---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Establish The Winter Energy Relief Payment Program To Aid Residents With High Heating Costs And To Finalize The Covid Pandemic Relief Payment Program"
description: "An Act To Establish The Winter Energy Relief Payment Program To Aid Residents With High Heating Costs And To Finalize The Covid Pandemic Relief Payment Program"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 3"
citation: "Maine LD 3 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HEAT ASSISTANCE AND COVID RELIEF", "HUMAN SERVICES", "SPENDING"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rachel TALBOT ROSS"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 35
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2022-12-16"
last_action: "2023-01-04"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9de7b7ee-07a6-49ff-9253-680029f1bc9e"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280085072"
source_hash: "33db93e485f3ab42e17c2a0714e877b8a96e59777876bd592b153aabbfc74fb0"
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 3 (131) — An Act To Establish The Winter Energy Relief Payment Program To Aid Residents With High Heating Costs And To Finalize The Covid Pandemic Relief Payment Program

## 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=HP0005&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Divided Reports** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0005&item=4&snum=131)
3. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0005&item=1&snum=131)
4. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0005&item=8&snum=131)
5. **Status In Committee** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0005&item=3&snum=131)

## Votes

- Enactment - Emer — **114–29** (pass) · lower
- ADOPT C-3 — **10–24** (fail) · upper
- ADOPT S-1 — **13–21** (fail) · upper
- ADOPT B S-2 — **13–21** (fail) · upper
- INDEF PP of H-A (H-2) — **79–64** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Rachel TALBOT ROSS — primary (person)
- Troy JACKSON — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2022-12-16** Received by the Clerk of the House on December 16, 2022. `receipt`
- **2022-12-16** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on APPROPRIATIONS AND FINANCIAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. `referral-committee`
- **2023-01-04** CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- **2023-01-04** On OBJECTION of Representative LIBBY of Auburn REMOVED.
- **2023-01-04** The Committee Report was READ and ACCEPTED.
- **2023-01-04** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2023-01-04** Committee Amendment "A" (H-1) was READ and ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2023-01-04** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2023-01-04** On motion of Representative LIBBY of Auburn, House Amendment "A" (H-2) was READ.
- **2023-01-04** On motion of Representative TERRY of Gorham, House Amendment "A" (H-2) was INDEFINITELY POSTPONED.
- **2023-01-04** ROLL CALL NO. 3
- **2023-01-04** (Yeas 79 - Nays 64 - Absent 8 - Excused 0)
- **2023-01-04** Subsequently, the Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-1). `reading-3`
- **2023-01-04** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-01-04** Report READ and ACCEPTED
- **2023-01-04** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2023-01-04** Committee Amendment "A" (H-1) READ and ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-01-04** On motion by Senator LIBBY of Cumberland Senate Amendment "A" (S-1) ADOPTION FAILED
- **2023-01-04** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 3 Yeas 13 - Nays 21 - Excused 1 - Absent 0
- **2023-01-04** On motion by Senator MOORE of Washington Senate Amendment "B" (S-2) ADOPTION FAILED
- **2023-01-04** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 4 Yeas 13 - Nays 21 - Excused 1 - Absent 0
- **2023-01-04** On motion by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin Senate Amendment "C" (S-3) ADOPTION FAILED
- **2023-01-04** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 5 Yeas 10 - Nays 24 - Excused 1 - Absent 0
- **2023-01-04** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME AND PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-1) in concurrence `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2023-01-04** Ordered sent down forthwith
- **2023-01-04** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2023-01-04** This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House being necessary, a total was taken.
- **2023-01-04** ROLL CALL NO. 4
- **2023-01-04** (Yeas 114 - Nays 29 - Absent 8 - Excused 0)
- **2023-01-04** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-01-04** PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2023-01-04** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2022-12-21T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2022-12-21T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - OTP-AM
- **2022-12-27T05:00:00+00:00** Reported Out - OTP-AM

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9de7b7ee-07a6-49ff-9253-680029f1bc9e`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).