Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

STATE OF MAINE
                                          _____
                                                                        In House__________
   Whereas, excess mortality or excess deaths are determined by comparing the expected
number of deaths in a place over a given time period to the actual number of deaths that
occurred in that place over the same time period; and
    Whereas, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that approximately 1,179,024 excess deaths
occurred in the United States since March 2020; and
   Whereas, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services has documented
mortality rates from 2015 to 2022 in the State; and
    Whereas, the total number of all-cause deaths for persons 25 to 64 years of age from
January 2015 to December 2019 was 15,244, which is an all-cause average number of deaths
per year of 3,049, an average rate increase of 1.5% per year; and
   Whereas, the all-cause number of deaths for persons 25 to 64 years of age from January
2020 to December 2020 was 3,321, a rate increase from 2019 of 6.3%; and
   Whereas, the all-cause number of deaths for persons 25 to 64 years of age from January
2021 to December 2021 was 3,908, a rate increase from 2020 of 17.7%; and
    Whereas, the all-cause number of deaths for persons 25 to 64 years of age from January
2022 to December 2022 was 3,844, a rate decrease from 2021 of -1.64% for a total rate increase
of 16.04% since 2019; and
    Whereas, the total number of all-cause deaths for persons 25 to 64 years of age from
January 2020 to December 2022 was 11,073, which is an all-cause average number of deaths
per year of 3,691, a rate increase of 21.1% over the average number of deaths from 2015 to
2019; and
    Whereas, the Governor has repeatedly stated that every life is important and that we must
protect residents and reduce the risk of death; now, therefore, be it
   ORDERED, the Senate concurring, that the Task Force to Investigate Excess Deaths in
Maine is established as follows.
    1. Task Force to Investigate Excess Deaths in Maine established. The Task Force to
Investigate Excess Deaths in Maine, referred to in this order as "the task force," is established.
    2. Membership. The task force consists of 4 members appointed as follows:
    A. Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including a
    member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;
    and
    B. Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House,
    including a member from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the
    Legislature.
The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House shall invite the participation of the
Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of
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Health and Human Services, a person who is a statistician and a person who is a research
scientist.
    3. Task force chair. The first-named House member is the chair of the task force.
    4. Appointments; convening of task force. All appointments must be made no later than
15 days following passage of this order. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive
Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. When the
appointment of all members has been completed, the chair of the task force shall call and
convene the first meeting of the task force. If 15 days or more after the passage of this order a
majority of but not all appointments have been made, the chair may request authority and the
Legislative Council may grant authority for the task force to meet and conduct its business.
    5. Duties. The task force shall review all available data from the Department of Health
and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
other relevant sources and examine the root causes related to unprecedented increased excess
deaths, all-cause deaths and all-cause death rate increases since 2019.
    6. Staff assistance. The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to
the task force, except that the Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the
Legislature is in regular or special session.
    7. Report. No later than November 6, 2024, the task force shall submit a report to the
Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services that includes its findings and
recommendations, including suggested legislation, for presentation to the 132nd Legislature in
2025.
SPONSORED BY: ___________________________________
    (Representative SAMPSON, H.)
    TOWN: Alfred
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