LD749 • 2025

An Act to Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim Appointments of United States Senators

Elections

Active

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

Sponsor: Representative David Boyer
Last action: 2025-06-25
Official status: Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE 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 Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim Appointments of United States Senators

An Act to Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim Appointments of United States Senators Sponsor: Representative David Boyer Reference committee: State and Local Government Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP/ONTP

What This Bill Does

An Act to Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim Appointments of United States Senators Sponsor: Representative David Boyer 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

2025-06-25 Senate
Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES . (DEAD)
2025-04-29 House
Reports READ . Motion of Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook to ACCEPT the Minority Ought Not to Pass Report FAILED . ROLL CALL NO. 102 (Yeas 56 - Nays 90 - Absent 4 - Excused 0 - Restricted - 1) Subsequently, on motion of Representative SALISBURY of Westbrook, the Majority Ought to Pass Report was ACCEPTED . The Bill was READ ONCE . Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading . The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2025-04-23 Committee
Reported Out; OTP/ONTP
2025-04-09 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-04-09 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-02-25 Committee
Referred to Committee on State and Local Government.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim Appointments of United States Senators
Sponsor:
Representative David Boyer
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. 749
H.P. 491 House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Ensure That the Will of the Voters Is Reflected in Interim
Appointments of United States Senators
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BOYER of Poland.
Cosponsored by Senator HAGGAN of Penobscot and
Representatives: CHAPMAN of Auburn, DRINKWATER of Milford, FROST of Belgrade,
HENDERSON of Rumford, PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft, WARREN of Scarborough,
Senators: GROHOSKI of Hancock, HICKMAN of Kennebec.

Page 1 - 132LR1635(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §391, sub-§1, as corrected by RR 2019, c. 2, Pt. B, §50, is
3 amended to read:
41. Interim appointment. Within a reasonable time after the vacancy occurs, the
5 Governor shall appoint a qualified person to fill the vacancy until that person's successor
6 is elected and qualified. If the person who vacated the office was enrolled in a political
7 party at the time of that person's last election to that office, the qualified person appointed
8 to fill the vacancy must have been enrolled in that party at the time of the most recent
9 election and at the time the office was vacated and must be enrolled in that party at the time
10 the qualified person is appointed. If the person who vacated the office was not enrolled in
11 a political party at the time of that person's last election to that office, the qualified person
12 appointed to fill the vacancy may not have been enrolled in a political party at the time of
13 the most recent election and at the time the office was vacated and may not be enrolled in
14 a political party at the time the qualified person is appointed.
15SUMMARY
16 This bill provides that if there is a vacancy in the office of United States Senator and
17 the person who vacated the office was enrolled in a political party at the time of that
18 person's last election to that office, the qualified person appointed to fill the vacancy must
19 have been enrolled in that party at the time of the most recent election and at the time the
20 office was vacated and must be enrolled in that party at the time the qualified person is
21 appointed. If the person who vacated the office was not enrolled in a political party at the
22 time of that person's last election to that office, the qualified person appointed to fill the
23 vacancy may not have been enrolled in a political party at the time of the most recent
24 election and at the time the office was vacated and may not be enrolled in a political party
25 at the time the qualified person is appointed.
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