An Act Relating to the Membership of the Workers' Compensation Board (~)
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1566
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: BUTTERFIELD, JACKSON, BLODGETT, CROCKETT, CUSHING, THIBODEAU

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1566 
H.P. 1103 
House of Representatives, December 21,2009 
An Act Relating to the Membership of the Workers' Compensation 
Board 
(~) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
~~ 
203. 
Received by the Clerk of the House 011 December 17, 2009. Referred to the Committee on 
Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Representative BUTTERFIELD of Bangor. 
Cosponsored by Senator JACKSON of Aroostook and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BLODGETT of Augusta, CROCKETT of Augusta, CUSHING of Hampden, 
THIBODEAU of Winterpoli. 
Print.:t.1 on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by tbe People oftbe State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 39-A lVJ[RSA §151, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2003, c. 608, §5, is further 
amended to read: 
1. Board established. Pursuant to Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 35, the 
Workers' Compensation Board is established as an independent board composed of 7 
members. The members of the board, including the executive director, must be appointed 
by the Governor within 30 days after a new board member is authorized or a vacancy 
occurs, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over labor matters and confirmation by the Legislature. Notwithstanding the 
provisions of Title 3, section 157, the designated committee shall complete its review of 
the appointments of the Governor within 15 days of the Governor's written notice of 
appointment and the vote of the Legislature must be taken no later than 7 days after the 
vote of the designated committee. 
The board consists of 3 representatives of management, 3 representatives of labor and the 
executive director appointed pursuant to subsection I-A. All management representatives 
must be appointed from a list provided by the Maine Chamber of Commerce and Industry 
or other bona fide organization or association of employers. All labor representatives 
must be from a list provided by the Executive Board of the Maine AFL-CIO or other 
bona fide labor organization or association of employees representing at least 10% of the 
Maine work force. Any list submitted to the Governor must have at least 4 times the 
number of names as there are vacaricies f()r the group represented by the vacancies. 
A member of the board is not liable in a civil action for any act performed in good faith in 
the execution of duties as a board member. 
A member of the board may not be a lobbyist required to be registered 't't'ith the 
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, a service provider to the 
'Norkers' compensation system or a representative of a service provider to the ", .. orkers' 
compensation system. 
Members of the board representing management and labor hold office for staggered terms 
of 4 years, commencing and expiring on February 1 st, except for initial appointees and 
members appointed to fill unexpired terms. A member representing management or labor 
may not serve for more than 2 full terms. 
A member of the board may not: 
A. Engage in lobbying as defined in Title 3, section 312-A, subsection 9 unless such 
lobbying is on behalf of the board in the member's capacity as a board member; or 
B. Be a service provider to the workers' compensation system or a representative of a 
service provider to the workers'compensation system. 
For purposes of this 
paragraph, "service provider" includes, but is not limited to, insurers authorized to 
write workers' compensation policies in the State, and group self-insurers. 
Sec. 2. Application. That section of this Act that amends the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 39-A, section 151, subsection 1 does not apply to members of the Workers' 
Compensation Board serving on the effective date of this Act. 
Page I - 124LR2350(Ol)-1 
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SUMMARY 
This bill clarifies the current restrictions on Workers' Compensation Board 
membership related to lobbying and being a service provider to the workers' 
compensation system.