1. Idea Development: A legislator proposes a bill, often suggested by constituents or other groups. They may gather co-sponsors to support the bill. 2. Bill Drafting: The Revisor's Office assists in drafting the bill to ensure proper legal form and language. Every bill receives a Legislative Reference (LR) number. 3. Bill Introduction: The bill is submitted to the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate, where it's numbered and recommended for a committee. 4. Committee Reference: The bill is sent to a relevant committee for review. The committee conducts public hearings to gather opinions from interested parties. 5. Committee Action: The committee discusses the bill in work sessions, proposes amendments, and votes on a committee report. This report indicates whether the bill should pass or not. 6. General Order: If a report suggests the bill should pass, it gets its first reading and is scheduled for a second reading. Amendments can be offered during this process. 7. Second Chamber: The bill goes through a similar process in the second chamber (either House or Senate). If amended, it returns to the original chamber for a vote on the changes. 8. Passage to be Engrossed: If passed, the bill is "engrossed," meaning it is prepared for final approval, including all amendments. 9. Enactment: The bill must be approved by both chambers before being sent to the Governor. The required vote for enactment is usually a simple majority. 10. Governor's Action: The Governor has 10 days to sign the bill or allow it to become law without signing. If vetoed, the Legislature can override the veto with a 2/3 vote. 11. Law: Once enacted, the bill becomes law after 90 days unless it is an emergency measure that takes effect immediately. 12. Further Action: Laws can also be affected by referenda, agency rules, and court actions, ensuring ongoing relevance and compliance with constitutional standards.

Members of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Maine in several ways: 1. Providing Ideas for Legislation: Individuals can suggest ideas for new laws or amendments to existing laws to their legislators. This can be a direct communication, or through public interest groups or community organizations. 2. Attending Public Hearings: When a bill is scheduled for a public hearing, anyone can attend and provide testimony. The hearings allow citizens, state officials, lobbyists, and other interested parties to express their support or opposition, and share opinions on proposed legislation. 3. Following Committee Work: Committees hold work sessions where they discuss bills and can suggest amendments. These sessions are open to the public, and interested citizens can attend to observe or provide input. 4. Contacting Legislators: Individuals can contact their elected officials to express their views on specific issues or bills. Legislators often consider the opinions of their constituents when deciding how to vote. 5. Participating in Advocacy: Joining or collaborating with advocacy groups focused on specific issues can enhance an individual's ability to influence legislation. These groups often mobilize public support and communicate with lawmakers. 6. Engaging in the Electoral Process: Citizens can participate in elections and support candidates whose values and positions align with their own. They can also engage in ballot initiatives or referendums that allow direct voting on specific issues. 7. Tracking Legislation: The public stay informed about proposed bills, keeping themselves informed about ongoing legislative processes and providing opinions.

Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Maine every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.

FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.

FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features

• real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
• automated reporting
• team collaboration
• bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
• bill similarity detection
• ...and much more

1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.

2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.

3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.

4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.

5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.

6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.

7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.

You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.