Maine House Bill LD2166

Maine 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/20/26
• Refer: 1/20/26
• Engrossed: 2/26/26
• Enrolled: 3/5/26
• Passed: 3/12/26

Caption

Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Chapter 6: Delegation of Nursing Activities and Tasks to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel by Registered Professional Nurses, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, State Board of Nursing

Summary

LD 2166 is a legislative resolve that approves final adoption of a major substantive rule from the Maine State Board of Nursing titled “Chapter 6: Delegation of Nursing Activities and Tasks to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel by Registered Professional Nurses.” The bill does not itself create a new regulatory program or change nursing practice directly; instead, it gives the Legislature’s authorization required under Maine law for the Board’s provisionally adopted rule to take effect. The underlying rule concerns when and how registered professional nurses may delegate certain nursing activities and tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel. As a major substantive rule, it required legislative review before final adoption, and this resolve records that approval. The measure was enacted as an emergency, meaning it took effect immediately upon approval.

Impact

The bill’s legal effect is to authorize final adoption of the State Board of Nursing’s rule under Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, which governs legislative review of major substantive agency rules. By approving the rule, the Legislature allows the Board to finalize standards for delegation of nursing tasks to unlicensed assistive personnel, affecting registered professional nurses, nursing employers, and unlicensed assistive staff in settings where delegated care is provided. The resolve itself does not amend the nursing statutes, but it enables the rule to become operative as part of Maine’s administrative law framework.

Sentiment

The available record suggests a neutral or routine sentiment around the bill. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided showing controversy, amendment, or opposition, and the measure was approved and enacted. Because this is a legislative review resolve for an agency rule, the discussion appears to have been procedural rather than policy-driven.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. In general, rules on delegation of nursing duties can raise concerns about patient safety, scope of practice, staffing flexibility, and the training or supervision of unlicensed assistive personnel, but no particular objections or supporters are identified here. The absence of transcripts and vote details suggests the bill moved through as a standard approval of a major substantive rule.