the Legislative Council shall provide
necessary staffing services to the commission, except that Legislative Council staff support
is not authorized when the Legislature is in regular or special session.
Sec. 7. Outside funding. Resolved: That the commission may seek financial
contributions to fund the costs of the study. All funding is subject to approval by the
Legislative Council in accordance with its policies.
Sec. 8. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 1, 2026, the commission
shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to date, including suggested
legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. The
joint standing committee is authorized to submit a bill to the 133rd Legislature in 2027
related to the subject matter of the report.