Thank you, Maine Legislators!
Current Legislative Issues and Updates
ACTION ALERTS!
Watch for any urgent action alerts to be posted here during the current legislative session.
Current Action Alerts (scroll down to "2025 Legislative Watch" for more info on each bills below and action to take):
None at this time.
Please read A Threat to Homeschool Freedom and find out how you can help.
132nd Maine Legislature
Each year, there are a number of legislative issues that require our attention. Always be prepared to take action on an issue of importance to homeschoolers! Read our Legislative Information page to become acquainted with the Maine Legislature and the legislative process in our state.
To stay informed of any threat to homeschool freedoms, sign up to receive HOME Email Updates! Learn more about the importance of protecting homeschool freedom.
Be ready to contact current Maine Education and Cultural Affairs Committee Members, your area's Senators and Representatives, or other legislative committee members, as needed, on Maine legislative issues of importance to homeschoolers.
- Members of the Maine Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and their contact information are listed here.
- Members of the Maine Committee on Judiciary and their contact information are listed here.
- Submit your testimony on a bill here.
- The full Directory of Bills can be found here. (New bills are added as they are printed.)
What Can You Do?
- Stay alert, informed, and be ready to take action!
- Contact lawmakers on issues of concern. Submit your testimony on an important bill!
- Involve your children, too! The poster and worksheet below provide the perfect opportunity for a writing project and civics lesson!
- Read 8 Ways to Stay Informed and Be Proactive.
- Support the work and mission of HOME. DONATE TODAY to help us preserve and protect homeschool freedom. THANK YOU for standing with HOME!
2025 Maine Legislative Watch
SUPPORT
LD 174, An Act to Restore Religious Exemptions to Immunization Requirements
Presented by Representative DRINKWATER of Milford.
"This bill reinstates exemptions from immunization requirements based on a sincere religious belief for students in elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools and employees of nursery schools. It also provides the same exemption to health care practitioners."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is in favor of this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
OPPOSE
LD 220, An Act to Establish the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program
Presented by Representative BAGSHAW of Windham.
"This bill establishes the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Program administered by the Hope and Inclusion Scholarship Board. The board is directed to establish hope accounts that may be used by the parents or legal guardians of qualified students to pay for the education of those students enrolled in certain private schools and students receiving home instruction. The funding for these hope accounts comes from shifting 90% of the essential programs and services funding that would otherwise be provided by the State and by the school administrative unit for each qualified student into a hope account. The bill specifies which educational expenditures are permitted and provides for review of spending from the accounts."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is opposed to this bill as currently written. Find out more about protecting homeschool freedom.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
WATCH
LD 295, An Act Regarding Education
Presented by Representative MURPHY of Scarborough.
This is a "concept draft," pursuant to joint rule 208.
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill
ACTION NEEDED: None at this time.
WATCH
LD 315, An Act to Add a Personal Finance Course to the State Graduation Requirements in High Schools
Presented by Representative CROCKETT of Portland.
"This bill requires that all secondary schools include one year of personal finance as part of the mathematics instruction required to obtain a high school diploma. "
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
WATCH
Presented by Representative BRENNAN of Portland.
"This bill repeals laws related to truancy. The bill instead requires the Commissioner of Education to adopt major substantive rules to implement best practices to increase school attendance. The sections of this bill that repeal the laws related to truancy do not go into effect until the Commissioner of Education finally adopts the rules to implement best practices to increase school attendance."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
WATCH
LD 354, An Act to Improve Education in Maine
Presented by Senator RAFFERTY of York.
This is a "concept draft," pursuant to joint rule 208.
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: None at this time.
WATCH
LD 370, An Act to Raise the Minimum State Standard for Mathematics Education for a High School Diploma
Presented by Senator LIBBY of Cumberland.
"This bill changes the minimum state standard for mathematics education for a high school diploma from 2 years of mathematics instruction to 3 years of mathematics instruction."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill
ACTION NEEDED: PASSED
SUPPORT
Presented by Representative PAUL of Winterport.
"This bill prohibits health care practitioners, health care providers and facilities such as 23 nursing homes, hospitals and children's homes from withholding life-sustaining measures 24 or instituting a do-not-resuscitate order for an unemancipated minor without the written 25 consent of a parent or legal guardian of the minor."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is supporting this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
OPPOSE
Presented by Representative SWALLOW of Houlton.
"This bill provides annual funding for the 5-year period from fiscal year 2025-26 through fiscal year 2029 to support the cost to the Carleton Project, a nontraditional secondary school program, of adding up to 10 additional students."
This is essentially a school choice bill.
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
AMEND
Presented by Representative BAGSHAW of Windham.
"The bill makes changes related to the approval process that a student enrolled in an equivalent instruction program must follow to participate in regular classes in a public school. "
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is strongly opposed to this bill as currently written. Maine's homeschool statute does NOT require any agency to recognize (or refuse to recognize) a homeschool student's program.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
SUPPORT
LD 492, RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine to Provide for Parental Rights
Presented by Representative POIRIER of Skowhegan.
"This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to provide that the natural, inherent and unalienable rights of minor children are held by their parents or guardians until the age of majority or a grant of emancipation and that this State, its political subdivisions and all governmental entities may not infringe on the authority of parents to direct the upbringing, education and care for the physical, mental and spiritual health of their children, absent abuse or neglect by the parent or guardian or criminal acts by the minor."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is strongly in favor of this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
WATCH
LD 695, An Act Regarding the Laws of the State of Maine
Presented by Representative PIERCE of Cumberland.
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: None at this time.
WATCH
LD 727, An Act to Repeal Certain Immunization Requirements for School
Presented by Representative QUINT of Hodgdon.
"This bill repeals certain immunization requirements for a child to attend a public or private elementary or secondary school in the State."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
WATCH
LD 766, An Act to Protect the Children of Maine
Presented by Representative MEYER of Elliot.
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: None at this time
WATCH
LD 869, An Act to Give Grandparents Intervenor Status in Certain Child Protection Proceedings
Presented by Representative FREDETTE of Newport.
"This bill allows, upon request, the court to designate a grandparent as having intervenor status in child protective proceedings."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: None at this time
WATCH
LD 1842, An Act to Establish Stepparent Visitation Rights
Presented by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin
"This bill allows a stepparent to petition a court for visitation and access rights to a stepchild of the stepparent if the visitation and access is in the best interest of the child and would not significantly interfere with the parent's or legal guardian's rightful authority over the child."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: DEAD
OPPOSE
Presented by Representative SWALLOW of Houlton
"This bill expands the State's public education obligation beyond solely public schools to include the education of all eligible persons within a school administrative unit. It establishes a refundable tax credit program for parents or guardians of eligible students enrolled in nonpublic schools. The credit is equivalent to 70% of the cost of publicly funded education. The credit is delayed for those currently enrolled in nonpublic schools until the 2027-2028 school year. The bill establishes a companion tax credit in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, chapter 822"
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is watching this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: Voted Ought Not to Pass
SUPPORT
LD 1881, An Act to Ensure the Rights of Parents of Minor Children in Education
Presented by Representative CARUSO of Caratunk
"This bill provides that a parent is entitled to access all information regarding the school activities of the parent's minor child; review all information regarding mental, emotional and physical health care services available at the school the parent's minor child attends as well as teaching and instructional materials for the parent's minor child; receive a well37 being questionnaire or health screening form before that questionnaire or form is administered to the minor child; access health care and educational records of the parent's minor child; and refuse the parent's minor child's participation in a noneducational or core assignment, activity or service or assignment of material and request an alternative assignment, activity or service or material."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is in favor of this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: Voted Ought Not to Pass
SUPPORT
LD 1974. An Act to Affirm Parental Rights
Presented by Representative CARUSO of Caratunk
"This bill provides that parents are the joint natural guardians of their minor children and are jointly entitled to the care, custody, control and services of their children. It also provides that the liberty of a parent to direct the upbringing, education and care of the parent's child is a fundamental right."
Follow the Status of this bill.
Further Information
POSITION: HOME is in favor of this bill.
ACTION NEEDED: Voted Ought Not to Pass