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LD 1848

An Act To Implement Recommendations For Improved Dam Safety

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Art Bell and 4 co-sponsors

Funds MEMA dam-safety staff to inventory and inspect state dams and develop a long-term maintenance plan; DEP costs are minor; about $400k/year from General Fund.

Died in Possession of the Senate when the Legislature adjourned Sine Die and was PLACED IN THE LEGISLATIVE FILES. (DEAD)
#dams #mema #safety
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Bill Summary · LD 1848

Summary: LD 1848 — An Act To Implement Recommendations For Improved Dam Safety

Overview

LD 1848 is a bill titled “An Act To Implement Recommendations For Improved Dam Safety.” Introduced on April 30, 2025, it is currently carried over “in the same posture” to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature pursuant to Joint Order SP 800. The bill passed through the Maine Legislature in June 2025 with amendments and is the subject of fiscal notes showing general fund staffing costs to implement dam-safety recommendations. Sponsor: Rep. Milliken (Blue Hill); Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

Purpose and Key Provisions

  • The bill implements recommendations for improved dam safety, focusing on inventorying and inspecting state-owned dams and developing a long-term maintenance and repair plan.
  • Administrative framework:
    • Creates/funds dedicated dam-safety positions within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management (DOVEM), also known as MEMA.
    • Positions supported by General Fund appropriations (see fiscal notes below).
  • Specific positions funded:
    • State Dam Inspector
    • Assistant State Dam Inspector
    • Emergency Response Training Coordinator
  • Primary duties (inferred from fiscal notes and summary): to inventory and inspect state dams, assess safety needs, and prepare a long-term maintenance and repair plan for dams; coordinate emergency-response training related to dam safety.
  • Related agency impact: The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) would have costs to implement the changes, but those costs are expected to be minor and absorbable within existing resources.

Fiscal Impact (General Fund)

  • The bill’s amended version contemplates General Fund appropriations for MEMA:
    • FY 2025-26: $400,628
    • FY 2026-27: $400,331
    • FY 2027-28: $413,545 (projection)
    • FY 2028-29: $427,235 (projection)
  • The appropriations cover:
    • One State Dam Inspector
    • One Assistant State Dam Inspector
    • One Emergency Response Training Coordinator
    • Related costs for inventory, inspection, and development of the long-term dam-maintenance plan
  • DEP costs: Expected to be minor and absorbable within existing resources.

(Fiscal notes: Document 1 LR 2004(01) and Document 4 LR 2004(02) — both project the same General Fund costs and identify DEP as the largely non-extra cost source to implement changes.)

Affected Parties

  • Primary: State government agencies, especially MEMA/DOVEM, through staffing changes to improve dam safety oversight.
  • Secondary: Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which would implement the bill’s changes; state dam owners and operators could experience changes in oversight and safety planning.

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

  • Introduced: April 30, 2025
  • Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (April 30, 2025; work session May 15; OTP-AM/ONTP June 4; amended June 5)
  • Floor action (as amended): June 5, 2025 (engrossed, then concurrence)
  • House/Senate actions: Passed en bloc with Committee Amendment A (H-498) and sent for concurrence on June 5, 2025
  • Status: Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature (pursuant to Joint Order SP 800) — effective June 25, 2025

Bottom Line

LD 1848 aims to codify and fund enhanced dam-safety oversight by adding dedicated MEMA staff to inventory, inspect, and develop long-term maintenance plans for state-owned dams, with modest DEP implementation costs and a General Fund budget of roughly $0.4 million annually in the near term. The bill is currently carried over to the next session for potential enactment.

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

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