Gov. Janet Mills, who took office in January, vowed to work quickly. In recent weeks, she signed the following business-related bills into law: LD 201, “An Act to Protect Jobs in the State by Requiring Advance Notice of Closure of Call Centers,” requires the operator of a call center in Maine to provide the Commissioner […]
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Gov. Janet Mills, who took office in January, vowed to work quickly. In recent weeks, she signed the following business-related bills into law:
LD 201, “An Act to Protect Jobs in the State by Requiring Advance Notice of Closure of Call Centers,” requires the operator of a call center in Maine to provide the Commissioner of Labor 120 days’ notice before relocating the call center or a part of the call center. If the employer fails to notify the Commissioner of Labor of the relocation of the call center at least 120 days before the relocation, a daily fine of $10,000 may be assessed.
LD 372, “An Act to Increase the Safety of Maine Residents in Extended Power Outages,” establishes requirements for an investor-owned transmission and distribution utility to establish emergency response plans for recovery and restoration in response to an event where widespread outages have occurred due to weather events or other causes beyond the utility’s control. It requires that the prioritization process under the plan follow the statewide comprehensive emergency management plan and include consideration of steps to ensure safety of electric facilities, road opening and service restoration.
LD 523, “An Act to Permit the Indoor Production of Industrial Hemp,” allows for the indoor production of industrial hemp. A person desiring to grow industrial hemp for commercial purposes shall apply to the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for a license. The application must include the name and address of the applicant, the legal description of the land area or indoor facility to be used for the production of industrial hemp and a map, an aerial photograph or global positioning coordinates sufficient for locating the production fields or the floor plan of any indoor production facility. Because this was approved by the 129th Legislature as an emergency bill, the legislation takes effect immediately.
LD 658, “Resolve, To Direct a Plan for Energy Independence for Maine,” directs the Governor’s Energy Office, in coordination with the development of the state energy plan or other planning initiatives, to conduct an analysis for at least one scenario for Maine to become a net exporter of energy by 2030 through the development and expansion of energy generating capacity, energy conservation and energy efficiency at levels sufficient to offset the total value of the state’s domestic energy consumption across all sectors. The amendment requires the Governor’s Energy Office to report to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology by Dec. 31, 2019, on progress regarding the state energy plan and the analysis for Maine to become a net exporter of energy.
LD 971, “An Act to Encourage the Purchase and Sale of Locally Grown and Raised Crops and Products,” directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to establish a “specialty crops certification cost-share pilot program” in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and authorizes the department to reimburse qualified farms for up to 50% of the cost of certification of specialty crops under the “good agricultural practices” and “good handling practices” voluntary audit programs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. The amendment provides that reimbursement of funds under the program is for initial one-time payment and may not be more than $500 per qualified farm.
LD 983, “An Act to Exempt from Permit Requirements the Repair of Low-head Dams,” exempts low-head dams from the permitting requirements for repair under the Natural Resources Protection Act.
LD 1013, “An Act to Clarify the Disqualification from Unemployment Benefits of a Person Who Is Terminated from Employment for Being Under the Influence of Marijuana,” clarifies that an individual whose employment is terminated because of the individual’s being under the influence of marijuana while on duty or when reporting to work is disqualified from unemployment benefits, as is currently the case for alcohol and illegal drugs.
