- 2021 Legislative Update
L.D. 173, An Act To Restore Honor to Certain Service Members
The law requires the Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services to establish a discharge upgrade process for any veteran who separated from service without an honorable discharge due solely to the veteran's sexual orientation, gender identity or to statements, consensual sexual conduct or consensual acts relating to sexual orientation, and/or gender identity.
L.D. 191, An Act To Permit Municipalities To Provide Assistance to Veterans in Paying Property Taxes
This bill authorizes municipalities to adopt a program that provides benefits to veterans and their eligible family members who own or rent a homestead in the municipality..
L.D. 658, An Act To Provide Funding for 2 Veterans Services Officers in the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services
This bill provides funding for 2 Veterans Services Officer positions within the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services.
L.D. 1193, An Act To Exempt Certain Disabled Veterans from the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax
This bill provides a motor vehicle excise tax exemption for veterans who are receiving benefits based on total service-connected disability.
L.D. 1425, Resolve, To Dedicate a Portion of Route 6 from Lee to Springfield in Honor of Sgt. Blair Emery
The Department of Transportation will designate a portion of Route 6 in Penobscot County the Sgt. Blair Emery Road.
The committee amendment makes it optional for military veterans’ organizations to request billing at the same rate a utility bills a residential customer (residential rates could result in higher electricity costs).
L.D. 1705, An Act To Support Maine Students Who Are Dependents of Current or Former Members of the Military
L.D. 1733, An Act To Provide Allocations for the Distribution of State Fiscal Recovery Funds The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, shall conduct outreach to encourage active duty military members who are transitioning to civilian life to relocate to the State and to provide personalized and proactive support for those military members and their families, including assistance with securing employment and navigating transition services and with community reintegration. The pilot project shall commence on November 1, 2021.
- 2020 Legislative Update
During the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature (which ran from January - March of 2020), three bills became law that positively affect our veteran population.
"LD 1926, "An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System became Public Law on March 17, 2020 .
The new law establishes consistency between the State and Federal definitions of a veteran, and will prevent the Veterans Administration from denying plot allowance, and headstones, to the State of Maine.
This change will impact a small number of veterans in our state, resulting in ineligibility of certain federal benefits. Those same veterans however will continue to be eligible for certain state benefits, i.e. - state sponsored mental health counseling, emergency financial assistance, state park passes and others. The majority of Maine veterans will be unaffected; however, some former members of the military will be refused the benefit of being buried in the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery System if they do not have enough qualifying time on active duty or they are not eligible for retirement in the National Guard or Reserves. Although it would be ideal to memorialize the service of all Maine veterans, it was crucial that the State of Maine align ourselves with the Veteran Administration and the federal definition of a veteran.
LD 1882, “An Act To Provide Non-commercial Lobster and Crab Fishing Licenses and Scallop Licenses to Disabled Veterans at No Cost” became Public Law on February 27, 2020.
The law allows any veteran who was honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the United States, National Guard or Reserves, who has a service-connected disability rating of 50% or more, and who is a resident of the State of Maine to receive a non-commercial lobster and crab fishing license at no cost.
- 2019 Legislative Update
The Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services is a committed public advocate for veterans, service members and their families, as are many of our elected officials who serve the Maine State Legislature. During the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature (which ran from January - June of 2019), several bills became law that positively affect our veteran population.
Over the last six months, we had the pleasure of working with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to expand Maine's Moose Lottery, which benefits wounded service members and veterans. The Bureau of Veterans' Services is also now permitted to accept donations to help fund the Disabled Veteran Controlled Moose Hunt, and holders of Gold Star Family vehicle registration plates may now be issued complimentary licenses to hunt, trap and fish. In addition to recreational opportunities, Gold Star Families will now be exempt from vehicle registration fees.
The Bureau also worked closely with the University of Maine System and Maine Community College System to expand educational opportunities to dependents and spouses of 100% permanent and totally disabled veterans. A child of a veteran who is attending state-supported post-secondary vocational schools or institutions of collegiate grade must be admitted free of tuition including mandatory fees and lab fees for associate certificate programs, associate degree programs and bachelor's degree programs. The tuition waiver provided under this paragraph may not exceed the cost of 120 undergraduate credit hours at the in-state tuition rate at the University of Maine campus located at Orono.
Lastly, much has been done over the last year to reduce the number of homeless veterans across the state. In an effort to continue that progress, the Legislature created the Veterans' Homelessness Prevention Coordination Program. The program will provide ongoing funding for reimbursements to a human services-based volunteer organization that provides transitional housing to veterans who are homeless.
The State of Maine provides nearly 20 different programs for veterans, including property tax exemptions, free education for dependents of 100% permanent and totally disabled veterans, and complimentary hunting licenses. We are proud advocates for Maine veterans and we at the Bureau look forward to working with our partners to continue expanding our offerings and services. To check out a list of resources nearest you, please visit our Resources Page.
