Legislation and Rulemaking

The Maine Department of Labor (DOL) is involved at various stages of Maine's legislative process by:

  • Acting as a resource to state legislators, employers, and constituents providing information about the Department’s programs and services;
  • Sometimes proposing bills and taking positions as appropriate on legislation that affects Maine workers and employers; and,
  • Adopting rules according to laws passed by the Maine State Legislature.

Contact
Dillon Murray, Legislative Liaison
Maine Department of Labor
Tel: 207-530-1885
Email: dillon.f.murray@maine.gov

As a state agency, the Maine Department of Labor is charged with adopting rules to implement laws passed by the Maine State Legislature.  The Department adopts all rules in accordance with Maine's Administrative Procedure Act (MRSA 5, chapter 375), which requires public and legislative notice of rulemaking. 

The Department has two paths for rulemaking:

  1. A process for routine technical rulemaking, which is performed by the Department's Commissioner; and,
  2. A second, which requires the submission of all major substantive rulemaking to the Legislature for review and approval.

Note: Categorizing rules as routine technical or major substantive is a matter of legislative discretion. 

MDOL's 2016-2017 Annual Rulemaking Regulatory Agenda

List of rule chapters which the Department is proposing changes and the rule chapters the Department is proposing for the first time.

Routine technical proposed rulemaking actions

  • Notice: July 19, 2017
    • Maine Unemployment Insurance Commission
    • Chapter 9
      Rule Title: Able and Available Requirements
    • Chapter 16
      Rule Title: Benefit Payments to Illegal Aliens
    • Chapter 19
      Rule Title: Other Remuneration
    • Chapter 20
      Rule Title: Unemployment Fraud or Misrepresentation by Claimants
  • Press Release and Proposed Language

Major substantive proposed rulemaking actions

  • Currently, there are no major substantive proposed rules.

View all Maine DOL Rule Chapters on the Secretary of State's website