---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Simplify Municipal Collective Bargaining By Removing The 120-Day Notice Required Prior To Certain Negotiations"
description: "An Act To Simplify Municipal Collective Bargaining By Removing The 120-Day Notice Required Prior To Certain Negotiations"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "129"
identifier: "LD 1237"
citation: "Maine LD 1237 (129)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["LABOR RELATIONS", "COLLECTIVE BARGAINING", "MUNICIPAL"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["James HANDY"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 21
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-03-14"
last_action: "2019-06-07"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9e038130-06bc-4ae0-8957-22bb01828a07"
source_url: "http://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280072495"
source_hash: "847c62ea2ff9c5691906e8fe412ccdbf7dc5054f4b71a67c02d597c8d589bc1f"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-me"]
---

# Maine LD 1237 (129) — An Act To Simplify Municipal Collective Bargaining By Removing The 120-Day Notice Required Prior To Certain Negotiations

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0898&item=1&snum=129)
2. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0898&item=3&snum=129)

## Votes

- ACC MAJ OUGHT TO PASS REP — **85–56** (pass) · lower
- ACCEPT MAJ OTP RPT — **19–14** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- James HANDY — primary (person)
- Michael SYLVESTER — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-03-14** Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
- **2019-03-14** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING. `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-14** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2019-03-19** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING in concurrence `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-29** Reports READ.
- **2019-05-29** On motion of Representative SYLVESTER of Portland, the Majority Ought to Pass Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2019-05-29** ROLL CALL NO. 149
- **2019-05-29** (Yeas 85 - Nays 56 - Absent 7 - Excused 2 Vacant 1)
- **2019-05-29** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2019-05-29** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2019-05-29** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED.
- **2019-05-29** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2019-05-30** Reports Read
- **2019-05-30** On motion by Senator BELLOWS of Kennebec the Majority Ought to Pass Report ACCEPTED.
- **2019-05-30** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 163 Yeas 19 - Nays 14 - Excused 2 - Absent 0
- **2019-05-30** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2019-05-30** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME AND PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED in concurrence `reading-2`
- **2019-06-03** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2019-06-03** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2019-06-04** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2019-06-07** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9e038130-06bc-4ae0-8957-22bb01828a07`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).