132nd Legislative Session Bill Tracker

(2026 Short Session)

The second half of the 132nd Maine Legislature is underway and we’re tracking a number of priority bills related to MYCJ’s core principles. Our Bill Tracker has details on those bills and actions you can take to advocate with us. Check out the legislative toolkit for information on how to submit testimony, contact your legislators, and more.

Our 2026 Legislative Priorities

Legislative Toolkit

LD 838, Resolve, to Establish a Commission to Study Options for Public Financing of Transmission and Distribution Infrastructure and Energy Storage Projects

Sponsor: Sen. Mark Lawrence (York County)

Maine Youth for Climate Justice supports this bill.

SUMMARY
”This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to explore savings options for electricity ratepayers through public financing and ownership of electric transmission and distribution infrastructure.” Read the full bill text.

STATUS
The public hearing occurred on January 20th, 2026. The bill is now in committee.

LD 1730, An Act Regarding the Beneficial Electrification Policy of the State

Sponsor: Rep. Gary Friedman (Bar Harbor)
Maine Youth for Climate Justice supports this bill.

SUMMARY

“This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. This bill proposes to make changes to the laws governing the beneficial electrification policy of the State.” Read the full bill text.

STATUS
The public hearing for this bill occurred on January 6th, 2026. The bill then passed in committee 10 - 2 (2 R's joined all D's in voting yes).

LD 1870, An Act to Establish a Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to Impose Penalties on Climate Polluters

Sponsor: Senator Stacy Brenner (Cumberland County)
Maine Youth for Climate Justice support this bill.

SUMMARY
”This bill establishes the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program within the Department of Environmental Protection. Under the program, an entity or a successor in interest to an entity that was engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 2024 is assessed a cost recovery demand for the entity's share of fossil fuel extraction or refinement contributing to greenhouse gas-related costs in the State. An entity is assessed a cost recovery demand only if the department determines that the entity's products were responsible for more than one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Cost recovery payments received by the department are deposited into the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program Fund to provide funding for recovery of the costs to develop and implement the program and fund and for climate change adaptation projects in the State, which the department is directed to prioritize through the adoption of a resilience implementation strategy and to ensure that at least 35% of the funds are used for climate change adaptation projects that benefit low-income persons with environmental justice concerns.” Read the complete bill text.


STATUS
The public hearing for this bill occurred on May 5th, 2025. The bill then passed in committee 8-5 (party-line vote).

LD 1949, An Act Regarding Energy Fairness

Sponsor: Senator Anne Carney (Cumberland County)
Maine Youth for Climate Justice supports this bill.

SUMMARY
This bill repeals the laws that authorize the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules governing net energy billing and that direct the commission to establish a net energy billing program for commercial and institutional customers of investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities. It prohibits the commission from adopting rules that require a transmission and distribution utility to allow a customer to participate in net energy billing. The bill also amends the laws that reference the net energy billing programs repealed by this bill, including repealing the provisions of law that provide for real estate and personal property tax exemptions for solar energy equipment used in connection with net energy billing customers. Read the complete bill text.


STATUS
The public hearing for this bill occurred on May 5th, 2025. The bill then passed in committee 8-5 (party-line vote).

  • Not sure who your legislators are? Find a list of all your state and federal elected officials HERE. Or visit the Legislature website to find a full list of all Maine Senators and Maine Representatives.

  • You can find a bill using this search tool. This website tracks all the latest legislative actions and updates.

  • All bills and state agency commissioner nominees are assigned to one of 19 standing joint committees and receive a public hearing. Members of the public can offer testimony in support or opposition to a bill in person or via Zoom during the public hearing or in writing. If you want to testify during the hearing via Zoom, you must register at least 30 minutes before the hearing begins. You do not need to register to testify in person.

    To register for Zoom or to submit your testimony in writing, follow these steps:

    • Visit the legislative testimony page HERE.

    • Select Public hearing

    • Select the committee that is hearing the bill

    • Select the date and time of the hearing

    • Select the appropriate bill number

    • To register for Zoom, select “I would like to testify electronically over Zoom.”

    • To submit written testimony, upload your file or enter the testimony in the field.

    • If you plan to testify in person, you are asked to bring 20 copies of your testimony to distribute to committee members.

    You can find committee assignments and public hearing dates and times on the bill’s website. While you can submit testimony at any time and it will be shared with committee members and become part of the public record, only testimony submitted online by midnight on the day of the bill’s public hearing will be included on the bill’s web page.

    People with special needs who require accommodations to participate in a hearing should contact the Legislative Information Office as soon as possible by phone (207) 287-1692 or email lio@legislature.maine.gov.

LD 785, An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act

Sponsor: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland)
Maine Youth for Climate Justice supports this bill.

SUMMARY
”This bill implements several of the consensus recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act governing the relationship between the State and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation. The January 14, 2020 report of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act is available [here]…” Read the complete bill text.

STATUS
The public hearing for this bill occurred on February 19th. The bill is now in committee.

LD 395, An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations

Sponsor: Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Cumberland)
Maine Youth for Climate Justice supports this bill.

SUMMARY
Establishes new findings within the Maine Implementing Act to distinguish legislative findings relevant to this bill from the findings made during the enactment of the original 1980 Implementing Act. Separate but identical findings are included for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. These findings describe the effect of Section 6(h) and Section 16(b) of the federal Settlement Act, United States Public Law 96-420, in precluding the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians from benefiting from federal laws and regulations that are generally applicable to or enacted for the benefit of Indians or relate to a special status or right of Indian nations or tribes or bands of Indians or to lands owned by or held in trust for Indians, Indian nations or tribes or bands of Indians if such law or regulation affects or preempts the civil, criminal or regulatory jurisdiction of this State, including, without limitation, laws of this State relating to land use or environmental matters. The findings describe the purposes of the amendments to the Maine Implementing Act included in this legislation regarding the application of state and federal law to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (cont. in full bill text). Read the full bill text.

STATUS
The public hearing for this bill occurred on February 19th. The bill is now in committee.