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LD995 • 2025

An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance

An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance

Energy Technology
Active

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

Sponsor
Representative Melanie Sachs
Last action
2026-04-29
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 Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance

An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance Sponsor: Representative Melanie Sachs Reference committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance Sponsor: Representative Melanie Sachs Reference committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology Latest committee action: Reported Out; OTP-AM/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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR0496(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR0496(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 995 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

  1. 2026-04-29 Senate

    Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES . (DEAD)

  2. 2025-04-30 House

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

  3. 2025-04-28 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

  4. 2025-04-01 Committee

    Work Session Held

  5. 2025-04-01 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  6. 2025-03-11 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer Assistance
Sponsor:
Representative Melanie Sachs
Reference committee:
Energy, Utilities and Technology
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 995
H.P. 642 House of Representatives, March 11, 2025
An Act to Provide Funding for Low-income Electric Ratepayer
Assistance
Submitted by the Office of the Public Advocate pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SACHS of Freeport.
Cosponsored by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock and
Representatives: BRENNAN of Portland, FOSTER of Dexter, KESSLER of South Portland,
MCINTYRE of Lowell, RUNTE of York, STOVER of Boothbay, WARREN of Scarborough.

Page 1 - 132LR0496(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 35-A MRSA §3214, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2023, c. 201, §1; c. 230,
3 §2; c. 306, §§2 and 3; and c. 361, §§3 to 5, is further amended by enacting at the end a new
4 last blocked paragraph to read:
5 As used in this subsection, "low-income household" means a household with income of no
6 more than 150% of the federal poverty level, as defined in Title 22, section 3762, subsection
7 1, paragraph C.
8Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
9 allocations are made.
10HOUSING AUTHORITY, MAINE STATE
11Low-income Home Energy Assistance - MSHA 0708
12 Initiative: Provides one-time funds in fiscal year 2025-26 and fiscal year 2026-27 only for
13 low-income electric ratepayer assistance.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $7,500,000 $7,500,000
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $7,500,000 $7,500,000
14SUMMARY
15 This bill specifies, for purposes of needs-based low-income assistance for electricity
16 customers, that "low-income household" means a household with income of no more than
17 150% of the federal poverty level. The bill also provides one-time funds of $7,500,000 in
18 fiscal year 2025-26 and in fiscal year 2026-27 for low-income electric ratepayer assistance.
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