An Act to Create the Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund to Benefit Public Safety Workers and Volunteers
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1857
Committee: Taxation
Sponsors: COPELAND, BAILEY, BRIDGEO, GRAMLICH, MALON, MILLIKEN, RECKITT, SALISBURY, STOVER, CURRY
Amends: 36 MRSA §1818

Legislative Document
No. 1857
H.P. 1187
House of Representatives, May 2, 2023
An Act to Create the Public Safety Health and Wellness 
Reimbursement Fund to Benefit Public Safety Workers and 
Volunteers
Reference to the Committee on Taxation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COPELAND of Saco.
Cosponsored by Senator BAILEY of York and
Representatives: BRIDGEO of Augusta, GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, MALON of 
Biddeford, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, RECKITT of South Portland, SALISBURY of 
Westbrook, STOVER of Boothbay, Senator: CURRY of Waldo.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA c. 279 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 279
PUBLIC SAFETY HEALTH AND WELLNESS REIMBURSEMENT FUND
§1700-H.  Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund
1.  Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Culturally competent provider" means a licensed provider with specialized first 
responder certification through a designated state or national body or specialized 
experience with the complex needs of each discipline of public safety employment, 
including the cumulative impact of exposure to traumatic events, impacts of cumulative 
trauma exposure on public safety professionals' physical and mental well-being or 
career-specific knowledge and sensitivity, and continuing specialized knowledge of 
public safety psychology.
B.  "Fire department" means a municipal fire department or volunteer fire association 
as defined by Title 30-A, section 3151.
C.  "Fund" means the Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund 
established in subsection 2.
D.  "Government entity" means the State or a municipality, plantation or county.
E.  "Public safety agency" means a government entity that provides or has the authority 
to provide fire, emergency medical, emergency communications, correctional or police 
services.
F.  "Public safety employee" means an employee of a public safety agency.
G.  "Wellness visits" means confidential visits that provide a public safety employee 
an opportunity for a positive interaction with a qualified mental health professional that 
does not evaluate the employee, but offers opportunities for improved mental health 
through wellness strategies and stress management, including referrals for ongoing 
confidential counseling.
2.  Reimbursement fund established.  The Public Safety Health and Wellness 
Reimbursement Fund is established to reimburse the costs of a culturally competent 
provider providing specialized counseling and health screenings to address the physical 
and mental health effects experienced by public safety employees. The fund must be used 
to reimburse culturally competent providers and providers of specialized cardiac and 
metabolic screening under subsection 3 for all public safety employees.  The department 
shall reimburse a government entity, fire department or public safety agency for the costs 
associated with providing all public safety employees services under subsection 3 or 4, 
including through telehealth services. A public safety agency may not reduce a behavioral, 
mental or physical health care benefit package as a result of receiving funds under this 
chapter.  Except as otherwise required by law, all services under this section are 
confidential and, if wellness visits are mandated as a provision of employment by a public 
safety agency, only confirmation of attendance may be shared with the agency.  The 
department may use up to 5% of the funds allocated to the fund to administer the fund.
3.  Specialized cardiac and metabolic screening.  In order to receive money from the 
fund, a program for specialized cardiac and metabolic screening must provide biennial 
screenings of public safety employees. The results of the screening and any advice for 
continued treatment of identified health issues must be provided to the employee and the 
employee's physician. The screening program must provide a medical consultation and an 
individualized plan including nutrition, fitness and wellness recommendations to the 
employee when appropriate. Testing must include screening for:
A.  An advanced lipid panel, including a cardiac inflammatory biomarker analysis;
B.  Liver and kidney function;
C.  Thyroid, prostate and other cancers or diseases that are prevalent among first 
responders at a higher rate than the civilian population, such as diabetes; and
D.  Cardiologist-guided, public safety-specific, cardio-metabolic stress testing.
4.  Mental health wellness and resiliency. In order to receive money from the fund, a 
program for mental health wellness and resiliency must provide confidential annual 
wellness visits by culturally competent providers for all public safety employees and may 
coordinate training in areas of mental resiliency and peer support for public safety 
employees.  The program:
A.  May include a referral for additional counseling services for the participating 
employee including the employee's immediate family; and
B.  May include a referral to inpatient services or to a specialist. 
Unless otherwise provided by law, services under this subsection may not be used as a basis 
for employment termination.
5.  Choice of provider. The department shall adopt rules as necessary to define 
contractual terms, conditions for reimbursement, quality of performance standards and 
other provisions as necessary for the administration of this chapter. The rules must be 
adopted in consultation with a statewide association representing the interests of law 
enforcement officers, a statewide association representing the interests of firefighters from 
volunteer and career fire service agencies, a statewide association representing sheriffs, the 
Commissioner of Corrections or the commissioner's designee, the Commissioner of Public 
Safety or the commissioner's designee and the Director of Maine Emergency Medical 
Services within the Department of Public Safety or the director's designee. A public safety 
agency may choose the agency's own provider for a program under this section, as long as 
the provider meets the requirements in this section. Notwithstanding Title 5, chapter 375, 
the rules must be published and are subject to a 30-day public review period prior to taking 
final effect.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.  The department shall administer any additional 
funds that may be available from private, local, state or federal sources for the provision of 
reimbursements under this chapter.
Sec. 2.  36 MRSA §1818, as amended by PL 2021, c. 645, §5 and c. 669, §5, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§1818.  Tax on adult use cannabis and adult use cannabis products
All sales tax revenue collected pursuant to section 1811 on the sale of adult use 
cannabis and adult use cannabis products must be deposited into the General Fund, except 
that, on or before the last day of each month, the State Controller shall transfer:
1.  Adult Use Cannabis Public Health and Safety and Municipal Opt-in Fund.  
Twelve percent of the sales tax revenue received by the assessor during the preceding 
month pursuant to section 1811 on the sale of adult use cannabis and adult use cannabis 
products to the Adult Use Cannabis Public Health and Safety and Municipal Opt-in Fund 
established under Title 28‑B, section 1101; and
2. Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund.  Five percent of the 
sales tax revenue received by the assessor during the preceding month pursuant to section 
1811 on the sale of adult use cannabis and adult use cannabis products to the Public Safety 
Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund established under Title 22, chapter 279.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement Fund to 
provide public safety employees, including certain volunteer first responders, with access 
to a health and wellness program to mitigate the negative physical and mental health effects 
of their employment.  The bill funds the Public Safety Health and Wellness Reimbursement 
Fund using 5% of the sales tax collected on the sale of adult use cannabis and adult use 
cannabis products.