Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill stipulates that state of Maine legislation requiring approval of a federally recognized tribe (or tribes) in Maine according to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act, or other act of Congress cannot take effect without the approval of tribal government. It also requires the Secretary of State to notify tribes of the bill’s enactment and of the deadline and process for the tribal government to communicate its approval or disapproval, specifying deadlines for those notifications as well as the provisions of the legislation requiring tribal approval. The bill was amended in committee to extend deadlines for the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet tribes to certify the law enacted last June that achieves parity for the Mi’kmaq Nation with the other Wabanaki Nations and the law staggering the terms of the state commissioners serving on the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission.

The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing January 10 (read the public testimony). The committee held several work sessions and the majority voted the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

✅ STATUS: The bill is law!
 The House and the Senate passed the bill “under the hammer” (no role call) and the governor signed it into law!

(formerly An Act to Advance Self-determination for Wabanaki Nations)
Sponsor: Speaker Rachel Talbot-Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This amended bill would modernize several important provisions of the 1980 Maine Implementing Act and is based on five consensus recommendations (Nos. 2-6) pertaining to criminal jurisdiction from the bipartisan Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act. This proposed consensus amendment offered by the bill’s sponsor, House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, replaces the earlier amendment submitted in advance of the Judiciary Committee’s Feb. 26 public hearing, for which 635 written testimonies were submitted (as of March 13), with most being in favor of advancing the Wabanaki Nations’ self-determination. Although the proposed amendment narrows the scope of the original bill, which had been based on the Task Force’s 22 consensus recommendations made in January 2020, it is supported by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi’kmaq Nation as an important advancement toward achieving their full rights of self-determination. 

As proposed, the amendment would make specific changes to the criminal jurisdiction provisions of the 1980 Maine Implementing Act and the Mi’kmaq Nation Restoration Act to “adopt most of federal Indian law related to the jurisdiction of tribal courts, including the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and the tribal provisions of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022.” The Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation can immediately implement the expanded powers for their respective courts and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Mi’kmaq Nation have the authority to do so upon creation of their tribal courts. LD 2007 also recognizes the exclusive authority of the Penobscot Nation to regulate drinking water similarly to the authority gained by the Passamaquoddy Tribe in legislation passed in 2022. The amendment also provides the Penobscot Nation with additional time to consider whether the tribe approves of provisions in an existing state law pertaining to criminal jurisdiction.

The Committee on the Judiciary held a public hearing February 26 (read the public testimony) and a work session on March 12, where the majority of committee members voted the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

✅ STATUS: The bill is law! 
The House and Senate both passed the bill (see how your legislators voted) and was signed into law by the governor! 

Sponsor: Rep. Laurie Osher, D-Orono
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill aims to strengthen the Wabanaki Studies Law, landmark legislation passed in 2001 that requires Maine schools to teach K-12 students about Wabanaki history, culture and economic and government systems, as well as the Wabanaki Nations’ relationships with other governments. A report released on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 2022 found that many Maine schools have failed to include Wabanaki Studies consistently and appropriately in their curriculum and that the law is not being meaningfully enforced. During the legislative process, most of the substantive content of LD 1642 was incorporated into LD 2001 (See LD 2001). The bill reported to pass as amended changes the name of provisions in existing Maine law from Maine Native American to Wabananki. It also provides that Wabanaki studies may be taught as a component of other curriculum areas outside of Maine studies. Finally, the amendment directs the Commissioner of Education to consider the inclusion of Wabanaki studies in content areas other than social studies in the Maine Learning Results when administering the commissioner’s regular review of the content standards and performance indicators.

The Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs held a public hearing January 9 (read the public testimony). Work sessions were held January 25 and January 30, 2024 with the bill reported Ought to Pass as amended. 

✅ STATUS: The bill is law!

The bill passed the House and the Senate under the hammer (no roll call) and was signed into law by the governor.

Sponsor: House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill would restore language regarding Maine Indian treaty obligations to all printed copies of the Maine Constitution. In 1876, the state constitution was amended to remove certain sections of Article X from print. Article X incorporates most of the 1819 act that separated Maine from Massachusetts and includes a timeline for starting the new Maine government. Section 5 of the article, one of three affected by the 1876 amendment, clarifies Maine’s obligation to uphold and defend treaties made between Massachusetts and the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Nations. While the three sections remain in force and can be read online, the 1876 amendment prohibits their inclusion in printed versions of the constitution. LD 78 is an amendment to the state constitution that would require that Section 5 be included in all printed copies of the constitution. Constitutional amendments require passage by two-thirds of each legislative chamber before advancing to the voters for approval. Learn more about the removal of section 5 in this report or watch REDACT, a recording of a Maine Historical Society panel discussion on the topic. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing on LD 78 Tuesday, March 7 (read the public testimony). At a March 16 work session, LD 78 was amended to stipulate that all provisions of Article X, not just Section 5, be included in printed version of the constitution. The committee voted that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended.

✅ STATUS: The Amendment Passed! 
The bill was enacted by the House and the Senate under the hammer (no roll call) and voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment on November 7. Read our statement on the election results. 

Sponsor: Rep. James F. Dill, D-Old Town
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. 

SUMMARY
This bill adds tribal governments to an existing state law regarding reimbursement for law enforcement training. That statute stipulates that a government must reimburse training costs whenever it hires a full-time law enforcement officer whose training was paid by another government entity. This requirement only applies within five years of the hired officer’s graduation from a police academy. LD 229 would add tribal governments and full-time law enforcement officers trained at the U.S. Indian Police Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to the list of governments eligible for reimbursement. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety held a public hearing April 20. (Read the public testimony.) A work session was held April 26 and the committee voted unanimously that the bill Ought to Pass. 

✅ STATUS: The bill is law!
The bill passed the House and the Senate under the hammer (no roll call) and became law without the governor’s signature. 

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill is historic legislation that achieves parity for the Mi’kmaq Nation with the other Wabanaki tribes in Maine. Since 1991 when the Mi’kmaq gained federal recognition, the tribe has been the only Wabanaki Nation without an agreed-upon jurisdictional arrangement with Maine. The legislation addresses powers of self-government, including control over internal tribal matters, ordinance authority, regulatory authority over natural resources, sustenance fishing rights, court jurisdiction and potential development of its own police department. Establishing the clear jurisdictional status of the Mi’kmaq Nation will allow its tribal government to be approved for more federal and state discretionary funds, grants and loans that will benefit both its citizens and the region. More importantly, LD 1620 will support the development of essential Mi’kmaq programs and governmental institutions key to Mi’kmaq political development consistent with the finding in the Harvard report identifying the development of Indigenous governmental capacity as the cornerstone of economic prosperity. The legislation, with support of the House Leadership, is the result of numerous lengthy discussions since January 2023 between the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Governor’s Office and the Maine Attorney General’s Office. Read the complete bill text»

The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing May 31 (read the public testimony) and a work session June 6. They voted 11-3 that the bill Ought to Pass.

✅ STATUS: The bill is law!
The bill passed the House 98-48 and the Senate 31-0 (see how your legislators voter) and was signed by the governor. 

Sponsor: Sen. Donna Bailey, D-York
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill establishes procedures and standards for cases involving Wabanaki children that concern custody proceedings, foster care placements, termination of parental rights and adoptions. The legislation seeks to codify in state law protections currently guaranteed under the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which sought to address the alarmingly high number of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who were forcibly removed from their families by state and private agencies and placed outside their communities. Four cases currently before the U.S. Supreme Court seek to weaken or even overturn the law. Oral arguments on the cases, which were heard together, were held in November 2022 and a decision is expected this year. LD 1970 would preserve and strengthen Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq and Maliseet families in Maine by preventing out-of-home placement whenever possible. Its goals are to maintain family ties, reunify families and provide kinship/tribal permanency plans for children who cannot return home. The bill also spells out guidelines to ensure that Wabanaki children in custody are able to access culturally appropriate services that help them grow up safe and healthy. If enacted, Maine will join 12 other states that have codified ICWA protections on the state level. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing May 31 (read the public testimony) and a work session on June 6. They voted the bill Ought to Pass as amended. 

✅ STATUS: The bill is law!
The bill passed under the hammer in the House (no roll call) and in the Senate by a vote of 32-0 (see how your senator voted) and was signed by the governor.

Sponsor: Sen. Craig V. Hickman, D-Kennebec
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill provides that a member of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or band is not required to pay a fee for admission to or use of any state-owned park or historic site managed by the state of Maine. An amendment to the bill proposed in committee also waives camping fees. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry held a public hearing on Jan. 25, 2023. (Read the public testimony.) The committee voted that the bill ought to pass as amended.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved.
The bill was passed by the House and Senate “under the hammer” (no roll call). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
The Wabanaki Alliance believes Maine schools should teach robust material on both Wabanaki Studies (see LD 1642) and African American Studies. LD 2001 originally dealt exclusively with African American Studies but was amended during the legislative process to create a combined African American Studies and Wabanaki Advisory Council. The amended bill creates a 15-seat council, with five seats designated for Wabanaki appointees named by each Wabanaki government (Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, and Penobscot Nation); one seat for the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission; one member of the public appointed by Speaker of the House; one member who is a representative of an African American civil rights organization, appointed by the Speaker of the House from a list provided by a statewide African American civil rights organization; one member appointed by the President of the Senate from a list provided by the administrator of the Gerald E. Talbot Collection at the University of Southern Maine, and four members appointed by the Commissioner of Education including an elementary school teacher, a middle school teacher, a high school teacher, and a curriculum director with experience in African American studies or Wabanaki studies; and two members from the University of Maine System who specialize in teacher education appointed by the Chancellor of the University of Maine System. Of these two members, one must have experience with teaching in African American studies and one must have experience teaching in Wabanaki studies. Duties of the Advisory Council include assisting school administrative units and educators in the exploration of a wide range of educational materials and resources relating to African American studies and Wabanaki studies, identifying materials and resources for implementing African American studies and Wabanaki studies, involving other knowledgeable organizations and individuals able and willing to assist with the exploration and identification of educational materials and resources, making recommendations to the Department of Education, and conducting a representative statewide sampling of African American studies and Wabanaki studies curricula in school administrative units. The Department of Education is directed to staff the African American Studies and Wabanaki Studies Advisory Council. As currently drafted, the bill provides one-time, non-lapsing funding in the second year of the biennium totaling $1 million to support grants to school administrative units to expand or implement African American Studies curriculum and the same sum to bolster Wabanaki Studies curriculum. LD 2001 also provides one-time, non-lapsing funding in the second year of the biennium amounting to $500,000 to support grants to school administrative units to expand or implement financial literacy or other Learning Results curriculum. 

A public hearing was held January 11 (read the public testimony) before the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, which later voted that the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved.
The House passed the bill 77-54 on Feb. 22 and the Senate 24-9 on Feb. 27 (see how your legislators voted). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Benjamin T. Collings, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill would add a Wabanaki citizen to the Baxter State Park Authority, which has full power in the control and management of Baxter State Park. The nominee would be appointed by the governor based on a joint recommendation by tribal governments of the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and the Penobscot Nation.
Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry held a public hearing (read the public testimony) and work session during the first half of the legislation session. An additional work session was held January 17, 2024 and the majority of the committee voted the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved. 
Although the bill passed committee, it was not taken up by the Legislature before the session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. 

SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Office of Tribal-State Affairs within the Secretary of State’s office. It would be staffed by a Deputy Secretary of State appointed by the Secretary of State in consultation with Wabanaki Nations’ Chiefs. The office would be responsible for improving relations between the Wabanaki Nations and the state — including facilitating communication about any pending legislation impacting the tribes and their citizens. It also would work closely with the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission to promote collaboration between the state and Wabanaki Nations.

The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing on the bill January 10 (read the public testimony). A work session was held on February 1 and the majority of the committee voted the bill Ought to Pass.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved.
The bill passed the House 81-60 (see how your legislator voted) and passed the Senate “under the hammer” (no roll call). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Benjamin Collings, D-Portland.
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill establishes a commission to review state-owned lands and waterways to identify which state-owned lands or waterways have sacred, traditional, or other significance to the Wabanaki and develop a process to return those that do to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, or Mi’kmaq Nation. That process would include organizing public meetings and hearings around the state and accepting public testimony and written comments. Stakeholders identified by the commission would be asked to participate, as would large private landowners, land trusts, and conservation organizations. The commission would be required to submit a report each year by mid-November to the legislative committees that oversee conservation, inland fisheries and wildlife, and marine resources. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry held a public hearing on the bill January 22 (read the public testimony). A work session was held January 31, featuring a divided report with the majority voting 7-6 ought to pass as amended.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved. 
The bill was passed by the House and Senate (see how your legislators voted). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland.
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill creates the State Names Authority within the Office of Geographic Information Systems to serve as a liaison to the United States Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, and United States Board on Geographic Names. The bill also establishes the Maine Board on Place Names. Its responsibility is to make recommendations to the State Names Authority for renaming Maine features. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on State and Local Government held a public hearing February 6 (read the public testimony). A work session was held Feb. 13 and a majority of the committee vote the bill Ought to Pass.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved.
The bill passed in the House 81-64 and in the Senate 20-13 (see how your legislators voted). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Joseph C. Perry, D-Bangor
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. 

SUMMARY
This bill provides the Mi’kmaq Nation with sales tax revenue for sales occurring on Mi’kmaq Nation territory. The legislation is modeled after a similar bill passed last year that provided for sales tax revenue for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Taxation held a public hearing at May 24 (read the public testimony). During a May 25 work session, the committee voted that the bill Ought to Pass as amended.

STATUS: The bill is unresolved.
During the first half of the legislative session, the bill was enacted in the House by a voice vote (no roll call). It was placed on the Appropriations Table and was not taken up before the legislative session ended in June. It will officially die when the 132nd Legislature is seated in December 2024.

Sponsor: Rep. Jennifer L. Poirier, R-Skowhegan
The Wabanaki Alliance opposes this bill.

SUMMARY This bill would create a Commission on Native American Affairs, a five-member panel appointed by the governor to review and make recommendations on applications for state recognition of Native American Indian tribes in the state. The ultimate decision whether to confer state recognition would rest with the Legislature. The bill also proposes that state-recognized Native American Indian tribes and their members “remain subject to all of the laws of the state and recognition may not be construed to grant the recognized Native American Indian tribe or its members any right or claim to land or real estate in the state or the right to conduct any gambling activities otherwise prohibited by law.” LD 336 is the latest attempt to bypass the federal recognition process established by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment within the Office of the Assistant Secretary–Indian Affairs. The four Wabanaki Nations believe that this federal process should be the one to determine whether a group merits recognition. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Judiciary held a public hearing on March 15 (read the public testimony) and work sessions on May 25 and June 6. They voted 12-2 that the bill Ought Not to Pass.

❌ STATUS: The bill is dead. The bill died in the House 76-66 (see how your representative voted).

Sponsor: Rep. Benjamin T. Collings, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Economic and Community Development to allocate 10% of the available economic development funds in the Community Development Block Grant Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on an equitable basis to federally recognized Indian tribes in Maine. This would dedicate a stable source of revenue to Wabanaki Nations for economic development, benefiting them and the surrounding Maine communities. The legislation also requires the department to work with  federally recognized Indian tribes in Maine to develop a plan to ensure those tribes have equitable access to the New Markets Tax Credit Program administered through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund. Read the complete bill text»

The Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business held a public hearing March 28. (Read the public testimony.) A work session was held April 14 and the committee voted Ought Not to Pass, ending any consideration of the bill this legislative session.

❌ STATUS: The bill is dead.

Sponsor: Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland
The Wabanaki Alliance supports this bill. Read our testimony»

SUMMARY
This bipartisan bill amends the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act so that the Wabanaki tribes can benefit from most existing and future federal laws that apply to the other 570 federally recognized tribes.  Under the Settlement Acts, when Congress passes federal legislation for tribes nationwide, the tribes in Maine must be explicitly written into the legislation. The Wabanaki Nations are the only federally recognized tribes to be treated in this way. LD 2004 would modernize the Settlement Acts, ensuring that the tribes in Maine are not excluded when Congress passes federal legislation for tribes nationwide as they have been at least 151 times in the past 40 years, according to a 2019 report by the Suffolk University Law School. This would benefit not only the Wabanaki Nations, but also rural Maine, according to a 2022 analysis by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The bill excludes federal tribal gaming laws, stipulating that the Wabanaki Nations would be subject to state gaming laws. The bill is similar to HR 6707, sponsored last year by Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine. That legislation passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support but failed in the Senate. Unlike Golden’s bill, LD 2004 would also apply retroactively to already enacted federal legislation that excluded tribes in Maine, ensuring that they gain the full benefit of federal Indian policy in the U.S. that has supported tribal self-determination through tribal self-government for more than 40 years. Read the complete bill text»

The Judiciary Committee held a public hearing May 31 (read the public testimony) and work sessions on June 6 and June 15. The committee voted 10-4 that the bill ought to pass.  

❌ STATUS: The bill is dead.
The bill passed the House 100-47 and the Senate 26-8 (see how your legislators voted). Despite its broad bipartisan support and the overwhelming approval in the Legislature, Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill anyway. In an override vote, the House fell short of the two-thirds required for the bill to become law over the governor’s objections. (See how your representative voted.)
Read our statement on the veto override vote.