---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Protect Minority Religious Groups By Eliminating The Prior Approval Requirement For A School Absence For A Recognized Religious Holiday"
description: "An Act To Protect Minority Religious Groups By Eliminating The Prior Approval Requirement For A School Absence For A Recognized Religious Holiday"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "130"
identifier: "LD 55"
citation: "Maine LD 55 (130)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ATTENDANCE", "RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS", "SCHOOL POLICIES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Justin FECTEAU"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 17
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2021-01-11"
last_action: "2021-06-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/c390b449-4c76-428a-8a40-59c1b19ede06"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280078025"
source_hash: "18b5a7979cb7bb5b3116b0358f0775338bec2d92f8b5be2697f13a1793ef76ea"
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 55 (130) — An Act To Protect Minority Religious Groups By Eliminating The Prior Approval Requirement For A School Absence For A Recognized Religious Holiday

## 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=HP0021&item=1&snum=130)
2. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0021&item=3&snum=130)

## Sponsors

- Justin FECTEAU — primary (person)
- Thom HARNETT — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-01-11** Received by the Clerk of the House on January 11, 2021. `receipt`
- **2021-01-11** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-10** CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- **2021-03-10** Under suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.
- **2021-03-10** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED. `reading-3`
- **2021-03-10** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2021-03-11** Report READ and ACCEPTED, in concurrence.
- **2021-03-11** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2021-03-11** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED, in concurrence. `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2021-03-11** Ordered sent down forthwith.
- **2021-03-11** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2021-03-11** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2021-03-11** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2021-06-17** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2021-02-17T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2021-02-17T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - OTP
- **2021-02-25T05:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/c390b449-4c76-428a-8a40-59c1b19ede06`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).