APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 1, 2025 440
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 58 - L.D. 93
An Act to Reduce Cost and Increase Access to Disease Prevention by
Expanding the Universal Childhood Immunization Program to Include
Adults
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1066, as amended by PL 2017, c. 7, §1, is further amended by
amending the section headnote to read:
§1066. Universal Childhood Immunization Program
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is amended to
read:
1. Program established. The Universal Childhood Immunization Program is
established to provide all children from birth until 19 years of age individuals in the State
with access to a uniform set of vaccines as determined and periodically updated by the
Maine Vaccine Board. The program is administered by the department for the purposes of
expanding access to immunizations against all diseases as recommended by the federal
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, optimizing public and private resources
and lowering the cost of providing immunizations to children individuals in the State. The
program is overseen by the Maine Vaccine Board.
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1. "AAF" means an assessment adjustment factor to adjust for variations between
health insurance carriers to maintain equity in assessment allocations among assessed
entities.
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
repealed.
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
amended to read:
F. "Fund" means the Childhood Immunization Fund established in subsection 7.
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 Sec. 6. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶G-1 is enacted to read:
G-1. "Individual" means a person who resides in the State.
Sec. 7. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is amended
to read:
I. "Program" means the Universal Childhood Immunization Program established in
subsection 1.
Sec. 8. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§2, ¶M, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
amended to read:
M. "Total costs of the fund" means the costs of vaccines provided under the program
to children individuals projected to be covered by assessed entities during the
succeeding program year and the annual operating expenses of the board, including
costs the board may incur for staff, a service agent, legal representation, administrative
support services and other expenses approved by the board.
Sec. 9. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§3, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
amended to read:
B. With the exception of the representative of the pharmaceutical manufacturing
industry, who serves a one-year term, the The term of an appointed member to the
board is 3 years. All members, with the exception of the representative of the
pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, may serve successive terms. A member whose
term has expired may serve until the appointment of the member's successor.
Sec. 10. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§3, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
amended to read:
D. The board shall meet 4 not fewer than 2 times per year and when a meeting is called
by the chair and shall oversee the fund and program and adopt policies and procedures
to administer the program and the fund.
Sec. 11. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§3, ¶E, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is
amended to read:
E. By January 1, 2011 and annually thereafter, the board shall determine the list of
vaccines to be made available by the program during the succeeding program year
beginning July 1st. In making its determination, the board shall consider:
(1) Vaccines recommended by the advisory committee that are available under
contract with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, by direct manufacturer purchase, through the
Minnesota Multistate Contracting Alliance for Pharmacy or a successor
organization or by any other low-cost bulk purchase option;
(2) Recommendations of the department, based on the department's review of the
advisory committee recommendations; and
(3) Clinical and cost-benefit analyses.
The board shall review new vaccines and update the list of vaccines to be made
available through the program on a timely basis in accordance with the considerations
described in this paragraph.
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 Sec. 12. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is amended
to read:
5. Assessments. By January 1, 2011 and annually thereafter, the board shall determine
an assessment one or more assessments for each assessed entity in accordance with this
subsection. The board shall provide a mechanism to protect against duplicate counting of
children individuals. The board may conduct an audit of the number of covered life months
for children individuals as reported by an assessed entity. An assessment determination
made pursuant to this subsection is an adjudicatory proceeding within the meaning of Title
5, chapter 375, subchapter 4.
A. In determining the amount of the assessment, the board shall, as it determines
appropriate following a public hearing, establish one or more subfunds by age and
coverage type and, for each subfund:
(1) Determine the total costs of the fund subfund for the succeeding program year;
(2) Add a reserve of up to 10% of the total costs of the fund subfund under
subparagraph (1) for unanticipated costs associated with providing vaccines to
children individuals covered by the assessed entity;
(2-A) Add an administrative allowance for the department of up to 10% of the
total costs of the subfund;
(3) Subtract the amount of any unexpended assessments collected in the preceding
year and any unexpended interest accrued to the fund subfund during the preceding
year; and
(4) Calculate the assessment on a monthly basis per child individual to be paid by
an assessed entity by dividing the amount determined in accordance with
subparagraphs (1), (2), (2-A) and (3) by the number of children individuals
projected to be covered by the assessed entity during the succeeding program year
divided by 12.
B. The board shall provide the assessed entity with notice of the assessment amount
for each subfund established pursuant to paragraph A for the succeeding program year
no later than January 1, 2011 and annually thereafter.
C. Beginning July 1, 2011 2025, the assessment must be paid on a quarterly basis as
follows:
(1) An assessed entity shall pay a quarterly assessment for each subfund
established pursuant to paragraph A equal to the monthly assessment rate per child
individual as described under paragraph A, subparagraph (4) multiplied by the
number of child individual member months covered by the assessed entity in the
preceding calendar quarter; and
(2) The assessment must be paid within 45 days following the close of the calendar
quarter.
D. After the close of a program year, the board shall reconcile the total assessments
paid by assessed entities, including interim assessments determined under paragraph
E, with the actual costs of vaccines provided under the program to children individuals
covered by assessed entities during that program year and the annual operating
expenses of the program during that program year. Any unexpended assessments must
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 be used to reduce the assessment for the respective subfund established pursuant to
paragraph A in the succeeding program year as required under paragraph A,
subparagraph (3).
E. The board may determine an interim assessment for new vaccines that the board
has made available through the program pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph E. The
board shall calculate the interim assessment in accordance with paragraph A, and the
interim assessment is payable the calendar quarter that begins no less than 30 days
following the establishment of the federal contract price. The board may not impose
more than one interim assessment per year, except in the case of a public health
emergency declared in accordance with state or federal law.
F. If the combination of funding available from the United States Department of Health
and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vaccines for
Children Program and the immunization grant program under the federal Public Health
Service Act, Section 1928 of the Social Security Act, 42 United States Code, Section
1396s is insufficient to provide coverage for vaccines for the children who qualify for
vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program, money from the fund may not be
used to cover the cost of vaccines for children who would otherwise be provided
vaccines under the Vaccines for Children Program.
G. If the assessments under this subsection are insufficient to cover the cost of vaccines
to be provided to children individuals covered by assessed entities, the State is not
required to cover the cost of vaccines for those children individuals.
H. For any subfund established pursuant to paragraph A after June 2025, after one year
of operation and until discontinued by a 2/3 vote of the board determining that the
adjustments described in this paragraph are not needed to maintain equity in assessment
allocations among assessed entities, the following apply:
(1) Annually, assessed entities shall supply such data as may be determined by the
board to be necessary for the purposes of this subsection and reasonably convenient
for the assessed entities to supply in order to enable the calculations of the AAF
for each entity, to multiply by the otherwise applicable assessment amount to adjust
for variations between entities in the split between participating and
nonparticipating providers in vaccine costs of that entity's covered individuals.
The service agent shall compute the AAF annually for each entity based on
supplied data;
(2) Annually, AAF calculations must be completed during the first quarter of each
calendar year; and
(3) Each assessment amount otherwise calculated in accordance with this
subsection must be multiplied by the AAF for the respective entity to compute the
final assessment due.
Sec. 13. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is amended
to read:
7. Fund. The Childhood Immunization Fund is established for the sole purpose of
funding the program, including any costs of vaccines provided under the program to
children individuals and any costs the board may incur for staff, a service agent,
administrative support services, legal representation and contracted services. The fund is
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administered by the board or the service agent, which shall act as a fiduciary and manage
and invest the fund in conformance with prudent investor standards and maintain complete
records of all assets, investments, deposits, disbursements and other transactions of the
fund. All money and securities in the fund must be held in trust by the Treasurer of State
for the purpose of making payments under this section and are not money or property for
the general use of the State. The Treasurer of State is the custodian of the fund and may
make disbursements only upon written direction from the board or the service agent. All
assessments collected pursuant to this section, all interest on the balance in the fund and all
income from any other source must be deposited into the fund. The fund does not lapse.
No portion of the fund may be used to subsidize other programs or budgets.
Sec. 14. 22 MRSA §1066, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 595, §2, is amended
to read:
8. Reporting. By January 15th of each year, the board shall report to the joint standing
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters
regarding the operation of the program, the progress of the program in expanding access to
immunizations for children individuals and the assets, investments and expenditures of the
fund.
Sec. 15. 22 MRSA §1963, sub-§3, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 312, Pt. A, §1, is
amended to read:
I. Support for activities of programs within the Maine Center for Disease Control and
Prevention, including, but not limited to, the Universal Childhood Immunization
Program under section 1066 and environmental health and tuberculosis programs;
Sec. 16. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention 0143
Initiative: Establishes 2 Public Health Educator III positions in the Maine Center for
Disease Control and Prevention program, effective July 1, 2026, to expand the Universal
Childhood Immunization Program to provide immunizations to and cover the costs of
recommended vaccines for adults in the State and provides funding for related All Other
costs.
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 2025-26 2026-27
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 0.000 2.000
Personal Services $0 $202,025
All Other $0 $19,536
__________ __________
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL $0 $221,561
Medical Care - Payments to Providers 0147
Initiative: Reduces funding to reflect cost savings in the Medical Care - Payments to
Providers program resulting from the procurement of vaccines for adults in the MaineCare
program at the discounted United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention price
beginning July 1, 2026.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
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 All Other $0 ($302,107)
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 ($302,107)
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 ($482,180)
__________ __________
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL $0 ($482,180)
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
GENERAL FUND $0 ($302,107)
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND $0 ($260,619)
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 ($562,726)
Sec. 17. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2026.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 440: 22.1066, 22.1963