Bill > LD1900

This bill expands existing state laws to include the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi'kmaq Nation alongside the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe in two key areas of legal recognition. First, in child support enforcement, the bill allows the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to use a similar process as the Penobscot Nation for addressing non-compliant child support obligors, including the ability to notify licensing boards about individuals who are not meeting their support obligations and potentially causing those individuals to have their professional licenses revoked. Second, in electric power districts, the bill grants the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi'kmaq Nation the same rights as other Native nations to form power districts within their trust lands, enabling them to develop electric power infrastructure, transmission, and distribution services on their territories. The bill aims to bring greater legal parity and economic development opportunities to these Native nations by expanding their existing jurisdictional and administrative authorities in these specific domains, with provisions that allow them to implement these powers similarly to how municipal governments and other Native nations currently operate under Maine state law.

Justice

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1900&snum=132