LD861 • 2025

An Act to Prohibit the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service

Energy Technology

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Representative Sophia Warren
Last action: 2025-06-22
Official status: Became Law without Governor's Signature
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 the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service

An Act to Prohibit the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service Sponsor: Representative Sophia Warren Reference committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

What This Bill Does

An Act to Prohibit the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service Sponsor: Representative Sophia Warren Reference committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

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.

C-A (H-476)

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR2150(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR2150(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
861 2 Date: (Filing No.
H- ) 3ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY 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.

C-B (H-477)

Filed

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR2150(03) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR2150(03) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
861 2 Date: (Filing No.
H- ) 3ENERGY, UTILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY 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

2025-06-22 Governor
Became Law without Governor's Signature
2025-06-09 House
PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2025-06-09 Senate
PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.
2025-06-03 Committee
Reported Out; OTP-AM/OTP-AM
2025-05-20 Committee
Work Session Held
2025-05-20 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2025-05-14 Committee
Work Session Held; TABLED
2025-05-08 Committee
Work Session Held; TABLED
2025-03-04 Committee
Referred to Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Prohibit the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service
Sponsor:
Representative Sophia Warren
Reference committee:
Energy, Utilities and Technology
Governor action:
Became Law without Governor's Signature

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Page 1 - 132LR2150(04)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 547 - L.D. 861
An Act to Prohibit the Public Advocate and a Commissioner of the Public
Utilities Commission from Certain Employment Activities Following Service
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §124 is enacted to read:
§124. Post-term employment restrictions; commissioners
1. Definition. As used in this section, "employment" means any full-time or part-time
work performed for compensation and includes, but is not limited to, consulting and
membership on a board.
2. Prohibitions. An individual serving as a commissioner on or appointed to serve as
a commissioner on or after December 15, 2025 may not, until 12 months after the
completion of the commissioner's service in accordance with section 105, subsection 2:
A. Solicit employment with or accept employment from a public utility in the State; or
B. Appear before the commission for compensation in a commission proceeding on
behalf of a person.
3. Penalties. An individual who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty not to
exceed $1,000 per occurrence, payable to the State.
4. Enforcement. The Office of the Attorney General may investigate alleged violations
of this section and bring an action for a violation of this section.
Sec. 2. 35-A MRSA §1715 is enacted to read:
§1715. Post-term employment restrictions
1. Definition. As used in this section, "employment" means any full-time or part-time
work performed for compensation and includes, but is not limited to, consulting and
membership on a board.
2. Certain employment prohibited. An individual serving as the Public Advocate on
or appointed to serve as the Public Advocate on or after December 15, 2025 may not, until
12 months after the completion of the Public Advocate's service in accordance with section
1701, subsection 1-A:
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

JUNE 22, 2025
CHAPTER
406
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR2150(04)
A. Solicit employment with or accept employment from a public utility in the State; or
B. Appear before the commission for compensation in a commission proceeding on
behalf of a person, other than a state agency or quasi-independent state entity, if that
person was a party to an adjudicatory proceeding in which the Public Advocate was a
party during the Public Advocate's term of service.
3. Penalties. An individual who violates this section is subject to a civil penalty not to
exceed $1,000 per occurrence, payable to the State.
4. Enforcement. The Office of the Attorney General may investigate alleged violations
of this section and bring an action for a violation of this section.