An Act to Support Municipal Public Health
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0650
Sponsors: GRAHAM
Amends: 22 MRSA §453

Legislative Document
No. 650
H.P. 418
House of Representatives, February 25, 2025
An Act to Support Municipal Public Health
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 20, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint 
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GRAHAM of North Yarmouth.
Cosponsored by Representatives: MEYER of Eliot, SALISBURY of Westbrook, SHAGOURY 
of Hallowell, WEBB of Durham, ZAGER of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §453 is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§453.  Local board of health
1. Membership; administration. A municipality may appoint a local board of health 
consisting of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 members besides the local health officer 
appointed pursuant to section 451, one of whom must be a physician if available in the 
municipality and one a female.  In making appointments to the local board of health, the 
municipality shall make every effort to maximize gender representation and cultural 
diversity.  The designated female appointee may also serve as the designated physician 
appointee.  Appointees must have significant knowledge and experience in medicine or 
public health, including but not limited to community mental health, public health nursing, 
public and community health and education and communications. When first appointed, 
members of the board must be appointed one for one year, one for 2 years and one for 3 
years. Subsequent appointments must be for 3-year terms. The local health officer is 
secretary ex officio of the local board of health and shall keep a record of all proceedings. 
The local board of health constitutes an advisory body to the local health officer.  
2. Authorities of board. A local board of health shall prioritize activities overseen by 
the local health officer and may:
A.  In consultation with the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, educate 
the public about health issues as long as those educational activities do not conflict 
with law, ordinance, bylaw or any fire, health or safety rule;   
B.  Propose ordinances to the local legislative body for the promotion of general health 
as long as those ordinances do not conflict with other law, ordinance, bylaw or any fire, 
health or safety rule; 
C.  Advise local select boards, council and staff on public health issues outside of the 
expertise of the local health officer;
D.  Advise other municipal departments, volunteer boards and commissions; and
E.  Collaborate with nonprofit organizations, businesses and other entities to support 
local public health work.  
A local board of health may not direct the work of the local health officer or any other 
employee or appointed official of the municipality. 
3. Funding.  A local board of health may request permission from the municipality to 
apply for outside funding.  All outside funding received by a local board of health is subject 
to municipal financial processes and procedures.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law governing local boards of health to clarify membership 
requirements and the authority of a local board of health.