An Act to Change the Size and Composition of the Board of
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0645
Sponsors: MATHIESON
Amends: 22 MRSA §8703

Legislative Document
No. 645
H.P. 413
House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Change the Size and Composition of the Board of 
Directors of the Maine Health Data Organization
Submitted by the Maine Health Data Organization pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MATHIESON of Kittery.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §8703, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 71, §6, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Board of directors.  The organization operates under the supervision of a board of 
directors, which consists of 20 12 voting members and one nonvoting member.
A.  The Governor shall appoint 18 11 board members in accordance with the following 
requirements.  Appointments by the Governor are not subject to review or 
confirmation.
(1)  Four Two members must represent consumers chosen from a list provided by 
a statewide organization representing consumers.  For the purposes of this section, 
"consumer" means a person who is not affiliated with or employed by a 3rd-party 
payor, a provider or an association representing those providers or those 3rd-party 
payors.
(2)  Three Two members must represent employers.  One member must be chosen 
from a list provided by a health management statewide purchasing coalition in this 
State.  One member must be chosen from a list provided by a statewide chamber 
of commerce.
(3)  Two members must represent 3rd-party payors chosen from a list provided by 
a statewide organization representing 3rd-party payors.
(4)  Nine Four members must represent health care providers.  Two One health 
care provider members member must represent hospitals and health systems that 
include hospitals chosen from a list provided by the Maine Hospital Association a 
statewide association representing hospitals and health systems that include 
hospitals.  Two health care provider members must be physicians or 
representatives of physicians, one may not be affiliated with a hospital or a health 
system that includes a hospital and must be chosen from a list provided by the 
Maine Medical Association and one chosen from a list provided by the Maine 
Osteopathic Association a statewide association that represents health care 
providers. One health care provider member must be a pharmacist chosen from a 
list provided by a statewide association of  pharmacists.   One provider member 
must be a doctor of chiropractic chosen from a list provided by a statewide 
chiropractic association.  One provider member must be a representative, chosen 
from a list provided by the Maine Primary Care Association, of a federally 
qualified health center.  One provider member must be a pharmacist chosen from 
a list provided by the Maine Pharmacy Association.  One provider member must 
be a mental health provider chosen from a list provided by the Maine Association 
of Mental Health Services.  One provider member must represent a home health 
care company.
(5)  One member must represent the pharmaceutical industry, including 
pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesale distributors and pharmacy benefits 
managers, chosen from a list provided by a statewide association representing life 
sciences companies.
B.  The commissioner shall appoint one member who is an employee of the department 
to represent the State's interest in maintaining health data and to ensure that information 
collected is available for determining public health policy Director of the Office of 
MaineCare Services or the director’s designee shall serve as a member of the board.
D.  The Executive Director of Dirigo Health, or a designee of the executive director 
who is an employee of Dirigo Health, shall serve as a voting member.
E.  The Commissioner of Professional and Financial Regulation, or the commissioner's 
designee who is an employee of the Department of Professional and Financial 
Regulation, shall serve in a nonvoting, consultative capacity.
F.  The executive director of the organization shall serve as a nonvoting member of the 
board.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §8703, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 253, §4, is further 
amended to read:
A.  The terms of board members appointed by the Governor are determined as follows.
(1)  Initial terms are staggered.  One consumer, one employer, one 3rd-party payor 
and 3 providers shall serve one-year terms.  Two consumers, one employer, one 
3rd-party payor and 3 providers shall serve 2-year terms.
(2)  After the initial terms, members Members appointed by the Governor shall 
serve full 3-year terms and shall continue to serve until their successors have been 
appointed.
(3)  Board members may serve 3 full terms consecutively.
SUMMARY
This bill changes the size of the Maine Health Data Organization board of directors 
from a board with 20 voting members and one nonvoting member to a board with 12 voting 
members and one nonvoting member. It changes the composition of the board by adding 
as a voting member a representative from the pharmaceutical industry and adding as the 
nonvoting member the executive director of the Maine Health Data Organization. It 
removes the provision regarding staggering of initial terms.