WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

LD 62

An Act To Support Municipal And County Actions On Dam Ownership

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Nina Milliken

Empowers municipalities and counties to acquire, transfer, accept, or release dam ownership and updates rules for relinquishing ownership, with only minor state costs.

Signed by Governor
#dams #licensing #ownership
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · LD 62

Summary — LD 62: "An Act To Support Municipal And County Actions on Dam Ownership"

Overview

LD 62, sponsored by Representative Milliken of Blue Hill and referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, was enacted and signed by the Governor on June 10, 2025. The bill’s stated purpose is to support municipal and county actions related to dam ownership. The engrossed/enacted version (LR0164(03)) also makes other changes to the laws governing release from dam ownership. The bill’s subjects include dams, licensing, and ownership.

Key provisions (as described in bill title and enrolled summary)

  • Supports municipal and county actions on dam ownership — the enacted bill clarifies and facilitates the ability of municipalities and counties to take actions concerning ownership of dams (acquisition, transfer, acceptance, or release), as reflected in the bill title and engrossed description.
  • Amends laws regulating the release from dam ownership — the final engrossed form expressly adds changes to statutes governing how ownership of dams may be relinquished or transferred.
  • Committee amendment C "A" (H-391) was adopted and incorporated into the final enacted bill.

Note: The publicly available summary materials provided with the question include fiscal notes and procedural history but not the full statutory text. For exact statutory language and detailed procedural requirements created by the bill, consult the enrolled law or the legislative document LR0164(03).

Who is affected

  • Municipalities and counties (local governments) — primary actors the bill is intended to support in taking ownership or releasing ownership of dams.
  • Current dam owners and potential transferees — private owners, nonprofit owners, and local government entities involved in transfers.
  • State agencies — notably the Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies with dam-related regulatory or licensing responsibilities; implementation duties may be affected.
  • Local communities and taxpayers — potential downstream effects related to dam maintenance, liability, public safety, and local budgets.

Fiscal impact

  • Multiple fiscal notes (02/12/25; 05/14/25; 06/02/25) indicate a minor cost increase to Other Special Revenue Funds.
  • The notes state that anticipated additional costs to impacted agencies are minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.

Legislative and procedural timeline

  • Introduced: January 6, 2025; referred to Environment and Natural Resources.
  • Committee actions: Reported out OTP‑AM (committee amendment adopted), multiple work sessions and reconsiderations.
  • Floor action: Read, amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H‑391), passed to be engrossed and passed to be enacted in concurrence by both chambers.
  • Enacted: Signed by the Governor on June 10, 2025.

Practical implications

LD 62 formalizes statutory support for local governments to engage in dam ownership changes and revises the legal framework for releasing dam ownership. State-level implementation is expected to be administratively minor. Local fiscal and operational impacts will depend on specific transfers or releases carried out by municipalities or counties under the new or clarified statutory procedures.

For precise legal requirements and implementation details, consult the enrolled bill text (LR0164(03) C "A" (H‑391)) and subsequent administrative rulemaking or guidance from the Department of Environmental Protection.

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

Sign in to ask a question.