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LD 73

An Act To Designate The Wood Turtle As The Official State Reptile

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Dan Ankeles and 2 co-sponsors

Designates the Wood Turtle as Maine's Official State Reptile; a symbolic act with only a minor, absorbable General Fund cost and no new programs or regulatory changes.

Became Law without Governor's Signature
#stateemblems #stategovernment #statereptile
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Bill Summary · LD 73

Summary of LD 73: An Act To Designate The Wood Turtle As The Official State Reptile

Overview

  • Bill number: LD 73
  • Title: An Act To Designate The Wood Turtle As The Official State Reptile
  • Status: Became law without the Governor's signature (April 20, 2025)
  • Primary committee: State and Local Government
  • Introduced: January 6, 2025
  • Sponsor (Original Bill): Rep. Osher of Orono
  • Legislative trajectory: The bill moved through readings and reports, was engrossed, and sent for concurrence before final enactment.

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill designates the Wood Turtle as Maine’s official state reptile.
  • This aligns Maine’s state symbols with a native herpetological species and adds formal recognition to the Wood Turtle within state emblems.

Key Provisions

  • Designation: The Wood Turtle is designated as the Official State Reptile of Maine.
  • Administrative elements: The text focuses on designation and does not introduce new programs, agencies, or regulatory requirements beyond formal symbol status.
  • Fiscal impact: The designation yields a minor cost increase to the General Fund, but both fiscal notes indicate that costs are small and can be absorbed within existing resources. No new funding or substantial programmatic changes are identified.

Fiscal Impact

  • Fiscal Note (Engrossed): Indicates a minor General Fund cost increase, absorbable within existing resources.
  • Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement (Original): Also indicates a minor General Fund cost increase, absorbable within existing resources.
  • Practical effect: No significant financial burden or new budgetary line items tied to the designation.

Affected Parties and Implications

  • Maine state government: No new administrative requirements; symbolic designation included in state emblems.
  • General public and educators: Potential educational use and public recognition of Maine’s official state reptile.
  • No anticipated regulatory or enforcement implications; primarily ceremonial and educational.

Timeline and Procedural History

  • 2025-01-06: Introduced and referred to the Committee on State and Local Government.
  • 2025-03-03 to 2025-03-27: Work sessions, committee reports (OTP/ONTP), and multiple readings; passage to engrossment.
  • 2025-03-25 to 2025-04-01: Readings and concurrence actions; Bill moved through suspension procedures and was read and passed to be engrossed, then sent for concurrence.
  • 2025-04-08: Passed to be enacted, in concurrence.
  • 2025-04-20: Became law without the Governor’s signature.

This summary captures the bill’s purpose to designate the Wood Turtle as Maine’s official state reptile, its minor associated fiscal impact, who introduced and supported it, and the key legislative steps leading to enactment.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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