---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Reduce Rental Housing Costs By Eliminating Additional Fees At Or Prior To The Commencement Of Tenancy"
description: "An Act To Reduce Rental Housing Costs By Eliminating Additional Fees At Or Prior To The Commencement Of Tenancy"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "131"
identifier: "LD 1490"
citation: "Maine LD 1490 (131)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["FEES", "LANDLORD AND TENANT", "REAL ESTATE"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Christopher KESSLER"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 50
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2023-04-05"
last_action: "2024-04-03"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3b643d15-0a6a-4dcf-9b26-65018e9da585"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280088331"
source_hash: "c69763e0d9a15d38fbaae3dbd490954e8035c6381253f2c45a3481258941cbfc"
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 1490 (131) — An Act To Reduce Rental Housing Costs By Eliminating Additional Fees At Or Prior To The Commencement Of Tenancy

## 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=HP0945&item=2&snum=131)
2. **Chaptered Law** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0945&item=5&snum=131)
3. **Documents and Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0945&item=1&snum=131)
4. **Final Disposition** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0945&item=3&snum=131)

## Votes

- ACCEPT MAJORITY OUGHT TO PASS AS AMENDED REPORT — **21–13** (pass) · upper
- TABLE UNTIL LATER — **63–72** (fail) · lower
- ADOPT HAH-838 TO CAH-831 — **74–64** (pass) · lower
- ACC MAJ OTP AS AMENDED REP — **74–63** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Christopher KESSLER — primary (person)
- Bruce WHITE — cosponsor (person)
- Daniel ANKELES — cosponsor (person)
- Morgan RIELLY — cosponsor (person)
- Sally CLUCHEY — cosponsor (person)
- Tavis HASENFUS — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2023-04-05** Committee on LABOR AND HOUSING suggested and ordered printed.
- **2023-04-05** On motion of Representative ROEDER of Bangor, the Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on JUDICIARY. `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-05** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-04-06** On motion by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot REFERRED to the Committee on Labor and Housing, In NON-CONCURRENCE `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-06** Sent down for concurrence
- **2023-04-11** The House INSISTED on REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY.
- **2023-04-11** ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2023-04-12** On motion by Senator VITELLI of Sagadahoc The Senate RECEDED and CONCURRED To REFERENCE to the Committee on JUDICIARY in concurrence
- **2023-07-26** Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 131st Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 847.
- **2024-03-19** Reports READ.
- **2024-03-19** On motion of Representative MOONEN of Portland, TABLED pending ACCEPTANCE of Either Report.
- **2024-03-19** Speaker laid before the House
- **2024-03-19** Subsequently, on motion of Representative MOONEN of Portland, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.
- **2024-03-19** ROLL CALL NO. 414
- **2024-03-19** (Yeas 74 - Nays 63 - Absent 14 - Excused 0)
- **2024-03-19** The Bill was READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2024-03-19** Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) was READ.
- **2024-03-19** On motion of Representative KESSLER of South Portland, House Amendment "A" (H-838) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) was READ.
- **2024-03-19** Motion of Representative LANIGAN of Sanford, to TABLE House Amendment "A" (H-838) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) pending ADOPTION FAILED. `amendment-failure`
- **2024-03-19** ROLL CALL NO. 415
- **2024-03-19** (Yeas 63 - Nays 72 - Absent 16 - Excused 0)
- **2024-03-19** Subsequently, House Amendment "A" (H-838) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) was ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-19** ROLL CALL NO. 416
- **2024-03-19** (Yeas 74 - Nays 64 - Absent 13 - Excused 0)
- **2024-03-19** Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-838) thereto was ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-19** Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.
- **2024-03-19** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-838) thereto. `reading-3`
- **2024-03-19** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-03-20** Reports Read
- **2024-03-20** On motion by Senator CARNEY of Cumberland the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED.
- **2024-03-20** Roll Call Ordered Roll Call Number 602 Yeas 21 - Nays 13 - Excused 1 - Absent 0 PREVAILED
- **2024-03-20** READ ONCE `reading-1`
- **2024-03-20** Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) READ
- **2024-03-20** House Amendment "A" (H-838) to Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) READ and ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-20** Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-838) thereto ADOPTED `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-03-20** Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-831) as Amended by House Amendment "A" (H-838) thereto in concurrence `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2024-03-25** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2024-03-25** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2024-03-26** PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2024-04-03** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2023-05-24T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-06-01T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-06-07T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2023-06-15T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Requested
- **2023-07-25T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Approved
- **2024-01-03T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2024-01-10T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2024-01-16T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2024-01-16T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - Divided Report
- **2024-03-15T04:00:00+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/3b643d15-0a6a-4dcf-9b26-65018e9da585`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).