---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act To Address Maine'S Health Care Workforce Shortage And Improve Access To Care"
description: "An Act To Address Maine'S Health Care Workforce Shortage And Improve Access To Care"
jurisdiction: "us/states/me"
legislature: "Maine Legislature"
session: "132"
identifier: "LD 961"
citation: "Maine LD 961 (132)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL", "LICENSING", "NURSE PRACTITIONERS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kristi MATHIESON"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 28
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2025-03-06"
last_action: "2026-02-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b9020ba2-cfc5-4838-8b9f-535a1c9c25f8"
source_url: "https://legislature.maine.gov/LawMakerWeb/dockets.asp?ID=280097248"
source_hash: "8ed62b6b76b75e724ac3a20c95b11f1347c285bb50981a6d5b9b50a71b49d4cd"
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 961 (132) — An Act To Address Maine'S Health Care Workforce Shortage And Improve Access To Care

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment C-A (H-785)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0620&item=2&snum=132)
2. **Chapter 540** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0620&item=3&snum=132)
3. **LD 961 HP 620** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP0620&item=1&snum=132)

## Sponsors

- Kristi MATHIESON — primary (person)
- Anne GRAHAM — cosponsor (person)
- Daniel SHAGOURY — cosponsor (person)
- Denise TEPLER — cosponsor (person)
- Michelle BOYER — cosponsor (person)
- Poppy ARFORD — cosponsor (person)
- Stacy BRENNER — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-03-06** Received by the Clerk of the House on March 6, 2025. `receipt`
- **2025-03-06** The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on HEALTH COVERAGE, INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-21** Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519.
- **2025-06-25** Carried over, in the same posture, to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 800.
- **2026-01-13** CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAY
- **2026-01-13** Under suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.
- **2026-01-13** The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-785). `reading-3`
- **2026-01-13** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2026-01-20** Reports READ and ACCEPTED.
- **2026-01-20** Bill READ ONCE. `reading-1`
- **2026-01-20** Committee Amendment "A" (H-785) READ and ADOPTED. `committee-passage-favorable, passage`
- **2026-01-20** ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY.
- **2026-01-27** READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (H-785), in concurrence. `reading-2, reading-3`
- **2026-01-27** Ordered sent down forthwith.
- **2026-02-03** This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.
- **2026-02-03** PASSED TO BE ENACTED. `passage`
- **2026-02-03** Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
- **2026-02-10** On motion by Senator STEWART of Aroostook Tabled until Later in Today's Session, pending PASSAGE TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence.
- **2026-02-12** Taken from the table by the President
- **2026-02-12** Subsequently, PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. `passage`
- **2026-02-17** Signed by Governor `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-23T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2025-05-15T04:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held - TABLED
- **2025-05-16T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Requested
- **2025-05-19T04:00:00+00:00** Carry Over Approved
- **2025-11-06T05:00:00+00:00** Work Session Held
- **2025-11-06T05:00:00+00:00** Voted - OTP-AM
- **2026-01-08T05:00:00+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/b9020ba2-cfc5-4838-8b9f-535a1c9c25f8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maine legislature records).