An Act To Establish The Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program To Support Public Health Efforts In The State

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Lucien Daigle and 8 co-sponsors

Creates a Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to fund safe sharps collection and disposal by communities; DHHS administers if staffed; no General Fund cost in amended version.

Became Law without Governor's Signature

#disposal #hazardouswastes #wastes

Overview / Purpose

LD 1738 would establish a Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to support public health efforts in Maine by enabling grants for safe collection and disposal of biohazardous materials (with particular reference to hypodermic apparatus mitigation and collection). The legislation is intended to reduce public exposure to contaminated sharps and other biohazardous wastes and to support community‑based organizations and municipalities in safe disposal efforts.

Key provisions

Create a Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program to provide grants to community-based organizations and municipalities for activities related to the mitigation, collection and disposal of hypodermic apparatus and other biohazardous wastes.

Establish a Biohazard Waste Disposal Grant Program Fund to receive receipts from other funding sources and to make grant expenditures (originally envisioned as an Other Special Revenue Fund).

(As initially drafted / as amended by Committee A) Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to administer the program and create one Comprehensive Health Planner II position to run a hypodermic apparatus mitigation and collection program.

Fiscal impact

Initial Committee Amendment fiscal estimate: General Fund appropriations of $116,505 in FY 2025‑26 and $121,994 in FY 2026‑27 to create one Comprehensive Health Planner II position in DHHS; ongoing Other Special Revenue Fund allocations of $500 beginning FY 2025‑26 to establish the grant program fund.

Subsequent Senate Amendment fiscal estimate: removed the General Fund appropriations for the DHHS position. Under that amendment, there is no General Fund cost and no Other Special Revenue appropriation included in the fiscal note.

Net effect (as amended by the Senate): no direct state General Fund cost recorded in the final fiscal note; however, the program as amended would have no funded DHHS administrative position attached in the state budget.

Who would be affected

Department of Health and Human Services (program administrator if staffed)

Community-based organizations and municipalities that apply for grants to support biohazard/sharps disposal

Public health and environmental health outcomes statewide (reduced public exposure to biohazard waste if grants are funded and implemented)

Entities that currently manage or respond to abandoned syringes and other sharps

Procedural status and timeline

Introduced: April 22, 2025; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services.

Committee work and amendments: Committee Amendment "A" (H‑484) adopted; later Senate Amendment "A" (S‑489) to Committee Amendment adopted.

Passed both chambers: Final House concurrence and passage occurred 06/25/2025 (House roll call 76–63 on concurrence).

Current status: HELD BY THE GOVERNOR (07/08/2025). The bill has passed both chambers as amended and awaits the Governor’s approval or veto.

Notes / Implications

The bill establishes statutory authority for a grant program intended to address biohazard waste disposal, but after amendment the Legislature did not include the General Fund appropriation to staff administration of the program. Implementation and program impact will depend on whether administrative capacity and grant funding are subsequently provided (by the Governor, future appropriations, or outside receipts to the special revenue fund).

Bill