September 10, 2014

WEEKLY NOTICES OF STATE RULE-MAKING
Public Input for Proposed and Adopted Rules

Notices are published each Wednesday to alert the public regarding state agency rule-making. You may obtain a copy of any rule by notifying the agency contact person. You may also comment on the rule, and/or attend the public hearing. If no hearing is scheduled, you may request one -- the agency may then schedule a hearing, and must do so if 5 or more persons request it. If you are disabled or need special services to attend a hearing, please notify the agency contact person at least 7 days prior to it. Petitions: you can petition an agency to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule; the agency must provide you with petition forms, and must respond to your petition within 60 days. The agency must enter rule-making if the petition is signed by 150 or more registered voters, and may begin rule-making if there are fewer. You can also petition the Legislature to review a rule; the Executive Director of the Legislative Council (115 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, phone 207/287-1615) will provide you with the necessary petition forms. The appropriate legislative committee will review a rule upon receipt of a petition from 100 or more registered voters, or from "...any person who may be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the application of a rule..." (Title 5 Section 11112). World-Wide Web: Copies of the weekly notices and the full texts of adopted rule chapters may be found on the internet at:http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/index.html. There is also a list of rule-making liaisons, who are single points of contact for each agency.

PROPOSALS

No proposals this week.

ADOPTIONS

AGENCY: 02-031 - Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (PFR), Bureau of Insurance
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 271, Reinstitution of Medicare Supplement Insurance Coverage
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2014-211 (Repeal)
CONCISE SUMMARY: This rule addressed transitional considerations relating to the federal Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 and is no longer necessary.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 7, 2014
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON / INSURANCE RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Thomas Record, Maine Bureau of Insurance, 34 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0034. Telephone: (207)624-8424. E-mail: Thomas.M.Record@Maine.gov .
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/ .


AGENCY: 99-346 - Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA)
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 24, Home Energy Assistance Program
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2014-212
CONCISE SUMMARY: The Rule, as repealed and replaced, establishes standards for the Home Energy Assistance Program for the State of Maine. The Rule provides fuel assistance and energy crisis intervention to low-income eligible households. The Rule also establishes standards for the HEAP Weatherization and Central Heating Improvement Programs.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 8, 2014
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON / MSHA RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Linda Uhl, Chief Counsel, Maine State Housing Authority, 353 Water Street, Augusta, Maine, 04330-4633. Telephone: (207) 626-4600. TTY: (800) 452-4603. E-mail: LUhl@MainheHousing.com .
WEBSITE: http://www.mainehousing.org/ .


AGENCY: 01-001 - Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 33, Agricultural Development Grant Program
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2014-213 (Final adoption, major substantive)
CONCISE SUMMARY: The legislature passed Public Law 64, May 7, 2013. This legislation changed some of the criteria for participation in the program, and some changes in how the program is administered. This rule change provides for flexibility in the amount of match a grantee must make in order to get a grant. The rule change also allows the Commissioner to contract with multiple entities in order to conduct special projects. The legislation also changed the rule-making to major substantive rather than routine technical, in order to allow the legislature to review the rule changes prior to implementation.
The legislature reviewed and approved this major substantive rule-making during the second session of the l26th The Governor also approved it on March 22, 2014 as 2014 Resolve Ch. 96.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 4, 2014
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON / AGRICULTURE RULE-MAKING LIAISON: Mari Wells-Eagar, Esq., Assistant to the Commissioner / Legislative Liaison, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, 22 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0022. Telephone: (207) 287-4909. E-mail: Mari.Wells@Maine.gov .
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/index.shtml .


AGENCY: 02-322 Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers
CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Rules of the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers: Ch. 1, General Provisions / Operation of the Board; Ch. 2, Licensure; Ch. 3, Professional Development Hours; Ch. 4, Code of Ethics; Ch. 5, Application and Licensure Fees; Ch. 6, Advisory Rulings
ADOPTED RULE NUMBER: 2014-214 thru 219
CONCISE SUMMARY: The State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers is proposing to repeal Ch. 1-3 and replace them with new Ch. 1-6. Revisions enacted in 2013 to 32 MRSA §1251 et seq. regarding national licensing examinations prompted rule revisions. Additional changes include clarifications of the use of the seal, corrections, the elimination of redundancies, and division into small topic-specific chapters.
EFFECTIVE DATE: September 9, 2014
AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: David Jackson, Executive Director, State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers, 92 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0092. Telephone: (207) 287-3236. E-mail: David.Jackson@Maine.gov .
WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/professionalengineers/ .