Law protecting tribal fishing waters among bills signed by Mills

Courtesy / Governor's Office Gov. Janet Mills signs LD 1775 into law Friday. The law protects sustenance fishing waters for Maine's tribes.

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By Staff

Gov. Janet Mills Friday signed into law a bill that protects sustenance fishing for Maine's tribes.

The legislation, which passed the Legislature with near unanimous support, establishes in Maine for the first time water quality standards designed to protect sustenance fishing in certain waters for Maine tribes.

Mills has signed nearly 400 bills from the 129th Legislature into law and will be signing more in the coming weeks, according to her staff.

Mills Friday signed LD 1775, which was introduced at Mills' request by House Speaker Sara Gideon, D-Freeport. The legislation establishes a new designated use of sustenance fishing in Maine's Water Classification Law and the most protective fish consumption rate in the country for select waters in Maine, according to Mills' office. The law will take effect 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature.

The Legislature adjourned Thursday morning. The Legislature completed 691 bills out of 1,892 introduced, according to Legiscan.com.

The governor has 10 days to sign or veto a bill after it is passed. If she takes no action and the Legislature is still in session, the bill comes law after 10 days, as though she'd signed it. If the Legislature has adjourned, the bill does not become law.

The second half of the 129th , the short session, begins in September. That session is to address emergency laws.

Recent bills signed

Recent bills Mills has signed into law include (for details on bills, visit the Legislature's website):

LD 18 "An Act To Ensure Proper Prosecution of Crimes Involving Domestic Violence and Enhance Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence.” (Emergency)

LD 19 "An Act To Require Public School Buses To Be Equipped with School Bus Crossing Arms"

LD 37 "An Act To Allow for the Sale of Nonprescription Drugs through Vending Machines"

LD 38 "An Act To Require Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids for Adults"

LD 75 "An Act To Protect Earned Pay"

LD 78 "An Act To Facilitate Access to the MaineCare Family Planning Benefit"

LD 125 "Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry To Convey Certain Lands to Roosevelt Conference Center Doing Business as Eagle Lake Sporting Camps"

LD 176 "An Act To Enhance Participation on the State Board of Education"

LD 204 "An Act To Provide Funding for a Ranger Pilot Position in the Maine Forest Service"

LD 347 "An Act To Provide Sustainable Funding for Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure"

LD 351 "An Act To Ensure Accuracy in the Labeling of Maine Meat and Poultry"

LD 376 "An Act To Expand Health Insurance Options for Town Academies"

LD 392 "An Act To Fund Maine's School-based Health Centers"

LD 443 "An Act To Prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding and Eye Damage in Infants"

LD 499 "An Act To Prohibit Payment per Signature on Petitions for Direct Initiatives and People's Veto Referendums"

LD 527 "Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands To Establish a Law Enforcement Training Program for Park Managers and Certain Bureau Staff"

LD 534 "An Act To Make Ballot Questions Easier To Read and Understand for Maine Voters" (Emergency)

LD 574 "An Act To Clarify That Petitions for Certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States Are Included within the Definition of Indigent Legal Services"

LD 577 "An Act To Increase Access to Nutritious Foods in Schools by Implementing an After-school Food Program for At-risk Students" (Emergency)

LD 642 "An Act Regarding Kindergarten Readiness for Children Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing"

LD 748 "An Act To Provide Relief to Survivors of Economic Abuse"

LD 764 "An Act To Limit the Dissemination of Certain Criminal Records"

LD 777 "An Act To Establish the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations"

LD 873 "An Act To Limit Registration Fees on Water Well Drilling Equipment To Encourage Purchasing of Modern Equipment for Rural Well Construction"

LD 892 "An Act To Exempt MaineCare Appendix C Private Nonmedical Institutions from the Service Provider Tax"

LD 982 "Resolve, To Expand the Use of the Women, Infants and Children Special Supplemental Food Program at Farmers' Markets" Sponsored by Representative Matthea Daughtry

LD 1002 "An Act Making Unified Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, Highway Fund and Other Funds, and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2019, June 30, 2020 and June 30, 2021" (Emergency) (Governor's Bill)

LD 1030 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Substance Use Disorder Services Commission"

LD 1044 "An Act To Advance Children's Cancer Research in Maine"

LD 1125 "An Act To Amend MaineCare Reimbursement Related to Bad Debt and Bed-hold Days"

LD 1219 "An Act To Establish an Independent Board To Review Law Enforcement Officer-involved Deaths"

LD 1220 "An Act To Remove Certain Restrictions Imposed on Retired State Employees Who Return to Work as Educators"

LD 1228 "Resolve, Requiring the Department of Health and Human Services To Create a Limited Benefit MaineCare Card for Individuals Eligible for the Medicare Savings Program"

LD 1230 "An Act To Update the Civil Animal Welfare Laws"

LD 1300 "Resolve, To Transfer the Guilford Butler School Property to the Town of South Thomaston" (Emergency)

LD 1324 "Resolve, To Establish the Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income Security"

LD 1340 "An Act To Require Criminal History Record Checks for All Prospective and Current Staff Members of the Office of the State Auditor"

LD 1370 "An Act To Address Violent Behavior in the Classroom"

LD 1375 "An Act To Prevent Law Enforcement Officers from Using Their Authority To Extract Sexual Favors"

LD 1393 "An Act To Change the Requirements for Recording Plans at the County Registries of Deeds"

LD 1400 "An Act To Improve Recruitment and Retention in State Law Enforcement by Offering Retirement Service Credit and To Improve Retirement Benefits for Veterans of the Cold War"

LD 1405 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Foreclosure To Ensure Timely Completion"

LD 1412 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Collective Bargaining Rights of Employees of School Management and Leadership Centers"

LD 1430 "An Act To Create Tax Equity among Renewable Energy Investments"

LD 1452 "An Act Regarding the Collection of the Sales and Use Tax by Marketplace Facilitators"

LD 1441 "An Act To Align the Laws Governing Dental Therapy with Standards Established by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation"

LD 1451 "An Act Providing Labor Unions with Reasonable Access to Current and Newly Hired Public Sector Workers"
LD 1463 "An Act To Create an Automatic Voter Registration System"

LD 1475 "An Act To Eliminate Profiling in Maine"

LD 1485 "An Act To Create an At-risk Persons Program in Maine"

LD 1487 "An Act To Exempt Holders of Gold Star Family Registration Plates from Vehicle Registration Fees"

LD 1488 "An Act To Allow Holders of Gold Star Family Registration Plates To Be Issued Complimentary Licenses To Hunt, Trap and Fish"

LD 1509 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code To Ensure It Is Consistent with Current Standards and Applies to Small Municipalities"

LD 1524 "An Act To Prevent Wage Theft and Promote Employer Accountability"

LD 1526 "An Act To Increase the Availability of Foster Homes"

LD 1535 "An Act To Correct Errors and Inconsistencies Related to the Maine Uniform Probate Code and To Make Other Substantive Changes" (Emergency)

LD 1543 "An Act To Amend the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code"

LD 1546 "An Act To Protect State Employees When Their Contracts Have Expired"

LD 1549 "An Act To Increase the Supplement for Certain National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certified Teachers in Maine"

LD 1568 "An Act Authorizing the Deorganization of Magalloway Plantation"

LD 1586 "An Act To Promote Major Food Processing and Manufacturing Facility Expansion and To Create Jobs in Maine"

LD 1614 "Resolve, Establishing the Commission To Study the Economic, Environmental and Energy Benefits of Energy Storage to the Maine Electricity Industry"

LD 1620 "An Act To Exclude Collectively Bargained Salary and Job Promotion Increases from the Earnable Compensation Limitation for Retirement Purposes"

LD 1626 "An Act To Implement a Presidential Primary System in Maine"

LD 1632 "An Act Regarding Criminal Procedure with Respect to Allowable Defenses"

LD 1674 "An Act To Amend the Laws Concerning the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program"

LD 1677 "An Act To Allow Reentry Houses as Part of Supervised Community Confinement"

LD 1685 "An Act To Facilitate Entry of Immigrants into the Workforce"

LD 1691 "An Act To Ban Use of Aerial Herbicide Spraying for the Purpose of Deforestation"

LD 1713 "An Act To Return Funds to Maine Property Tax Payers"

LD 1731 "An Act Regarding Representation of the Department of Marine Resources in Libel Proceedings"

LD 1762 "Resolve, Authorizing the Transfer of a Plot of Land from the State to the Town of Allagash"

LD 1775 "An Act To Protect Sustenance Fishing" (Governor's Bill)

LD 1783 "An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws"

LD 1785 "An Act To Amend Certain Education Laws"

LD 1790 "An Act To Amend the Law To Protect the Confidentiality of State and Local Government Employees' Private Information"

LD 1792 "An Act To Ensure Compliance with Federal Family First Prevention Services Legislation"

LD 1794 "An Act To Amend the Service Fee for Child Support Services"

LD 1798 "An Act To Amend the Maine Tax Laws"LD 1801 "An Act To Ensure Compliance with Federal Requirements for Background Checks of Certain Department of Health and Human Services Employees"

LD 1811 "An Act To Enhance Personal and Public Safety by Requiring Evaluations of and Judicial Hearings for Persons in Protective Custody Regarding Risk of Harm and Restricting Access to Dangerous Weapons"

LD 1820 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Investigations by School Entities into Holders of Credentials"

LD 1824 "An Act To Make Certain Snowmobile and Watercraft Laws Consistent with All-terrain Vehicle Laws"

LD 1826 "An Act To Update the Laws Relating to Liquor Licensing and Enforcement"

LD 1827 "Resolve, To Designate a Bridge in Indian Purchase Township the Detective Benjamin Campbell Bridge"

LD 1828 "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Overtime" (Emergency)(Governor's Bill)

LD 1843 "An Act To Provide Funding for Two Positions in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry" (Governor's Bill)