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

LD731 • 2025

An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters

An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters

Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Grayson Lookner
Last action
2025-05-30
Official status
Signed by the Governor
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 Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters

An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters Sponsor: Representative Grayson Lookner Reference committee: State and Local Government Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters Sponsor: Representative Grayson Lookner Reference committee: State and Local Government Governor action: Signed by the Governor

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 - 132LR1340(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR1340(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 731 2 Date: (Filing No.
  • H- ) 3STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
  • 5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-30 Governor

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2025-05-27 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-05-27 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  4. 2025-05-15 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM

  5. 2025-04-28 Committee

    Work Session Reconsidered

  6. 2025-04-28 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  7. 2025-04-14 Committee

    Work Session Held

  8. 2025-04-14 Committee

    Voted; OTP-AM

  9. 2025-02-25 Committee

    Referred to Committee on State and Local Government.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless Shelters
Sponsor:
Representative Grayson Lookner
Reference committee:
State and Local Government
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR1340(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 473 - L.D. 731
An Act to Prohibit Municipalities from Barring the Creation of Homeless
Shelters
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §4357-B is enacted to read:
§4357-B. Homeless shelters
1. Definition. As used in this section, "homeless shelter" means a housing facility,
the primary purpose of which is to provide temporary overnight accommodations to
persons experiencing homelessness who are guests in either a dormitory-style or dwelling-
unit-style arrangement or any combination of such arrangements.
2. Homeless shelters may not be prohibited. A municipality may not prohibit
homeless shelters in the municipality. This prohibition does not limit a municipality's home
rule authority to reasonably regulate homeless shelters.
APPROVED
MAY 30, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
156
PUBLIC LAW