An Act to Revise the Growth Management Program Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1940
Committee: Housing and Economic Development
Sponsors: SACHS, DAUGHTRY, FECTEAU
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4301, 30-A MRSA §4312, 30-A MRSA §4314, 30-A MRSA §4324, 30-A MRSA §4325, 30-A MRSA §4326, 30-A MRSA §4326-A, 30-A MRSA §4328, 30-A MRSA §4346, 30-A MRSA §4347-A, 30-A MRSA §4352, 30-A MRSA §5953-D

Legislative Document
No. 1940
H.P. 1299
House of Representatives, May 7, 2025
An Act to Revise the Growth Management Program Laws
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SACHS of Freeport.
Cosponsored by President DAUGHTRY of Cumberland and
Representatives: Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, GERE of Kennebunkport, Senator: 
CURRY of Waldo.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §4301, as amended by PL 2021, c. 590, Pt. A, §§3 to 5 and c. 
754, §1, is further amended to read:
§4301.  Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Affordable housing.  "Affordable housing" means a decent, safe and sanitary 
dwelling, apartment or other living accommodation for a household whose income does 
not exceed 80% of the median income for the area as defined by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the United States Housing Act of 
1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended. as follows:
F.  Rental housing that a household whose income does not exceed 80% of the median 
income for the area as defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 
Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, can afford without spending more than 30% of the 
household's monthly income on housing costs; and
G.  With respect to housing that is owned, housing that a household whose income does 
not exceed 120% of the median income for the area as defined by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the United States Housing Act 
of 1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, can afford without 
spending more than 30% of the household's monthly income on housing costs.
1-A.  Cluster development.  "Cluster development" means a form of development that 
allows a subdivision design in which individual lot sizes and setbacks are reduced in 
exchange for the creation of common open space and recreation areas, the preservation of 
environmentally sensitive areas, agriculture and silviculture and the reduction in the size 
of road and utility systems.
1-B.  Age-friendly community.  "Age-friendly community" means a community 
where policies, services, settings and structures support and enable older people to actively 
age in place and that recognizes the capabilities, resources and needs of older adults, plans 
to meet the needs of older adults in flexible ways that support healthy and active aging, 
promotes the inclusion and contributions of older adults in all areas of community life, 
respects the self-determination and independence of older adults and protects those older 
adults who are most vulnerable.
1-C.  Accessory dwelling unit.  "Accessory dwelling unit" means a self‑contained 
dwelling unit located within, attached to or detached from a single-family dwelling unit 
located on the same parcel of land.
1-D.  Agricultural soils.  "Agricultural soils" means farmland soils classified by the 
United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and 
state soil and water conservation districts as prime farmland, unique farmland or farmland 
of statewide or local importance.
1-E.  Attainable housing.  "Attainable housing" means a decent, safe and sanitary 
dwelling or other living accommodation that a household whose income is greater than 
80% and less than 120% of the median income for the area as defined by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the United States Housing Act of 
1937, Public Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended, can afford without spending 
more than 30% of the household's monthly income on housing costs.
2.  Coastal area.  "Coastal area" means a coastal island and any municipality or 
unorganized township contiguous to tidal waters.  The inland boundary of the coastal area 
is the inland line of any coastal town line.
3.  Comprehensive plan.  "Comprehensive plan" means a document or interrelated 
documents that are consistent with the goals established under subchapter 2 containing the 
elements established under section 4326 4326-A, subsections 1 to 4, including the 
strategies for an implementation program which are consistent with the goals and 
guidelines established under subchapter II.
4.  Conditional zoning.  "Conditional zoning" means the process by which the 
municipal legislative body may rezone property to permit the use of that property subject 
to conditions not generally applicable to other properties similarly zoned.
4-A.  Critical rural area.  "Critical rural area" means a rural an area that is specifically 
identified and designated by a municipality's or multimunicipal region's comprehensive 
plan within a rural area as deserving maximum protection from development to preserve 
natural resources and related economic activities that may include, but are not limited to, 
significant farmland, forest land or mineral resources; high-value wildlife or fisheries 
habitat; scenic areas; public water supplies; scarce or especially vulnerable natural 
resources; flood buffer areas and flood-prone areas; and open lands functionally necessary 
to support a vibrant rural economy.
4-B.  Critical waterfront area.  "Critical waterfront area" means a shorefront area 
characterized by functionally water-dependent uses, as defined in Title 38, section 436‑A, 
subsection 6, and specifically identified and designated by a municipality's or 
multimunicipal region's comprehensive plan as deserving maximum protection from 
incompatible development.
4-C.  Conserved lands.  "Conserved lands" means any natural or rural lands that are 
protected from development through conservation easements, through ownership in fee by 
a municipality, the State, the Federal Government or a land conservation organization or 
through other mechanisms.  "Conserved lands" includes lands under permanent fee or 
conservation easement as identified by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry in its inventory of conservation lands and includes natural and traditionally 
managed lands identified in government-to-government relationships with the Wabanaki 
Nations.  "Conserved lands" does not include lands with temporary protections such as 
lease agreements, shoreland or municipal land use restrictions, carbon offset projects or 
enrollment in tree growth or open space current use tax law programs in Title 36, chapter 
105, subchapters 2-A and 10, respectively.
4-D.  Critical natural resources.  "Critical natural resources" means: 
A.  Protected natural resources such as coastal sand dune systems, coastal wetlands, 
fragile mountain areas, freshwater wetlands, great ponds, rivers, streams or brooks and 
significant wildlife habitat as defined by Title 38, section 480-B, subsections 1, 2, 3, 4, 
5, 9 and 10, respectively;
B.  Habitats of threatened and endangered species and species of special concern as 
designated and mapped under Title 12, chapter 925;
C.  Significant freshwater fisheries spawning habitat as identified and mapped by the 
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife or the Department of Marine Resources;
D.  Rare or exemplary natural communities as defined and mapped in the Natural Areas 
Program under Title 12, section 544; and
E.  Areas containing threatened or endangered plant species in the Natural Areas 
Program under Title 12, section 544.
5.  Contract zoning.  "Contract zoning" means the process by which the property 
owner, in consideration of the rezoning of that person's property, agrees to the imposition 
of certain conditions or restrictions not imposed on other similarly zoned properties.
5-A.  Downtown.  "Downtown" means: the central business district of a community 
that serves as the center for socioeconomic interaction in the community and is 
characterized by a cohesive core of commercial and mixed-use buildings, often 
interspersed with civic, religious and residential buildings and public spaces, typically 
arranged along a main street and intersecting side streets, walkable and served by public 
infrastructure.
A.  The central business district of a community that serves as the center for 
socioeconomic interaction in the community and is characterized by a cohesive core of 
commercial and mixed-use buildings, often interspersed with civic, religious and 
residential buildings and public spaces, typically arranged along a main street and 
intersecting side streets, walkable and served by public infrastructure; or
B.  An area identified as a downtown in a comprehensive plan adopted pursuant to 
chapter 187, subchapter II.
5-B.  Growth-related capital investment.  "Growth-related capital investment" 
means investment by the State in only the following projects, even if privately owned, 
whether using state, federal or other public funds and whether in the form of a purchase, 
lease, grant, loan, loan guarantee, credit, tax credit or other financial assistance:
A.  Construction or acquisition of newly constructed multifamily rental housing;
B.  Development and redevelopment of high-impact corridors and other designated 
growth areas that provide an opportunity for mixed-use development consisting of 
residential, light industrial or business parks uses;
C.  Construction or, extension or upgrade of sewer, water and other utility lines to 
support designated growth areas;
D.  Grants and loans for public or quasi-public service infrastructure, public or quasi-
public facilities, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and community buildings; and
E.  Construction or expansion of state office buildings, state courts, hospitals and other 
quasi-public facilities and other civic buildings that serve public clients and customers.
"Growth-related capital investment" does not include investment in the following: the 
operation or maintenance of a governmental or quasi-governmental facility or program; the 
renovation of a governmental facility that does not significantly expand the facility's 
capacity; general purpose aid for education; school construction or renovation projects; 
highway or bridge projects; programs that provide direct financial assistance to individual 
businesses; community revenue sharing; or public health programs.
5-C.  Department.  "Department" means the Department of Agriculture, Conservation 
and Forestry Maine Office of Community Affairs under Title 5, section 3202.
5-D.  Development standards.  "Development standards" means performance and 
design standards for buildings, streets, civic spaces and sites that promote a pattern of 
development through the identification of characteristics unique to a placetype and to the 
areas that make up a placetype.  Development standards may include, but are not limited 
to, street connectivity and design; location and design of civic spaces; building type, use, 
form, placement, arrangement and orientation on a lot; location of parking; storm water 
design; and other site design considerations.
6.  Development.  "Development" means a change in land use involving alteration of 
the land, water or vegetation, or the addition or alteration of structures or other construction 
not naturally occurring.
6-A.  Impact fee.  "Impact fee" means a charge or assessment imposed by a 
municipality against a new development to fund or recoup a portion of the cost of new, 
expanded or replacement infrastructure facilities necessitated by and attributable at least in 
part to the new development.
6-B.  Impact fee ordinance.  "Impact fee ordinance" means an ordinance that 
establishes the applicability, formula and means by which impact fees are assessed.
6-C.  Growth area.  "Growth area" means an area that is designated in a municipality's 
or multimunicipal region's comprehensive plan as suitable for orderly residential, 
commercial or industrial development, or any combinations of those types of development, 
and into which most development projected over 10 years is directed a placetype or portion 
of a placetype that has been identified by a municipality or multimunicipal region in a 
comprehensive plan as an area for development and investment, including, but not limited 
to, new roads, utilities and infrastructure expansion.  "Growth area" includes high-impact 
corridors.
6-D.  High-impact corridor.  "High-impact corridor" means a linear collection of 
predominantly commercial parcels of developed land along a road located proximate to a 
downtown or village center characterized by a low-density development pattern, with large 
areas of parking typically located between buildings and the road.
7.  Implementation program.  "Implementation program" means that component of a 
local growth management program that begins after the adoption of a comprehensive plan 
and that includes the full range of municipal policy-making powers, including spending 
and borrowing powers, as well as the powers to adopt or implement ordinances, codes, 
rules or other land use regulations, tools or mechanisms that carry out the purposes and 
general policy statements and strategies of the comprehensive plan in a manner consistent 
with the goals and guidelines of subchapter 2.
7-A.  Important natural resources.  "Important natural resources" means those areas 
in the community that are important for strategic conservation planning purposes and are 
not classified as critical natural resources, including, but not limited to: 
A.  Large habitat blocks as identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife's beginning with habitat program;
B.  Habitat connections as identified by the Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife's beginning with habitat program;
C.  Focus areas of statewide ecological significance as identified in the Department of 
Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's federally required wildlife action plan;
D.  Exemplary natural communities as defined by the Natural Areas Program under 
Title 12, section 544;
E.  Important water resources and associated riparian habitat as identified by the 
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's beginning with habitat program; or
F.  Barriers and potential barriers to aquatic organism passage as identified by the 
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's beginning with habitat program.
For the purposes of this subsection, "beginning with habitat program" means the program 
that consolidates wildlife and habitat information from public agencies and private 
organizations in the State for use by municipalities and landowners.
8.  Land use ordinance.  "Land use ordinance" means an ordinance or regulation of 
general application adopted by the municipal legislative body which controls, directs or 
delineates allowable uses of land and the standards for those uses.
8-A.  Local climate action plan.  "Local climate action plan" means a planning and 
decision-making document adopted by a municipality or multimunicipal region that:
A.  Includes compiled information regarding climate and health risks;
B.  Includes an evaluation of options for addressing climate and health risks by 
individuals, committees or offices in local or regional government that are responsible 
for planning, implementing and monitoring activities that reduce climate risk, build 
resilience to natural hazards and improve health and community capacity to manage 
crises; and
C.  Is produced using community dialogue and participation in a manner that ensures 
the input and needs of the community's most vulnerable citizens are elevated and 
prioritized.
9.  Growth management program.  "Growth management program" means a 
document containing the components described in section 4326 4326-A, subsections 1 to 
4, including the implementation program, that is consistent with the goals and guidelines 
established by subchapter II 2 and that regulates land use beyond that required by Title 38, 
chapter 3, subchapter I 1, article 2‑B.
10.  Planning committee.  "Planning committee" means the committee established by 
the municipal officers of a municipality or combination of municipalities multimunicipal 
region that has the general responsibility established under sections 4324 and 4326 4326-A.
11.  Moratorium.  "Moratorium" means a land use ordinance or other regulation 
approved by a municipal legislative body that, if necessary, may be adopted on an 
emergency basis and given immediate effect and that temporarily defers all development, 
or a type of development, by withholding any permit, authorization or approval necessary 
for the specified type or types of development.
11-A.  Multimunicipal region.  "Multimunicipal region" means a region made up of 
or more municipalities that work together to cooperatively establish a growth 
management program or independent growth management programs that are unified with 
respect to the implementation of the state goal identified in section 4312, subsection 3, 
paragraph A A-1.  The several municipalities in a multimunicipal region may establish the 
region pursuant to section 4325 or chapter 115.
12.  Municipal reviewing authority.  "Municipal reviewing authority" means the 
municipal planning board, agency or office, or if none, the municipal officers.
12-A.  Placetype.  "Placetype" means a definable geographic settlement pattern 
identifiable by the type of activities that occur there and by a set of characteristics related 
to its location, including the proximity and relationship to natural resources and rural areas; 
the size of the developed area; the arrangement of buildings and their uses; the pattern and 
arrangement of streets; the type of infrastructure available; and the presence of civic spaces 
and civic buildings.
13-A.  Rate of growth ordinance.  "Rate of growth ordinance" means a land use 
ordinance or other rule that limits the number of building or development permits issued 
by a municipality or other jurisdiction over a designated time frame.
14.  Regional council.  "Regional council" means a regional planning commission or 
a council of governments established under chapter 119, subchapter I 1.
14-A.  Service center community.  "Service center community" means a municipality 
or group of municipalities identified by the department according to a methodology 
established by rule that includes 4 basic criteria, including level of retail sales, jobs-to-
workers ratio, the amount of federally assisted housing and the volume of service sector 
jobs.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
14-B.  Rural area.  "Rural area" means a geographic area that is identified and 
designated in a municipality's or multimunicipal region's comprehensive plan as an area 
that is deserving of some level of regulatory protection from unrestricted development for 
purposes that may include, but are not limited to, supporting farmland and agriculture, 
forest land and forestry, mineral resources and mining, open space, erosion mitigation, 
water retention, wildlife habitat, fisheries habitat, flood buffer areas and flood-prone areas, 
public water supplies, natural resources, open land and scenic lands, and away from which 
most development projected over 10 years is diverted.  Characteristics of a rural area may 
include large tracts of open land, areas of conserved lands, working farms and forests and 
a pattern of development that is spaced apart with dense vegetation or large, open, 
undeveloped areas between buildings or groupings of buildings.
14-C.  Transitional area.  "Transitional area" means an area that is designated in a 
municipality's or multimunicipal region's comprehensive plan as suitable for a share of 
projected residential, commercial or industrial development but that is neither intended to 
accept the amount or density of development appropriate for a growth area nor intended to 
provide the level of protection for rural resources afforded in a rural area or critical rural 
area.
14-D.  Suburban area.  "Suburban area" means a geographic area characterized by a 
fragmented development pattern, typically segregated by use, that often occurs on formerly 
rural land and where roadways are generally curvilinear and noncontiguous.
15-A.  Zoning ordinance.  "Zoning ordinance" means a type of land use ordinance 
that divides a municipality into districts and that prescribes and reasonably applies different 
regulations in each district.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§2, ¶I, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 578, §8, is 
repealed.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§2, ¶J is enacted to read:
J.  Encourage cooperation between municipalities and state agencies, regional councils 
established under chapter 119, subchapter 1 and nonprofit organizations to develop 
comprehensive plans that assist municipalities in establishing local land use policies.
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §4312, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 657, §§1 to 4, is 
further amended to read:
3.  State goals.  The Legislature hereby establishes a set of state goals to provide overall 
direction and consistency to the planning and regulatory actions of all state and municipal 
agencies affecting natural resource management, land use and development.  The 
Legislature declares that, in order to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of 
the citizens of the State, it is in the best interests of the State to achieve the following goals:
A.  To encourage orderly growth and development in appropriate areas of each 
community and region while protecting the State's rural character, making efficient use 
of public services and preventing development sprawl;
A-1.  To encourage municipalities and multimunicipal regions to focus new 
development in growth areas to enable efficient use of public services and existing 
infrastructure investments while protecting the State's rural character, working lands, 
natural resources and natural resource-based industries and preventing development 
sprawl and sprawl-associated traffic congestion;
B.  To plan for, finance and develop an a safe and efficient system of public facilities, 
transportation infrastructure and public services to accommodate anticipated growth 
and economic development, including planning new development, factoring in 
life-cycle costs and infrastructure maintenance and replacement;
C.  To promote an economic climate which that increases job opportunities and overall 
economic well-being;
D.  To promote and work to ensure choice, economic diversity and affordability in 
housing for low-income and moderate-income households and use housing policy to 
remove barriers to housing production and to help address disparities in access to 
educational, occupational and other opportunities;
D-1.  To promote land use policies and land use ordinances that encourage the siting 
and construction of attainable housing and affordable housing in reasonable proximity 
to jobs and services and to site new housing in locations that decrease household 
transportation costs and reduce traffic congestion on regional roadways;
E.  To protect and improve the quality and to manage the quantity of the State's water 
resources, including lakes, aquifers, great ponds, estuaries, rivers and coastal areas;
F.  To protect the State's other critical natural resources and important natural 
resources, including, without limitation, wetlands, wildlife and fisheries habitat, sand 
dunes, shorelands, scenic vistas and unique natural areas;
G.  To protect the State's marine resources industry, ports and harbors from 
incompatible development and to promote access to the shore for commercial 
fishermen persons who fish commercially and the public;
H.  To safeguard the State's agricultural and forest resources from development which 
that threatens those resources, including protecting forest soils, agricultural soils and 
access to farmland and promoting the viability of agriculture, in addition to 
safeguarding agricultural resources from development;
I.  To preserve the State's historic and archeological resources;
J.  To promote and protect the availability of outdoor recreation opportunities for all 
Maine citizens, including access to surface waters;
L.  To encourage municipalities to develop policies that accommodate older adults with 
aging in place and that encourage, including the creation of age-friendly communities, 
appropriate housing and transportation access; and
N.  To plan for the effects of the rise in sea level natural hazards, including, but not 
limited to, rising sea level, coastal and riverine flooding and extreme weather, on 
buildings, transportation infrastructure, sewage treatment facilities and other relevant 
state, regional, municipal or privately held infrastructure, property or resources., to 
build resilience to natural hazards and to promote consistency with the state climate 
action plan under Title 38, section 577; and
O.  To develop local and regional coastal management policies that are consistent with 
Title 38, section 1801 for any part of a municipality or multimunicipal region that is a 
coastal area.
Sec. 5.  30-A MRSA §4314, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 641, §2, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Comprehensive plan.  A municipal comprehensive plan adopted or amended by a 
municipality under former Title 30, chapter 239, subchapter 5 or 6 remains in effect until 
amended or repealed in accordance with the procedures, goals and guidelines requirements 
established in this subchapter.  A comprehensive plan that is submitted to the department 
for certification prior to the final adoption of rules initiated after July 1, 2026 must be 
reviewed by the department based on provisions of this subchapter and associated rules in 
effect as of January 1, 2026.
Sec. 6.  30-A MRSA §4314, sub-§3, ¶D, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, 
§16 and affected by §41, is repealed.
Sec. 7.  30-A MRSA §4314, sub-§3, ¶E, as repealed and replaced by PL 2005, c. 
397, Pt. A, §31, is amended to read:
E.  The ordinance or portion of the ordinance conflicts with a newly adopted 
comprehensive plan or plan amendment adopted in accordance with the procedures, 
goals and guidelines established in this subchapter, in which case the ordinance or 
portion of the ordinance remains in effect for a period of up to 24 months immediately 
following adoption of the comprehensive plan or plan amendment; or
Sec. 8.  30-A MRSA §4314, sub-§3, ¶F, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, 
§16 and affected by §41, is repealed.
Sec. 9.  30-A MRSA §4324, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2001, c. 578, §13, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Citizen Public participation.  In order to encourage citizen public participation in 
the development of a growth management program, municipalities or multimunicipal 
regions may adopt growth management programs only after establishing a process for 
active public participation, soliciting and, considering and incorporating a broad range of 
public input and engagement in formulating the comprehensive plan and inviting and 
considering public review and comment.  The intent of this subsection is to provide for the 
broad dissemination of proposals and alternatives, opportunity for written comments, open 
discussions, information dissemination and consideration of and response to public 
comments and to ensure that public comment is a factor in the development of a 
comprehensive plan as described in section 4326-A.  The department shall provide 
guidance on best practices for soliciting public input as part of the development of a 
comprehensive plan.
Sec. 10.  30-A MRSA §4324, sub-§8, ¶B, as amended by PL 2003, c. 641, §8, is 
further amended to read:
B.  A copy of the proposed comprehensive plan must be made available for public 
inspection at each municipal office or other convenient location with regular public 
hours at least 30 days before the hearing and made available on the municipality's 
publicly accessible website and by whatever means the municipality regularly 
publishes that municipality's public information.  If modification of the plan is 
proposed pursuant to comments made at a public hearing, and if a follow-up public 
hearing is to be held, the proposed changes must be made available for public 
inspection at each municipal office or other convenient location with regular public 
hours before any follow-up hearing.
Sec. 11.  30-A MRSA §4325, as amended by PL 2001, c. 578, §14, is further 
amended to read:
§4325.  Cooperative municipal growth management activities efforts
This section governs cooperative growth management efforts conducted by 2 or more 
municipalities.
1.  Within municipality.  A municipality participating in cooperative growth 
management efforts may exercise its land use planning and management authority over the 
total land area within its jurisdiction.
2.  Multimunicipal region.  Any combination of municipalities may conduct joint 
planning and regulatory programs to meet the requirements of this subchapter upon 
adoption of a written comprehensive planning and enforcement agreement by the municipal 
legislative bodies involved.  The municipalities must agree:
A.  On procedures for joint action in the preparation and adoption of comprehensive 
plans, and whether land use regulations and other implementation measures to be 
conducted on a multimunicipal basis will be administered within each municipality or 
by 2 or more of the municipalities;
B.  On the manner of representation on any such joint land use body; and
C.  On the amount and source of contribution from each municipality for any costs 
incurred in the development, implementation and enforcement of the comprehensive 
plan and its implementation program and on the method of distributing the benefits or 
impacts of regional land use, economic development, housing, transportation, 
infrastructure and other shared plans and programs.
The comprehensive planning and enforcement agreement must be in writing, approved by 
the municipal legislative bodies for each municipality and forwarded to the department.
3.  Requirements.  The comprehensive planning and enforcement agreement must be 
in writing, approved by the municipal legislative bodies and forwarded to the office.
Sec. 12.  30-A MRSA §4326, as amended by PL 2023, c. 646, Pt. A, §§35 to 38, is 
repealed.
Sec. 13.  30-A MRSA §4326-A is enacted to read:
§4326-A.  Growth management program elements
A growth management program must include at least a comprehensive plan, as 
described in subsections 1 to 5, including a timetable for the implementation program. 
1.  Inventory and mapping.  A comprehensive plan must include: 
A.  Mapping of environmental systems data and other information important to making 
land use decisions, which must include, but is not limited to, all critical natural 
resources, all important natural resources and all data layers provided by the 
Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's mapping under the beginning with 
habitat program as defined in section 4301, subsection 7-A, including those layers that 
are subject to state and federal laws, rules and regulations intended to preserve natural 
resources; 
B.  Mapping of conserved lands, identified using data and maps from federal and state 
agencies, regional councils and relevant local sources, as applicable; 
C.  Identification of locally important farmland, agricultural soils, forest land, mineral 
resources, working waterfronts, heritage coastal areas, scenic areas, public water 
supplies, other lands and water important to the local or regional natural resource-based 
economy and land in Maine tree growth, farmland and open space and working 
waterfront protection tax programs in Title 36, chapter 105, subchapters 2-A, 10 and 
10-A, respectively.  As used in this paragraph, "heritage coastal areas" means areas 
containing an assemblage of geological, botanical, zoological, historical or scenic 
features of exceptional state or national significance; and
D. A climate vulnerability assessment or local climate action plan. 
2.  Designation and mapping.  A comprehensive plan must designate, map and 
describe: 
A.  Rural areas, including any critical rural areas deserving of protection from 
unrestricted development, and open lands, including areas deserving additional 
protections not provided by federal or state law, rule or regulation or local ordinance.  
Within areas identified and mapped as rural areas or critical rural areas, the 
comprehensive plan must identify any existing or proposed placetypes within these 
rural and critical rural areas, including, but not limited to, placetypes described in 
department rules such as rural centers, rural farmsteads, rural backlands, adjacent rural 
lands or rural roads;
B.  Suburban areas, which may include identification of areas of existing suburban 
development, intended new suburban development or areas intended to transition from 
suburban development to another placetype.  Within areas mapped as suburban areas, 
the comprehensive plan must identify any existing or proposed placetypes within these 
suburban areas, which may include, but are not limited to, placetypes described in 
department rules such as advanced suburban areas or suburban roads; 
C.  Areas or centers of existing or intended human and community activity, including 
placetypes not identified in paragraph A or B that are described in department rules, 
including existing or proposed downtowns, village centers, adjacent neighborhoods 
and high-impact corridors; and 
D.  Growth areas, which are placetypes or portions of placetypes identified and mapped 
pursuant to paragraph C, where investment by the municipality and the State may be 
necessary to implement the comprehensive plan.  Identification of designated growth 
areas must be informed by and consistent with the needs analysis required by 
subsection 3 and the goals established under subsection 4. 
The municipality or multimunicipal region may identify as its growth areas one or more 
growth areas adopted or to be adopted by one or more other municipalities or 
multimunicipal regions in accordance with an interlocal agreement adopted in 
accordance with chapter 115 with one or more municipalities or multimunicipal 
regions. 
A municipality or multimunicipal region is not required to identify growth areas within 
the municipality or multimunicipal region for residential, commercial, industrial or 
mixed-use growth if it demonstrates, in accordance with rules adopted by the 
department pursuant to this article, that it is not possible to accommodate future 
residential, commercial or industrial growth within the municipality or multimunicipal 
region because of severe physical limitations, including, without limitation, the lack of 
adequate water supply and sewage disposal services, very shallow soils or limitations 
imposed by protected natural resources. 
A municipality or multimunicipal region exercising the discretion afforded by this 
paragraph to not identify growth areas shall review the basis for its demonstration 
during the periodic revisions undertaken pursuant to section 4347‑A.
This subsection does not prohibit a municipality or a multimunicipal region from 
identifying, describing or mapping placetypes not defined in this subchapter or in rules 
adopted pursuant to this subchapter.  A municipality or multimunicipal region may use 
different names for placetypes defined in this subchapter or in rules adopted pursuant to 
this subchapter in order to reflect local nomenclature or preferences.
3.  Needs analysis.  A comprehensive plan must include a needs analysis that identifies 
existing conditions or desired conditions within the municipality or multimunicipal region 
that are necessary to support housing, economic growth and development; protect public 
health, safety and welfare of the community; and protect the environment and critical 
resources.
For all areas identified under subsections 1 and 2, the comprehensive plan must identify 
needs related to ensuring protection of critical natural resources, water quality and, as 
applicable, access to coastal waters for commercial activities and protection of agricultural 
and forest resources.
The comprehensive plan must include a narrative section describing the analysis conducted 
pursuant to this section and how it informed the identification of each need listed in the 
comprehensive plan.  The narrative section must describe any public input received, 
including public input received in response to solicitation of public comment pursuant to 
section 4324, subsection 3, and how that input informed the identification of needs listed 
in the comprehensive plan.
4.  Goals.  The comprehensive plan must include a narrative section that outlines the 
goals the municipality or multimunicipal region has established to address each of the needs 
identified under subsection 3.  The narrative must describe how the municipality's or the 
multimunicipal region's goals:
A.  Address the needs identified pursuant to subsection 3;
B.  Align with state goals listed in section 4312.  The comprehensive plan must note if 
a state goal is not applicable to the municipality or multimunicipal region; and
C.  Align or, if applicable, conflict with the goals of the region.  
5.  Implementation strategy.  The comprehensive plan must include a section that 
describes how the goals established in subsection 4 will be implemented, including: 
A.  Identification of and a description of land use policies and land use ordinances to 
be adopted in order to align with the maps created pursuant to this section where those 
policies and ordinances are applicable; 
B.  For municipalities with zoning ordinances, establishment of development standards 
applicable to implement the goals in subsection 4; 
C.  Plans for capital investment and, if feasible, identification of sources of capital; and
D.  Establishment of the timetable for the implementation program. 
Sec. 14.  30-A MRSA §4328, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 592, §2, is amended to read:
§4328.  Transfer of development rights
In order to comply with the requirement in section 4326 4326-A for each municipality 
to adopt land use policies and land use ordinances to discourage incompatible development, 
a municipality may adopt a transfer of development rights program for the transfer of 
development rights within its boundaries.  Two or more municipalities may adopt a 
program that provides for the transfer of development rights between the municipalities if 
the municipalities have entered into an interlocal agreement pursuant to chapter 115 for 
this purpose.
Sec. 15.  30-A MRSA §4346, 2nd ¶, as amended by PL 2021, c. 590, Pt. A, §10, is 
further amended to read:
The department may enter into financial assistance grants only to the extent that funds 
are available.   In making grants, the department shall consider the need for planning in a 
municipality or multimunicipal region, the proximity of the municipality or multimunicipal 
region to other areas that are conducting or have completed the planning process and the 
economic and geographic role of the municipality or multimunicipal region within a 
regional context.  The department shall give priority in making grants to any municipality 
or multimunicipal region that has adopted a local climate action plan and, if the 
municipality or multimunicipal region has adopted a comprehensive plan or growth 
management program, prepared a climate vulnerability assessment pursuant to section 
4326, subsection 1, paragraph L.  The department may consider other criteria in making 
grants, as long as the criteria support the goal of encouraging and facilitating the adoption 
and implementation of local and multimunicipal growth management programs consistent 
with the procedures, goals, requirements and guidelines established in this subchapter.  In 
order to maximize the availability of the technical and financial assistance program to all 
municipalities, multimunicipal regions and regional councils, financial assistance programs 
administered competitively under this article are exempt from rules adopted by the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services pursuant to Title 5, section 1825‑C 
for use in the purchase of services and the awarding of grants and contracts.  The 
department shall publish a program statement describing its grant program and advertising 
its availability to eligible applicants.
Sec. 16.  30-A MRSA §4346, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2013, c. 300, §6, is further 
amended to read:
5.  Coordination.  State agencies with regulatory or other authority affecting the goals 
established in this subchapter shall conduct their respective activities in a manner consistent 
with the goals established under this subchapter, including, but not limited to, coordinating 
with municipalities, regional councils and other state agencies in meeting the state goals; 
providing available information to regions and municipalities as described in section 4326, 
subsection 1 the department, municipalities and multimunicipal regions; cooperating with 
efforts to integrate and provide access to the department with geographic information and 
environmental system data and maps necessary for the inventory and needs analysis 
components of a comprehensive plan pursuant to section 4326-A; making state investments 
and awarding grant money as described in section 4349‑A; and conducting reviews of 
growth management programs as provided in section 4347‑A, subsection 3, paragraph A.  
Without limiting the application of this section to other state agencies, the following 
agencies shall comply with this subchapter:
B.  Department of Economic and Community Development;
C.  Department of Environmental Protection;
D.  Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry;
E.  Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife;
F.  Department of Marine Resources;
G.  Department of Transportation;
G-1.  Department of Health and Human Services;
H.  Finance Authority of Maine; and
I.  Maine State Housing Authority.
Sec. 17.  30-A MRSA §4347-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, 
§21 and affected by §41, is further amended to read:
1.  Comprehensive plans.  A municipality or multimunicipal region that chooses to 
prepare a growth management program and receives a planning grant under this article 
shall submit its comprehensive plan to the department for review.  A municipality or 
multimunicipal region that chooses to prepare a growth management program without 
receiving a planning grant under this article may submit its comprehensive plan to the 
department for review.  The department shall review plans for consistency with the 
procedures, goals and guidelines requirements established in this subchapter.  A contract 
for a planning assistance grant must include specific timetables governing the review of the 
comprehensive plan by the department.  A comprehensive plan submitted for review more 
than 12 months following a contract end date may be required to contain data, projections 
and other time-sensitive portions of the plan or program that are in compliance with the 
department's most current review standards.
Sec. 18.  30-A MRSA §4347-A, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, 
§21 and affected by §41, is further amended to read:
2.  Growth management programs.  A municipality or multimunicipal region may at 
any time request a certificate of consistency for its growth management program.
A.  Upon a request for review under this section, the department shall review the 
program and determine whether the program is consistent with the procedures, goals 
and guidelines requirements established in this subchapter.
B.  Certification by the former State Planning Office or the department of a 
municipality's or multimunicipal region's growth management program by the former 
State Planning Office or the department charged with reviewing growth management 
programs under this article is valid for 10 12 years.  To maintain certification, a 
municipality or multimunicipal region shall periodically review its growth 
management program and submit to the department in a timely manner any revisions 
necessary to account for changes, including changes caused by growth and 
development. Certification does not lapse in any year in which the Legislature does not 
appropriate funds to the department for the purposes of reviewing programs for 
recertification.
C.  Upon a request for review under this section, the department may review rate of 
growth, impact fee and zoning ordinances to determine whether the ordinances are 
consistent with a comprehensive plan that has been found consistent under this section 
without requiring submission of all elements of a growth management program.  An 
affirmative finding of consistency by the department is required for a municipality or 
multimunicipal region to assert jurisdiction as provided in section 4349‑A.
Sec. 19.  30-A MRSA §4347-A, sub-§3, ¶C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. 
JJ, §21 and affected by §41, is further amended to read:
C.  Within 90 days after receiving the growth management program, send all written 
comments on the growth management program to the municipality or multimunicipal 
region and any applicable regional council.  If warranted, the department shall issue 
findings specifically describing how the submitted growth management program is not 
consistent with the procedures, goals and guidelines requirements established in this 
subchapter and the recommended measures for remedying the deficiencies.
(1)  In its findings, the department shall clearly indicate its position on any point 
on which there are significant conflicts among the written comments submitted to 
the department.
(2)  If the department finds that the growth management program was adopted in 
accordance with the procedures, goals and guidelines requirements established in 
this subchapter, the department shall issue a certificate of consistency for the 
growth management program.
(3)  Notwithstanding paragraph D, if a municipality or multimunicipal region 
requests a certificate of consistency for its growth management program, any 
unmodified component of that program that has previously been reviewed by the 
former State Planning Office or the department and has received a finding of 
consistency will retain that finding during program certification review by the 
department as long as the finding of consistency is current as defined in rules 
adopted by the department;
Sec. 20.  30-A MRSA §4347-A, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. JJ, 
§21 and affected by §41, is further amended to read:
3-A.  Review of comprehensive plan.  In reviewing a comprehensive plan, the 
department shall:
A.  Solicit written comments on any proposed comprehensive plan from regional 
councils, state agencies, all municipalities contiguous to the municipality or 
multimunicipal region submitting a comprehensive plan and any interested residents 
of the municipality or multimunicipal region or of contiguous municipalities. The 
comment period extends for 25 20 business days after the department receives the 
comprehensive plan.  Each state agency reviewing the proposal shall designate a person 
or persons responsible for coordinating the agency's review of the comprehensive plan;
B.  Prepare all written comments from all sources in a form to be forwarded to the 
municipality or multimunicipal region;
C.  Within 35 40 business days after receiving the comprehensive plan, notify the 
municipality or multimunicipal region if the plan is complete for purposes of review.  
If the department notifies the municipality or multimunicipal region that the plan is not 
complete for purposes of review, the department shall indicate in its notice necessary 
additional data or information make a determination of whether a plan is consistent or 
inconsistent based on a review of the requirements of this subchapter;
D.  Within 10 business days of issuing notification that a comprehensive plan is 
complete for purposes of review, issue findings specifically describing whether the 
submitted plan is consistent with the procedures, goals and guidelines established in 
this subchapter and identify which inconsistencies in the plan, if any, may directly 
affect rate of growth, zoning or impact fee ordinances.
(1)  In its findings, the department shall clearly indicate its position on any point 
on which there are significant conflicts among the written comments submitted to 
the department.
(2)  If the department finds that the comprehensive plan was developed in 
accordance with the procedures, goals and guidelines established in this 
subchapter, the department shall issue a finding of consistency for the 
comprehensive plan.
(3)  A finding of inconsistency must identify the goals under this subchapter not 
adequately addressed, specific sections of the rules relating to comprehensive plan 
review adopted by the department not adequately addressed and recommendations 
for resolving the inconsistency;
D-1.  If the department finds that a comprehensive plan was developed in accordance 
with the goals, requirements and guidelines established in this subchapter, issue a 
finding of consistency for the comprehensive plan.  If the department finds that a 
comprehensive plan does not meet the requirements established in this subchapter, the 
department shall issue a finding of inconsistency and provide to the municipality or 
multimunicipal region recommendations for resolving the inconsistency;
E.  Send all written findings and comments on the comprehensive plan to the 
municipality or multimunicipal region and any applicable regional council; and
F.  Provide ample opportunity for the municipality or multimunicipal region submitting 
a comprehensive plan to respond to and correct any identified deficiencies in the plan 
revise the plan to be consistent with the goals and requirements of this subchapter.  A 
finding of inconsistency for a comprehensive plan may be addressed within 24 months 
of the date of the finding without addressing any new review standards that are created 
during that time interval. After 24 months, the plan must be resubmitted in its entirety 
for state review under the department's most current review standards.
If the department finds that a plan is not consistent with the procedures, goals and 
guidelines requirements established in this subchapter, and in the rules and guidance 
adopted and established by the department, the municipality or multimunicipal district 
region that submitted the plan may appeal that finding to the department within 20 business 
days of receipt of the finding in accordance with rules adopted by the department, which 
are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
The department's decision on consistency of a comprehensive plan constitutes final agency 
action.
A finding by the department pursuant to paragraph D D-1 that a comprehensive plan is 
consistent with the procedures, goals and guidelines requirements established in this 
subchapter is valid for 12 years from the date of its issuance.  A finding by the former State 
Planning Office issued pursuant to this subchapter prior to December 31, 2000 that a 
comprehensive plan is consistent with the procedures, goals and guidelines established in 
this subchapter is valid until December 31, 2012.  For purposes of section 4314, subsection 
and section 4352, subsection 2, expiration of a finding of consistency pursuant to this 
subsection does not itself make a comprehensive plan inconsistent with the procedures, 
goals and guidelines established in this subchapter.
Sec. 21.  30-A MRSA §4352, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2003, c. 688, Pt. C, §20, 
is further amended to read:
6.  Effect on State.  A zoning ordinance that is not consistent with a comprehensive 
plan that is consistent with the provisions of section 4326 4326-A is advisory with respect 
to the State.  Except as provided in this section, a state agency shall comply with a zoning 
ordinance consistent with a comprehensive plan that is consistent with the provisions of 
section 4326 4326-A in seeking to develop any building, parking facility or other publicly 
owned structure.  The Governor or the Governor's designee may, after public notice and 
opportunity for public comment, including written notice to the municipal officers, waive 
any use restrictions in those ordinances upon finding that:
A.  The proposed use is not allowed anywhere in the municipality;
B.  There are no reasonable alternative sites for or configurations of the project within 
the municipality that would achieve the necessary public purposes;
C.  There are no reasonable alternatives to the project, including sites in other 
municipalities, that would achieve the necessary public purposes;
D.  The project will result in public benefits beyond the limits of the municipality, 
including, without limitation, access to public waters or publicly owned lands; and
E.  The project is necessary to protect the public health, welfare or environment.
A decision to waive a restriction under this section may be appealed by the municipality or 
any aggrieved party to Superior Court.
Sec. 22.  30-A MRSA §5953-D, sub-§3, ¶D, as amended by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. 
JJ, §27 and affected by §41 and amended by c. 657, Pt. W, §5, is further amended by 
amending subparagraph (2), division (a) to read:
(a)  Has adopted a comprehensive plan that is determined by the Executive 
Department, former State Planning Office or the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry the Maine Office of Community Affairs, 
established in Title 5, section 3202, to be consistent with section 4326, 
subsections 1 to 4 4326-A.
Sec. 23.  30-A MRSA §5953-D, sub-§4-A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 288, §3, is 
further amended to read:
4-A.  Criteria; conditions for downtown improvement grants or loans.  The 
Department of Economic and Community Development, in conjunction with the bank, 
shall develop criteria and conditions for the award of downtown improvement grants or 
loans to eligible municipalities after consultation with the state agencies listed in subsection 
and subject to the requirements of this section. The department shall establish a 
preference for municipalities that are regional service centers or urban compact 
municipalities or have adopted a comprehensive plan consistent with section 4326 4326-A.
Sec. 24.  Office to adopt rules.  The Maine Office of Community Affairs, 
established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 3202, shall amend existing rules 
governing the growth management program to be consistent with the laws governing the 
program as amended by this Act.  Notwithstanding Title 30-A, section 4312, subsection 4, 
rules adopted pursuant to this section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.  The following placetype descriptions must be incorporated 
into the rules.
1.  Adjacent neighborhood.  "Adjacent neighborhood" means a primarily residential 
area located adjacent to a village center, downtown or high-impact corridor.  Adjacent 
neighborhoods are predominantly developed for residential activities and are typically 
arranged along a network of interconnected streets.
2.  Adjacent rural lands.  "Adjacent rural lands" means large undeveloped land areas 
adjacent to rural backlands and to areas where there is development activity.  Adjacent rural 
lands typically include land located behind lots along rural roads or adjacent to a rural 
center, village center or other placetype.  Adjacent rural lands can also be located adjacent 
to suburban areas.  Because of their proximity to land where development is present, 
adjacent rural lands are a high priority for local planning and policy work to verify goals 
for future land use.
3.  Advanced suburban area.  "Advanced suburban area" means an area where low-
density development has spread from the road frontage deeper into lots and to adjacent 
rural land.  Development within these areas is typically segregated by use and may include 
commercial strip malls, regional shopping centers, so-called big box retail development, 
office parks, residential subdivisions and other forms of single-use development.  
Advanced suburban areas result in disconnected development and fragmented open spaces 
disconnected from a larger network of habitat corridors, trails and other natural systems.
4.  Rural backlands.  "Rural backlands" means geographically isolated areas with no 
direct frontage onto public roads. Rural backlands often have very little or no development 
and may be intersected by trails and utility corridors.  These areas may contain conserved 
lands, critical natural resources and important natural resources.  Depending on local 
municipal land use policies, rural backlands may be targeted for conservation, as working 
lands, or for development that limits impacts on wildlife, water management, agricultural 
uses and active outdoor recreation activities.
5.  Rural center.  "Rural center" means an area with a grouping of 2 or more buildings 
that have formed a center of community within a rural area.  It may include historic or 
architecturally important or significant buildings.  A rural center can vary in size but is 
geographically smaller in size than a village center placetype.
6.  Rural farmstead.  "Rural farmstead" means a parcel of land that serves or has the 
potential to serve as a mixed-use, resource-based economic center of activity in a rural area.  
A rural farmstead may consist of adjacent buildings on a single parcel that support the 
commercial, residential and economic needs of a rural agricultural or forestry business.  A 
rural farmstead allows for mixed-use development in rural areas to provide economic 
options to rural landowners while also safeguarding the agricultural and forest sectors from 
fragmented low-density development.
7.  Rural road.  "Rural road" means a road that has the characteristics of a rural area, 
with homes and businesses occurring at infrequent intervals on lots that often exceed 5 
acres in size, and are frequently much larger, with driveways that typically occur an average 
of every 500 feet or more.  Rural roads have no geographic center, except where punctuated 
by rural centers.
8.  Suburban road.  "Suburban road" means an area along the frontage of a road where 
incremental development slowly transitions a rural road to a suburban one.  Suburban roads 
have more frequent curb cuts than a rural road, typically occurring an average of every 500 
feet or less.  Buildings are typically located on lots of one to 3 acres, created through lot 
splits and subdivisions of larger parcels of land.  Development typically includes a range 
of uses, including residential, commercial, industrial and office uses, each separated from 
the other.  Buildings are typically located within view of the road and each other, changing 
the perception of the area from rural to suburban.
9.  Village center.  "Village center" means an area with a loose grouping of buildings 
accommodating a variety of uses and serving as a center for commerce, living, education 
and social interaction within a community.  Village centers typically include a loose 
network of streets, with a main street running through the center.  The placement of 
buildings on lots, the distance between buildings and the pattern of streets and blocks are 
looser and more irregular than a downtown placetype.
Sec. 25.  Director to convene stakeholder group.  Prior to initiating rulemaking 
as required by this Act, the Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs shall 
convene a stakeholder group for the purpose of soliciting input on the development of rules 
necessary to implement the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 187, subchapter 2, 
as amended by this Act.  The stakeholder group may not exceed 17 members, excluding 
the director.  Members of the stakeholder group are as follows:
1.  The Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs;
2.  The program director of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's 
Municipal Planning Assistance Program;
3.  A representative of the Housing Opportunity Program established in Title 5, section 
13056-J, as designated by the program's director;
4.  A representative of the climate resilience program, as designated by the program's 
director;
5.  A representative of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future with expertise in 
housing, as designated by the director of that office; 
6.  The director of the Maine State Housing Authority or the director's designee; and 
7.  The following members, selected by and serving at the pleasure of the Director of 
the Maine Office of Community Affairs: 
A. A representative of a statewide association of municipalities; 
B. A representative of a statewide organization that advocates for farmland protection 
and farm viability; 
C. A representative of a statewide organization that advocates for smart growth; 
D. A representative of a statewide organization that represents land use planners; 
E. A representative of a statewide organization that advocates for conservation of 
wildlife and wildlife habitat in this State; 
F. A representative of a statewide organization that advocates for the creation and 
preservation of affordable housing; 
G. A representative of a statewide organization that advocates for responsible 
development and ownership of real estate; 
H. Representatives from at least 3 municipalities of varying populations; at least one 
of whom must be from a municipality that has completed a comprehensive plan that 
incorporates placetypes; and
I. Representatives from at least 2 regional councils as established under Title 30-A, 
chapter 119, subchapter 1. 
Sec. 26.  Office to develop guidance for public participation.  The Maine 
Office of Community Affairs shall develop guidance materials describing strategies for 
soliciting, encouraging and incorporating public input into the development of a 
comprehensive plan as required by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4324, 
subsection 3.  At a minimum, the guidance materials must include:
1.  Strategies to solicit input from all demographic groups of residents, including 
historically underrepresented persons, through a series of public events and activities, 
including hands-on workshops, work sessions or focused roundtable meetings;
2.  Effective methods to advertise events and activities through a combination of print 
and digital platforms in advance of the events and activities;
3.  Multiple methods to provide opportunities for the public to contribute ideas, discuss 
key issues facing the community, set priorities and develop policies and strategies to 
address local challenges, including, but not limited to, seeking input through digital and 
paper surveys, questionnaires, visual preference surveys and other means;
4.  Methods to analyze the public input and use the input to prepare a draft of the 
comprehensive plan and meet the requirements for a comprehensive plan under Title 30-A, 
section 4326-A; and
5.  Ways to make a draft comprehensive plan easily accessible to the public to solicit 
feedback from the public on the draft comprehensive plan.
Sec. 27.  Application.  This Act does not apply to a comprehensive plan or growth 
management program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4314, 
subsection 1 that was submitted to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry for certification before the final adoption of rules necessary to implement Title 
30-A, chapter 187, subchapter 2 as authorized by Title 30-A, section 4312 and affected by 
section 24 of this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill makes comprehensive changes to the growth management program, including 
substantive and procedural changes to comprehensive land use planning.