Bill > LD1655

This bill allows property owners to keep chickens on their residential property by preventing counties and municipalities from adopting regulations or ordinances that would prohibit chicken-keeping. The bill specifically defines a "chicken" as a female domesticated bird raised for meat or eggs, explicitly excluding fully mature male chickens (roosters). Importantly, while the bill restricts local governments from banning chickens, it does not completely remove municipal home rule authority, meaning local governments may still have some regulatory flexibility regarding chicken ownership. The proposed legislation is designed to provide homeowners with more freedom to raise chickens on their own property, potentially supporting small-scale, personal food production and urban agriculture efforts. By enacting this provision as a new section (§219-D) in the Maine Revised Statutes, the bill establishes a statewide standard that protects residents' rights to keep chickens, regardless of local municipal preferences.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1655&snum=132