Joint Standing Committee Descriptions
(Based on referencing activity from prior sessions showing changes based on the Joint Rules 
adopted by the 125th Legislature)


Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.  Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources; agricultural fairs, products and marketing; animal control and welfare; food safety, inspection and labeling; dairy industry; pesticides regulation; nutrient management; farmland preservation; Department of Conservation; state parks, historic sites, public lands, submerged lands and coastal islands registry;  Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC); geological surveying and mapping; forest management, marketing, utilization, health and fire control; the Land for Maine's Future Program; and Baxter State Park.

 Appropriations and Financial Affairs.  General Fund appropriations and general fiscal policy; federal funds allocations; special revenue and block grant allocations; Budget Stabilization Fund; unappropriated surplus; bond issues; collective bargaining funding; review of revenue estimates; budgeting methodologies, review of financial orders; financial evaluation of agencies of state government; Maine Public Employees Retirement System;  retirement eligibility and benefits for state and municipal employees, including teachers; judicial and legislative retirement systems.

 Criminal Justice and Public Safety.  Maine Criminal Code; Maine Juvenile Code; Maine Bail Code; criminal law and criminal procedure; sentencing; Criminal Law Advisory Commission; Department of Public Safety; law enforcement; Criminal Justice Academy; victims' rights; Department of Corrections; adult and juvenile corrections; intensive supervision; probation and parole; county jails; community corrections; Board of Corrections; operating under the influence; operating after suspension; habitual offenders; fire safety and arson; firearms; concealed firearms permits; private investigators; security guards; and Maine Emergency Management Agency.

 Education and Cultural Affairs.  Department of Education; State Board of Education; school finance, governance and administration; school budgets; school facilities; curriculum, instruction and assessment; teachers and administrators; special education and child development services; education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students; career and technical education; alternative education, school choice and home schooling; truancy and dropouts; educational services at juvenile correctional facilities; adult education; Maine Education Policy Research Institute; University of Maine System; Maine Community College System; Maine Maritime Academy; postsecondary education finance and governance; student assistance programs at Finance Authority of Maine; and cultural affairs, including Maine Arts Commission, Maine State Library, Maine State Museum and Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation.

 Energy, Utilities and Technology.  Energy policy, including energy resources, efficiency and conservation; insulation; electric industry, including supply, transmission and distribution; natural gas industry; telecommunications  industry, including mobile, telephone, Internet, broadband and cable television services;  E-9-1-1; water and sewer utilities, including district charters; Public Utilities Commission; Office of the Public Advocate; Governor’s Office of Independence and Security; and Efficiency Maine Trust.

 Environment and Natural Resources.  Air and water quality; natural resource protection; site location of development laws, shoreland zoning, subdivisions and growth management; management and disposal of solid, hazardous, biomedical and special wastes; hydropower and dams; waste-to-energy facilities; mining; general environmental policy, including oversight of the Department of Environmental Protection; and returnable containers.

 Health and Human Services.  Department of Health and Human Services; Parts of the Dirigo Health Act, including the State Health Plan, the Maine Quality Forum and Advisory Council on Health Systems Development; Maine Health Data Organization; health and medical data; MaineCare, Medicaid, and Medicare Part D; children’s welfare and mental health services; childcare; public health and disease control; tobacco addiction prevention and control; sale of tobacco; prescription drugs; health care facilities and health care workforce; social and rehabilitation services; state health system planning; substance abuse; mental health; developmental and other disabilities; poverty, homelessness and public assistance; home and community-based long-term care; aging, elderly and disability issues; medical use of marijuana; maternal and infant health; and nursing facilities and residential care.

 Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife; inland fisheries and wildlife research and management; hunting; fishing; trapping; hunter safety; fish hatcheries; game wardens; guides; taxidermist licensing; ATVs; snowmobiles; watercraft registration and boater safety; and  white water rafting.

 Insurance and Financial Services.  Banking; financial institutions; credit unions; consumer credit; Uniform Consumer Credit Code; Bureau of Financial Institutions; Bureau of Consumer Protection; mortgage lending; foreclosure prevention; Office of Securities; stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other securities; financial services; Bureau of Insurance; credit, automobile, life, property and casualty insurance; health insurance; health maintenance organizations; mandated health benefits; health care reform; Dirigo Health Agency; State Employee Health Commission and state employee group health plan; insurance rating, regulation and practices; insurance producers; licensing; Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company; workers' compensation insurance; self-insurance; viatical and life settlement contracts; and real estate practices.

 Judiciary.  Judicial system organization and budget; criminal procedure; civil procedure; civil actions, including torts and medical malpractice; Maine Tort Claims Act; liability; immunity; child protection; family law; domestic relations; child support; adoption; legal services; attorneys; Attorney General; District Attorneys; abortion and reproductive rights; civil rights; medical rights; human rights; Maine Human Rights Commission; protection from harassment; protection from abuse; guardianship and conservatorship; probate law; property law; property rights; unclaimed property; business and nonprofit organizations; Uniform Commercial Code; laws relating to Maine’s Indian Tribes, including the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act; Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission; freedom of access, confidentiality and privacy laws; and errors and inconsistencies.

 Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development.  Department of Labor; wage and hour laws; working conditions, including health and safety; workforce development; unemployment compensation; workers' compensation; labor relations; collective bargaining; Workers’ Compensation Board; Maine Labor Relations Board; business regulation, including automobile and fuel sales; professional and occupational licensing; retail pricing; franchising; advertising; credit law (business related); consumer protection; Maine State Housing Authority; affordable housing; homelessness; Finance Authority of Maine (FAME); economic planning and development agencies; venture capital and trade programs; opportunity zones; import competition; product marketing; research and development; technology commercialization; technology transfers; tourism; and defense facility conversion.

 Marine Resources.  Department of Marine Resources; commercial marine fisheries management, licensing and enforcement; marine fish species; diadromous fish, mollusks; crustaceans; seaweed; sea urchins; sea cucumbers; processing and sale of marine fish and shellfish; and aquaculture.

 State and Local Government.  State contracts and fiscal procedures; state government organization; oversight of state officials, state employees and property; administrative procedures; boards and commissions; notaries public; capitol area planning; county and regional government; county budget process; Legislature; municipal and local government; and public services.

 Taxation.  Bureau of Revenue Services and State Property Tax Review Board; taxes; tax exemptions and credits; Maine Residents Property Tax Program; property valuation and assessment; tax increment financing; municipal revenue sharing; taxation of unorganized territories; and  tree growth and other current use tax issues.

Transportation.  Department of Transportation; Bureau of Motor Vehicles; motor vehicle registration and license plates; driver licenses; Maine Turnpike Authority; Highway Fund; transportation policy; aeronautics; highway and bridge construction and maintenance; highway safety; waterways; railroads; and motor vehicles and motor carriers.

 Veterans and Legal Affairs.  Claims against the State; liquor laws; lottery; non-profit and for- profit gambling games of chance, beano, raffles, slot machines, gaming devices); harness racing; off-track betting; election laws; campaign practices; campaign financing and the Maine Clean Election Act; voter registration; initiatives and referenda; governmental ethics; lobbyist registration; landlord-tenant laws; veterans' programs; Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management Services (except the Maine Emergency Management Agency); Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations; and Maine National Guard.

 

 

 


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