Maine House Bill LD400

Maine 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/4/25
• Engrossed: 4/17/25
• Enrolled: 4/17/25
• Passed: 6/25/25

Caption

Resolve, Directing the Department of Public Safety, Office of the State Fire Marshal to Compile a Statewide Inventory of Aqueous Film-forming Foam Concentrate

Summary

LD 400 is a resolve directing the Department of Public Safety, through the Office of the State Fire Marshal, to compile a statewide inventory of aqueous film-forming foam concentrate (AFFF) held in Maine. The bill creates two data-collection programs: a one-year program for public entities that possess 5 gallons or more of AFFF, and a two-year program to solicit similar information from private entities with 5 gallons or more. The office is authorized to continue collecting data after the one-year public-entity program ends until the inventory is completed. The resolve also requires the completed inventory to be treated as a public record and posted on the office’s publicly accessible website. After completion, the inventory must be submitted to the Legislature’s environment and natural resources and criminal justice and public safety committees, which may then report out follow-up legislation in the 133rd Legislature. The bill includes funding for one limited-period Office Assistant II position and related costs, with General Fund appropriations of $85,732 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $86,378 in fiscal year 2026-27, offset by transfers from the Maine Solid Waste Management Fund.

Impact

This resolve does not directly ban or regulate AFFF possession, but it creates a statewide reporting and inventory requirement that affects public entities and private entities holding 5 gallons or more of the foam concentrate. It also makes the resulting inventory a public record and requires online publication, increasing transparency around where AFFF is stored in Maine. The measure funds a temporary position in the Office of the State Fire Marshal and shifts money from the Maine Solid Waste Management Fund to the General Fund to cover the administrative costs.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript or vote history, so there is no documented floor debate or recorded opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill’s structure, the measure appears to be framed as an information-gathering and transparency initiative rather than a direct regulatory restriction, which may make it more broadly acceptable to lawmakers concerned with public safety and environmental oversight. The absence of recorded votes or testimony means the overall sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s apparent administrative and oversight purpose.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are privacy, administrative burden, and the public-record status of the inventory. Public entities are required to respond to the Fire Marshal’s requests within a timeline set by the office, and private entities are asked to provide information over a two-year solicitation period, which could raise concerns about compliance costs or disclosure of sensitive location information. Another possible issue is the use of Maine Solid Waste Management Fund dollars to support the inventory effort, which could draw scrutiny from stakeholders focused on how environmental funds are allocated.