MaineMaine tests shared code enforcement across municipalities
The Maine Office of Community Affairs runs a time-limited pilot to help municipalities share code enforcement and reports on its results.
What it does
The Maine Office of Community Affairs provides code officers with training on local enforcement, permits, inspections, and factory-built housing. If funding is unavailable, it must switch to registering officers who meet training and education requirements.
Some employees moved from the state building codes program to the Maine Office of Community Affairs may qualify for retirement benefits under the rules that applied before their move, if it changed their qualification requirements.
The Maine Office of Community Affairs runs a pilot to support municipalities that share code enforcement. The office evaluates the effort and reports on participating towns, results, barriers, and recommendations.
Argument forTowns may learn whether shared code enforcement works through the pilot's ongoing evaluation and reports on results and barriers.
Argument againstThe pilot may end before officials can judge the long-term effects of shared enforcement, especially if participating towns face barriers.
More detail
The Maine Office of Community Affairs provides continuing education for people who enforce local codes. Training covers code enforcement, including enforcement of codes for industrialized housing built partly or wholly in a factory for installation at another site. The program is established with professional associations, the Maine Community College System, and the named state departments, except as provided in paragraph H. If funding is unavailable, the office must stop training and certification on certain laws and ordinances and adopt a registration program for officers who meet training and education qualifications.
Certain transferred state employees may receive retirement benefits under the rules that applied before their positions moved. It covers a member whose position moved from the Department of Public Safety's Division of Building Codes and Standards program to the Maine Office of Community Affairs under the 2025 law. The rule applies when the transfer changes the employee's requirements for qualifying for service retirement benefits. This rule applies retroactively to September 24, 2025.
The Maine Office of Community Affairs runs a pilot to support regional code enforcement by municipalities. The pilot supports municipalities that adopt regional approaches to code enforcement. Municipalities are not required to take part. The pilot must start by January 1, 2027, and last no more than three years. Reports are due each January 15 during the pilot and within 60 days after it ends.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed 1st Chamber
- Passed 2nd Chamber
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Apr 16Signed by Governor Janet MillsLatest
- Apr 14PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.Major
- Apr 14Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Apr 14PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Passed 2nd Chamber
- Apr 14Ordered sent down forthwith.
- Apr 14On motion by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland the Senate RECEDED and CONCURRED to PASSAGE TO ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-1070) thereto.Minor
- Apr 14ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Apr 14In NON-CONCURRENCE and sent for concurrence.
- Apr 14The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-1070) thereto.Minor
- Apr 14Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-1070) thereto was ADOPTED.Minor
- Apr 14On motion of Representative GATTINE of Westbrook, House Amendment "A" (H-1070) to Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) was READ and ADOPTED.
- Apr 14On motion of Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, the House RECEDED.
- Apr 14Sent down for concurrence.
- Apr 14On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin Bill and accompanying papers COMMITTED to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs In NON-CONCURRENCE.Minor
- Apr 14On motion by Senator STEWART of Aroostook OBJECTED.
- Apr 14Same Senator moved to SUSPEND THE RULES to RECONSIDER whereby the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) in concurrence.Minor
- Apr 14On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table.
- Apr 6On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence.
- Apr 6Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Apr 6PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Became Law
- Apr 2In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Vote recorded ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 2The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-603).Minor
- Apr 2Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- Apr 2Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) was READ and ADOPTED.Minor
- Apr 2The Bill was READ ONCE.Minor
- Apr 2On motion of Representative GERE of Kennebunkport, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- Apr 2Reports READ.
- Apr 2Sent down for concurrence.
- Apr 2Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (S-603)Minor
- Apr 2Committee Amendment "A" (S-603) READ and ADOPTED.Minor
- Apr 2READ ONCE.Minor
- Apr 2Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 847 Yeas 19 - Nays 14 - Excused 2 - Absent 0
- Apr 2On motion by Senator CURRY of Waldo the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED.
- Apr 2Reports READ.
- Mar 31Reported Out - OTP-AM/ONTP
- Mar 11Voted - Divided Report
- Mar 11Work Session Held
- Mar 3In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- Vote recorded ACCEPT REPORT. Result: pass.Upper
- Mar 3The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTMinor
- Mar 3Report was READ and ACCEPTED.
- Mar 3Sent down for concurrence.
- Mar 3Bill and accompanying papers REFERRED to the Committee on HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.Minor
- Mar 3Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 727 Yeas 22 - Nays 12 - Excused 1 - Absent 0
- Mar 3Report READ and ACCEPTED.Introduced
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