Public Input for Rules
Notices are published each Wednesday to alert the public regarding state agency rulemaking. You may obtain a copy of any rule by notifying the agency contact person. You may also comment on the rule, and/or attend the public hearing. If no hearing is scheduled, you may request one - the agency may then schedule a hearing, and must do so if 5 or more persons request it. If you are disabled or need special services to attend a hearing, please notify the agency contact person at least 7 days prior to it. Petitions: you can petition an agency to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule; the agency must provide you with petition forms, and must respond to your petition within 60 days. The agency must enter rulemaking if the petition is signed by 150 or more registered voters, and may begin rulemaking if there are fewer. You can also petition the Legislature to review a rule; the Executive Director of the Legislative Council (115 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, phone (207) 287-1615) will provide you with the necessary petition forms. The appropriate legislative committee will review a rule upon receipt of a petition from 100 or more registered voters, or from "...any person who may be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the application of a rule..." (Title 5 §11112). World Wide Web: Copies of the weekly notices and the full texts of adopted rule chapters may be found on the internet at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules. There is also a list of rulemaking liaisons (http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/liaisons.html), who are single points of contact for each agency.
PROPOSALS
AGENCY: 01-001 - Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
CHAPTER NUMBERS AND TITLES: Ch. 400, Administrative Cost Grants; Ch. 401, Income Replacement; Ch. 402, Support for No-Cost Technical Assistance; Ch. 403, Infrastructure Investment Grants; Ch. 404, Assistance Obtaining New Loans; Ch. 405, Real Estate Purchases; Ch. 406, Competitive Research Grants; Ch. 407, Financial Support for Blood Serum Testing; Ch. 408, Financial Support for Mental Health Care
TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER : 2023-P244 to 2023-P252 (Second publication - comment deadline extension)
BRIEF SUMMARY: These nine proposed rules are intended to establish eligibility criteria, administrative procedures, evaluation criteria, and appeals procedures for programs to provide administrative cost grants, income replacement payments, no-cost technical assistance, infrastructure grants, and assistance acquiring new loans to PFAS-impacted commercial farms. Likewise, the rules establish eligibility criteria, administrative procedures, evaluation criteria, and appeals procedures for a competitive research grant program, and programs to provide financial support to enhance access to PFAS blood serum testing and mental health support for eligible persons.
PUBLIC HEARING: Dec. 18, 2023, 1-4 pm, Deering 101, 90 Blossom Lane, Augusta, ME and via Zoom: https://mainestate.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_a_6xyqnLQoy88DqZus96_g (preregistration required).
COMMENT DEADLINE: January 19, 2024 (Comment deadline extended)
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING/SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: Beth Valentine, PFAS Fund Director, 22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0022, 207-313-0962, Beth.Valentine@maine.gov
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES (if any): The proposed rule is not expected to impose any cost on municipalities or counties. Notably, unlike private landowners, DACF will not pay property tax on PFAS-contaminated property it purchases. To avoid a loss of revenue to municipalities, DACF may pay an "in lieu of" fee (Ch. 405).
AGENCY: 16-227 - Department of Public Safety, Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 5, Training Standards
TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2023-P263
BRIEF SUMMARY: These proposed amendments to Chapter 5 will update the Maine Criminal Justice Academy Training Standards to implement a separate basic training course and certification standards for juvenile corrections officers as authorized by P.L. 2023, ch. 341 (effective October 25, 2023). The amendments establish the Juvenile Basic Corrections Training Program (JBCTP) as the training program for juvenile corrections officers and designate the current Basic Corrections Training Program (BCTP) as the training program for adult corrections officers. The amendments establish application procedures for the BCTP and JBCTP and certification and recertification standards for adult corrections officers and juvenile corrections officers. Additionally, these amendments update the minimum passing score for tests within the Basic Law Enforcement Training Program (BLETP).
PUBLIC HEARING: January 5, 2024 at 9:00 am, Maine Criminal Justice Academy, 15 Oak Grove Road, Vassalboro, ME 04989, room B165.
COMMENT DEADLINE: January 15, 2024
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING/SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: Assistant Director Lincoln Ryder, Maine Criminal Justice Academy, 15 Oak Grove Road, Vassalboro, ME 04989. Phone: 207-877-8008, Fax: 207-877-8027. Email: Lincoln.E.Ryder@maine.gov
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES (if any): None
AGENCY: 16-227 - Department of Public Safety, Maine Criminal Justice Academy Board of Trustees
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 13, Minimum Standards for Mandatory Policy on Response to Domestic Abuse
TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2023-P264
BRIEF SUMMARY: The purpose of this proposed new rule is to establish the minimum standards for a mandatory written law enforcement agency policy on Response to Domestic Abuse required by 25 M.R.S. § 2803-B(1)(D) as recently amended by P.L. 2023, ch. 235, §§ 6-8.
PUBLIC HEARING: January 5, 2024 at 9:00 am, Maine Criminal Justice Academy, 15 Oak Grove Road, Vassalboro, ME 04989, room B165.
COMMENT DEADLINE: January 15, 2024
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING/SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: Assistant Director Lincoln Ryder, Maine Criminal Justice Academy, 15 Oak Grove Road, Vassalboro, ME 04989. Phone: 207-877-8008, Fax: 207-877-8027. Email: Lincoln.E.Ryder@maine.gov
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES (if any): None
AGENCY: 02-029 - Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Financial Institutions
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 128, (Regulation #28) - Loans to One Borrower Limitations
TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2023-P265
BRIEF SUMMARY: This rule amends current Chapter 128 (Regulation # 28) Loans to One Borrower Limitations, last promulgated January 21, 2013. The purpose of the proposed rule is to amend the definition of "Total capital and surplus" so that it is consistent with the calculation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) as found in 12 C.F.R. Part 324. The amendment accommodates those financial institutions using CBLR that are no longer required to calculate Tier 2 capital. The Bureau has determined that these changes will be useful for financial institutions utilizing modern approaches to capital calculations, including those that utilize the CBLR Framework.
PUBLIC HEARING: None expected.
COMMENT DEADLINE: January 12, 2024
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING/SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: David Gordon Laurendeau, Attorney, Bureau of Financial Institutions, 36 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0036. Telephone: 207-624-8574. Fax: 207-624-8590. Email: David.G.Laurendeau@maine.gov
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES (if any): None expected.
AGENCY: 13-188 - Department of Marine Resources
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 40, Smelt Regulations
TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2023-P266
BRIEF SUMMARY: This proposed rule-making reorganizes and clarifies existing regulations pertaining to fishing for smelt in Zones 1, 2, and 3. Regulations in Zone 2 and Zone 3 are unchanged, but rewritten for greater clarity and consistency. In Zone 1, the regulation proposes to extend the period of time during which smelt fishing may occur prior to the formation of ice from October 1 to December 31 to October 1 to January 31. All other management measures in Zone 1 remain unchanged. A clarification is provided that fishing for smelts in Zone 3 using gill nets or bag nets requires a commercial pelagic and anadromous license.
PUBLIC HEARING: None scheduled
COMMENT DEADLINE: January 12, 2024
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING/SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT: Deirdre Gilbert, DMR, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0021. Email: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov
Telephone: 207-624-6553. Fax: 207-624-6024. TTY: 207-624-6500 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing). Hearing facilities: If you require accommodations due to disability, please contact 207-624-6553.
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES (if any): None
ADOPTIONS
Pursuant to Ch. 380 of the Public Laws of 2011, notice of the adoption of rules will no longer be published in the newspaper rulemaking notices; our Wednesday web notices will continue to carry them, however. Information on rules adopted through the Maine Administrative Procedure Act as well as the full text of adopted rules is available on the internet at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules.