Thank You

As a result of your advocacy, what Bills did pass during the most recent legislative session?

Public Health Successes from the 125th Legislative Session

• LD 1067: An Act To Improve Awareness of Smoking Policies in Maine Rental Housing and Condominiums requires landlords to notify tenants in writing of the smoking policy on the property    
• LD 736: An Act to Prohibit Texting While Driving bans texting while driving and violators will incur at least a $100 fine
• LD 184: An Act To Promote the Financial Literacy of High School Students requires the Dept. of Education to develop and distribute a course on personal finance that will be required for high school students beginning in the 2012-2013 school year
• LD 860: An Act To Reduce Student Hunger requires that all school districts where at least 40% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch implement a summer lunch program
• LD 949: An Act To Update Maine's High School Graduation Requirements requires that graduates demonstrate proficiency in all 8 content areas according to a standards-based system
• LD 505: An Act To Align State Standards Pertaining to Food and Beverages outside of the School Lunch Program to Federal Standards requires Maine to adopt rules consistent with federal school nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or distributed on school grounds but outside of school meal programs 
• LD 1280: An Act To Establish a Pilot Physical Education Project in Four Maine Schools allows the Dept. of Education and Dept. of Health & Human Services  to implement a pilot daily physical education project in up to 4 Maine schools 
• LD 1446: An Act To Establish the Maine Farm and Fish to School Program passed as a resolve and allows the Maine Departments of Agriculture, Education & Marine Resources to develop and implement a pilot program in 2 schools to examine local food and fish for use in school meal programs   

• LD 1237: An Act to Prohibit Bullying in Schools requires each school administrative unit to adopt, by August 2012, a harassment, intimidation and bullying prevention policy based upon a model policy developed by the Commissioner of Education in conjunction with an advisory committee composed of parents, school employees, students, administrators, etc.

At the Federal level...  

In addition to these issues examined by the Maine state legislature, there were also some important Federal policies passed this year related to tobacco and specifically the prevention of youth smoking. The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA) directs the FDA to initiate the addition of new, graphic warning labels on cigarette packs that will serve to educate smokers and others, including youth, about the dangers of tobacco use and encourage smokers to quit. These labels will include national Quit Line information and will be required on all cigarette packs no later than September 2012.    

The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 authorizes funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs and increases access to healthy food for low-income children. The Act gives the USDA authorization to set nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools, helps communities establish Farm to School networks and school gardens, sets basic standards for school wellness policies, builds on USDA work to improve nutritional quality of commodity foods used in school meal programs, and expands support for breastfeeding, among other objectives.   

• LD 536: An Act To Help Deter Youth Smoking and To Help Smokers Quit this bill proposed to raise the tobacco tax by $1.50 
• LD 589: An Act To Increase the Legal Age To Purchase, Use or Sell Tobacco Products would have increased legal age to 21
• LD 1119: An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Sale of Certain Tobacco Products would have banned the sale of flavored tobacco wraps
• LD 1226: An Act To Prevent and Treat Cancer in Maine by Implementing Critical Portions of the Comprehensive Cancer Program would have equalized the tobacco tax on cigarettes vs. other tobacco products such as cigars, rolling tobacco, etc.
• LD 31: An Act To Protect the Safety of Maine Children by Requiring the Express Consent of a Legal Guardian To Dispense Prescription Medication to a Minor
• LD 670: An Act To Prohibit Certain Uses of Cellular Telephones and Handheld Electronic Devices while Operating a Motor Vehicle would have banned all use of cell phones while driving
• LD 236: An Act to Require High School Students to Register to Vote as a Requirement for Graduation 
• LD 673: An Act To Expand Fiscally Responsible Transportation through Increased ZOOM Bus Service
• LD 971: An Act To Improve the Health of Maine Students would have required schools to provide at least 20 minutes per day for physical activity for students in grades 1-8