---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Ensure Access To Health Care"
description: "An Act To Ensure Access To Health Care"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 263"
citation: "Maine LD 263 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ACCESS", "DELIVERY", "HEALTH CARE SERVICES"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Melanie SACHS"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2023-01-31"
last_action: "2023-06-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/8806e5a3-6f0b-4267-a341-e98220184ece"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280085507"
source_hash: "c3d05b4c510482a71a0443f42cf7bb78cd1517b71fb66c0729970c8c0052aeca"
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 263 (131) — An Act To Ensure Access To Health Care

## Version chain

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

1. **Adopted Amendments** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0168&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0168&item=1&snum=131)
3. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0168&item=3&snum=131)

## Votes

- ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT — **21–12** (pass) · upper
- ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP — **71–65** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Melanie SACHS — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-01-31** Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services suggested and ordered printed.
- **2023-01-31** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-31** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-01-31** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES in concurrence `referral-committee`
- **2023-03-30** Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 594.
- **2023-06-21** Reports READ.
- **2023-06-21** On motion of Representative PERRY of Calais, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2023-06-21** ROLL CALL NO. 304
- **2023-06-21** (Yeas 71 - Nays 65 - Absent 14 - Excused 1)
- **2023-06-21** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2023-06-21** Committee Amendment "A" (H-683) was READ and ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2023-06-21** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2023-06-21** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-683). `reading-3`
- **2023-06-21** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-22** Reports READ
- **2023-06-22** On motion by Senator BAILEY of York The Majority Ought to Pass As Amended Report ACCEPTED
- **2023-06-22** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 440 Yeas 21 - Nays 12 - Excused 2 - Absent 0 PREVAILED
- **2023-06-22** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2023-06-22** Committee Amendment "A" (H-683) READ and ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-06-22** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-683) in concurrence `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2023-06-22** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-06-22** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-06-22** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2023-06-28** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-10T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2023-05-10T04:00:00+00:00** Voted - Divided Report
- **2023-06-21T04:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP-AM/ONTP

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/8806e5a3-6f0b-4267-a341-e98220184ece`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).