Joint Standing Committees
Joint Standing Committee Descriptions
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; Governorís 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; childrenís 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 Maineís 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; Workersí 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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