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). WorldWide 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 rule-making liaisons (http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/liaisons.html), who are single points of contact for each agency.
NOTICE
AGENCY: 29-250 - Department of Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions
RULE TITLE OR SUBJECT: Request for Comments on the Maine Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
CONCISE SUMMARY: By the end of January, 2019, the Secretary of State must file an annual report to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government on the Administrative Procedure Act. The purpose of this ad is to solicit, from state agencies and the public, recommendations for improvements to the rule-making process. We will include a summary on these recommendations in the report. Please submit comments via e-mail or U.S. postal.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 5 MRS §8056-A
PUBLIC HEARING: None
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: January 24, 2019
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Don Wismer, APA Coordinator, Department of Secretary of State, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 624-7650. Fax: (207) 287-6545. E-mail: Don.Wismer@Maine.gov .
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/index.html .
PROPOSALS
AGENCY: 94-270 - Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 1, Procedures
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2018-P291
BRIEF SUMMARY: Entering into a promise or agreement to pay for campaign goods or services must be disclosed as a debt in campaign finance reports. In the annual disclosure statements of personal income sources, the Commission may require officials to enter a category for a gift, such as transportation or conference fees.
PUBLIC HEARING: Wednesday, January 30, 2019 @ 9:00 a.m., Commission Office, 45 Memorial Circle, Second Floor, Augusta, Maine
COMMENT DEADLINE: 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 11, 2019
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION: Katie Feliciano, Commission Assistant, Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, 135 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 287-4179. Email: Katie.Feliciano@Maine.gov .
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: No impact
AGENCY: 13-188 - Department of Marine Resources (DMR)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 32, Eels: Elver Quota System for the 2019 Season
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2019-P001
BRIEF SUMMARY: This proposed rulemaking establishes the elver quota allocations for the 2019 season for individuals licensed under §§ 6505-A and 6302-A, and the method of calculating individual elver quota allocations for individuals licensed under 6505-A. 2019 allocations for individuals who held a license in 2018 will be the same as their 2018 allocations, plus any quota associated with licenses not renewed in 2018, or licenses suspended for the duration of the 2019 season, which will be distributed evenly to all license holders. This proposed rule-making also prohibits more than one elver dealer from engaging in the licensed activities at the same physical address, and requires that transfers from vehicles to permanent facilities include all the contents of the vehicle. Finally, the proposed rule establishes a process by which Maine Marine Patrol will monitor and seal the packing of elvers for export.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
5:00 p.m. - January 28, 2019, Jeff's Catering, Brewer, ME; 5:00 p.m. - January 29, 2019, Room 118 - DMR Offices, Marquardt Building, Augusta, ME. (Snow date 5:00 p.m. January 30, 2019, Rm 118 DMR Offices, Marquardt Building, Augusta, ME)
Hearing facilities: If you require accommodations due to disability, please contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553.
COMMENT DEADLINE: February 11, 2019
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION: Amanda Ellis, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0021. Telephone: (207) 624-6573. Fax: (207) 624-6024. TTY: (207) 624-6500 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing). Email: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov .
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: None
AGENCY: 13-188 - Department of Marine Resources (DMR)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 36, Atlantic Herring: 2019 Season
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2019-P002
BRIEF SUMMARY: This proposed rule-making clarifies the reporting requirement such that all directed herring trips must report daily using the herring.dmr@maine.gov landings email. Additionally, this regulation proposes a daily trip limit on state only permitted vessels directing on Atlantic herring of 6,600 pounds.
PUBLIC HEARING: January 29, 2019 at 4:00 p.m., DMR Conference Room - Marquardt Building, 32 Blossom Lane, Augusta. (Snow date scheduled for January 30, 2019 at 4:00 p.m.) Hearing facilities: If you require accommodations due to disability, please contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553.
COMMENT DEADLINE: February 13, 2019
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION: Amanda Ellis, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0021. Telephone: (207) 624-6573. Fax: (207) 624-6024. TTY: (207) 624-6500 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing). Email: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov .
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: None
AGENCY: 13-188 - Department of Marine Resources (DMR)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 41, Menhaden: 2019 Menhaden Fishery Program
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2019-P003
BRIEF SUMMARY: This proposed rulemaking clarifies the reporting requirements for all Atlantic menhaden fishery operations. This rule re-instates a personal use regulation for hook and line harvest. Fixed gear operations may operate under exemptions that allow for seven day harvesting practices.
PUBLIC HEARING: January 29, 2019 at 4:30 p.m., DMR Conference Room, Marquardt Building, 32 Blossom Lane, Augusta. (Snow date scheduled for January 30, 2019 at 4:30 p.m.) Hearing facilities: If you require accommodations due to disability, please contact Meredith Mendelson at (207) 624-6553.
COMMENT DEADLINE: February 13, 2019
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION: Amanda Ellis, 21 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0021. Telephone: (207) 624-6573. Fax: (207) 624-6024. TTY: (207) 624-6500 (Deaf/Hard of Hearing). Email: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov .
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: None
AGENCY: 28-248 - Office of the State Treasurer
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 103, ABLE ME Savings Program
PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2019-P004
BRIEF SUMMARY: This routine technical rule defines the duties of the Treasurer, Program Manager, and other contractors in providing Maine's ABLE program for the benefit of disabled Mainers, consistent with the requirements of the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, Public Law 113-295.
PUBLIC HEARING: N/A
COMMENT DEADLINE: February 9, 2019
CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION / AGENCY RULEMAKING LIAISON: Matthew Colpitts, Deputy Treasurer, 39 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 624-7477. Fax: (207) 287-2367. TTY: Maine Relay 711. Email: Matthew.Colpitts@Maine.gov.
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: N/A
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 .