The Legislative committees’ deadline to vote on all bills under their control has passed. Many have been sent for full votes in the House and Senate chambers but quite a few remain stuck in committees. Some await a price tag, while amendments are still being discussed for others. Those two issues are not mutually exclusive for some pieces of legislation. To date there have been 2,150 bill introduced during the current biennial Session.

Here is an update of recent actions on bills of interest to MMA. Please do not hesitate to contact Dan Morin at (207) 838-8613 (24/7) or by email at dmorin@mainemed.com on any of these bills. Bills can also be followed on our LD Tracker which can be found on the MMA website. 

Bills MMA Supports

LD 2007—An Act To Enact the Made for Maine Health Coverage Act and Improve Health Choices in Maine

(Dr. Karen Saylor testimony)

>Unanimously passed by Committee with minor amendments

LD 1957—An Act To Provide Women Access to Affordable Postpartum Care

(Dr. Connie Adler testimony)

>Passed first reading in both House & Senate

LD 1948 – An Act To Prohibit, Except in Emergency Situations, the Performance without Consent of Certain Examinations on Unconscious or Anesthetized Patients

(Dr. Jay Naliboff testimony; Dan Morin testimony; Hannah Martin testimony)

>Enacted by both House & Senate; on way to the Governor’s desk

LD 1937 – An Act To Provide Timely Access to Behavioral Health Services for Maine Children and To Address Trauma and the Impacts of the Opioid Crisis

(Dr. Deborah Hagler testimony)

>Passed to be engrossed by House & Senate

LD 1946 – An Act To Improve Access to Mental and Behavioral Health Care by Providing Care in Clinical Reproductive and Sexual Health Care Settings

(Dr. Norma Dreyfus testimony)

>Committee voted Ought Not to Pass

LD 1387 – An Act To Increase Access to Safe and Affordable Prescription Drugs

(Dr. Hani Jarawan testimony)

>Placed in legislative files—DEAD

LD 1492 – An Act To Reform Drug Sentencing Laws

(Dr. Lani Graham & Dan Morin appeared to provide comments)

>Additional Committee Work Session scheduled; bill held for further review & possible amendments

LD 2046—An Act Regarding Immunizations

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Committee hearing held

LD 1957 – An Act To Provide Women Access to Affordable Postpartum Care

(Dr. Connie Adler testimony)

> Amended version passed in House & engrossed by Senate

LD 2096 – An Act To Save Lives by Capping the Out-of-pocket Cost of Certain Medications

>Additional Work Session scheduled

LD 2105 – An Act To Protect Consumers from Surprise Emergency Medical Bills

(Dr. Jay Mullen testimony)

>Additional Work Session scheduled

LD 2106 – An Act Regarding Prior Authorizations for Prescription Drugs

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Additional Work Session scheduled

Bills MMA Opposed

LD 2110—An Act To Lower Health Care Costs

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Work Session TBD

Bills MMA determined Neither for Nor Against

LD 2111 – An  Act To Establish Patient Protections in Billing for Health Care

>Committee voted Ought to Pass as Amended

LD 1950 – An Act To Advance Palliative Care Utilization in the State

>Committee has reported out the bill—Ought Not to Pass

LD 2117—An Act To Expand and Rename the Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Committee hearing held

LD 2085 – An Act To Ensure Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care and Education in All Maine's Jails and State Correctional and Detention Facilities

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Work Session scheduled

LD 1961—An Act To Establish the Trust for a Healthy Maine

(Dan Morin testimony)

>Additional Work Session held