Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                                   APPROVED                  CHAPTER
                                                                   MAY 29, 2025                   121
                                                                  BY GOVERNOR               PUBLIC LAW
                                   STATE OF MAINE
                                           _____
                           IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                        TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
                                           _____
                                     S.P. 37 - L.D. 23
An Act to Extend the Period of Time a Dentist May Operate the Practice of a
                     Deceased or Incapacitated Dentist
    Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
    Whereas, Maine is experiencing a shortage of dentists; and
   Whereas, this legislation extends the time by which the operations of a dental practice
may continue after the death or incapacitation of a dentist; and
    Whereas, this legislation must take effect prior to the 90-day period to provide
additional time for dental practices to be sold after the death or incapacitation of a dentist;
and
    Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
    Sec. 1. 13 MRSA §732, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. C, §26 and
affected by PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14, is further amended to read:
    5. Legal guardian or personal representative of deceased or incapacitated dentist.
For the purposes of this chapter, the legal guardian or personal representative of a dentist
licensed under Title 32, chapter 143 may contract with another dentist to continue the
operations of the practice of the deceased or incapacitated dentist for a period of up to 24
48 months after the death or incapacitation of the dentist or until the practice is sold,
whichever occurs first. For purposes of this subsection, "personal representative" has the
same meaning as in Title 18‑C, section 1‑201, subsection 40.
    Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.
                                    Page 1 - 132LR0086(03)
Statutes affected: 
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 121: 13.732