LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
752
MAY 8, 2022 PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-TWO
_____
H.P. 325 - L.D. 449
An Act To Strengthen the Ability of Public Employers and Teachers' Unions
To Negotiate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §965, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 107, §5, is further
amended to read:
B. To Except as provided in paragraph B-1, to meet within 10 days after receipt of
written notice from the other party requesting a meeting for collective bargaining
purposes, as long as the parties have not otherwise agreed in a prior written contract.
This obligation is suspended during the period between a referendum approving a new
regional school unit and the operational date of the regional school unit, as long as the
parties meet at reasonable times during that period;
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §965, sub-§1, ¶B-1 is enacted to read:
B-1. For a public employer that is a school district and the bargaining agent
representing teachers within that school district, to meet within 10 days after receipt of
written notice from the other party requesting a meeting for collective bargaining
purposes. This obligation is suspended during the period between a referendum
approving a new regional school unit and the operational date of the regional school
unit, as long as the parties meet at reasonable times during that period;
Sec. 3. Reimbursement for certain collective bargaining costs. The
Department of Education shall develop a process to provide reimbursement to those school
administrative units that, but for the requirement in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26,
section 965, subsection 1, paragraph B-1 that a school administrative unit and bargaining
unit representing teachers collectively bargain within 10 days of receipt of written notice
even if otherwise agreed to in a prior written contract, would not otherwise engage in
collective bargaining. Reimbursement must be provided to those school administrative
units at 90% of the legal and other expenses incurred by those school administrative units
to meet and engage in collective bargaining.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
Page 1 - 130LR1003(07)
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
State Mandate Reimbursement - Collective Bargaining N399
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to reimburse certain local school administrative units for
90% of the legal and other costs to meet and negotiate within 10 days after a written notice
from the other party is made due to the exception to the mutual obligation to meet
requirement in a collective bargaining agreement being repealed.
GENERAL FUND 2021-22 2022-23
All Other $0 $52,200
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $0 $52,200
Page 2 - 130LR1003(07)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 449, HP 325: 26.965
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 752: 26.965