AUGUSTA (WGME) — A bill that would establish a licensing system for general home contractors in Maine is heading to the full Legislature after a divided committee vote.
On Tuesday, lawmakers on the Housing and Economic Development Committee voted along party lines to advance the bill, with Democrats pushing it forward in its current form and Republicans opposing it, calling instead for a working group to clarify the scope and structure of the proposed program.
LD 1226 aims to reduce contractor fraud by requiring anyone working on a residential project over $15,000 to be licensed. It would also create a Residential Construction Board to oversee the program, including setting standards and developing educational requirements for contractors.
Currently, Maine is one of just six states that doesn’t require general home contractors to be licensed, despite having licensing requirements for professions like electricians, plumbers and barbers. Over the past five years, the Maine Attorney General’s Office says it has received more than 3,200 complaints related to contractor issues, totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars in alleged losses.
Over the past four decades, the Maine Legislature has debated various proposals to regulate home contractors, but none have become law. Just last year, a similar bill passed both the House and Senate, only to fail in the final stages after it was not funded.
“We need this,” Rep. Cheryl Golek (D-Harpswell) said. “There’s been studies done, there’s other states we can look at.”
But others on the committee raised concerns about the bill’s complexity and lack of clarity around which types of contractors would fall under the licensing requirement.
“I can’t support it as written,” Rep. Amanda Collamore (R-Pittsfield) said. “I do hope we can put together a working group that gives us very clear definitions of what we are and are not licensing.”
The Democratic-backed version of the bill also calls for a fiscal note to determine how much implementing the new licensing system would cost Maine taxpayers.
The measure now moves to the full Legislature for further debate. If the bill passes, the licensing system would be phased in over two years, with the Residential Construction Board responsible for building out the framework.
More Stories
The simple nature daily habits that can help mental health
Urbana business awaits green light for new home construction in Danville | Housing
Savannah Morning NewsIt's okay to be flaky this summer with a blanket of Snow Princess sweet alyssum in the gardenThat first introduction taught us one thing