--- title: Committees with Jurisdictional Oversight Authority description: "![Outline of state of Maine](https://levin-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/noun-maine-19619-00594F-713x1024.png) ## Joint Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/ACF) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction \"Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; agricultural development; agricultural fairs,…" url: "https://levin-center.org/slow/committees-with-jurisdictional-oversight-authority-44/" updated: "2025-02-14" category: Maine --- # Committees with Jurisdictional Oversight Authority ![Outline of state of Maine](https://levin-center.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/noun-maine-19619-00594F-713x1024.png) ## Joint Committee on Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/ACF) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; agricultural development; agricultural fairs, products and marketing; animal control and welfare; harness racing; food policy; food safety, inspection and labeling; dairy industry; pest management and pesticides regulation; industrial hemp; state parks, historic sites, public lands and submerged lands; Maine Land Use Planning Commission; geological surveying and mapping; Maine Forest Service; timber harvesting; industrial hemp; the Land for Maine’s Future Program; and Baxter State Park" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/CJPS) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Maine Criminal Code; Maine Juvenile Code; Maine Bail Code; criminal law and criminal procedure; criminal history record information; domestic violence; human trafficking; sex trafficking; sentencing; Criminal Law Advisory Commission; Department of Public Safety; law enforcement; Criminal Justice Academy; victims’ rights; Victims Compensation Fund; Department of Corrections; adult and juvenile corrections; intensive supervision; probation and parole; county jails; community corrections; adult-use marijuana crimes; operating under the influence; operating after suspension; habitual offenders; fire safety and arson; firefighters and emergency responders; firearms; concealed handgun permits; private investigators; security guards; amusement rides; and Maine Emergency Management Agency" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/EDU) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Education; State Board of Education; school finance, governance and administration; school budgets; school facilities; curriculum, instruction and assessment; teachers and administrators; special education and child development services; education of deaf and hard-of-hearing students; career and technical education; charter schools, alternative education, school choice and home schooling; school district reorganization; online learning; student health, nutrition and safety; truancy and dropouts; educational services at juvenile correctional facilities; adult education; Maine Education Policy Research Institute; University of Maine System; Maine Community College System; Maine Maritime Academy; postsecondary education finance and governance; Maine State Library; and cultural affairs, including Maine Arts Commission, Maine State Museum, Maine Historical Society, Maine Historic Preservation Commission, Maine Humanities Council and Maine Public, formerly known as Maine Public Broadcasting" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/EUT) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Energy policy, including energy resources, wind energy development, biomass energy, hydropower, solar energy; efficiency and conservation; electric industry, including supply, transmission and distribution; natural gas industry; telecommunications industry, including telephone, Internet, broadband and cable television services; E-9-1-1; water and sewer utilities, including district charters; Public Utilities Commission; Office of the Public Advocate; Governor’s Energy Office; ConnectME Authority; and Efficiency Maine Trust" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/ENR) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Air and water quality; natural resource protection; site location of development laws, shoreland zoning, subdivisions and growth management; management and disposal of solid, hazardous, biomedical and special wastes; returnable containers; hydropower and dams; waste-to-energy facilities; mining; wind energy development; and general environmental policy, including oversight of the Department of Environmental Protection" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Health and Human Services #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/HHS) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Health and Human Services; MaineCare/Medicaid; children’s welfare and mental health services; child care; maternal and infant health; public health; lead and water testing; immunization; tobacco and e-cigarette sale and use; medical use of marijuana; eating, lodging and campground licensing and inspection; opioid medications and limits; state health system planning; health care facilities; health care workforce; telemedicine; oral health and dental care; substance use disorder; mental health; developmental disability; aging; elderly and disability issues; home and community-based longterm care; nursing facilities and residential care; palliative and end- of-life care; and public assistance" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance, and Financial Services #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/HCIFS) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Banking; financial institutions; credit unions; consumer credit; credit law (business-related); Uniform Consumer Credit Code; Bureau of Financial Institutions; Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection; mortgage lending; foreclosure prevention; servicing of student loans; debt collection practices and debt buyers; Office of Securities; stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other securities; financial services; Bureau of Insurance; credit, automobile, life, property and casualty insurance; private health insurance; health and medical data; Maine Health Data Organization; health maintenance organizations; mandated health benefits; health care reform; compliance with federal Affordable Care Act; prescription drugs; pharmacy benefit managers; cost containment; multiple employer welfare arrangements; State Employee Health Commission and state employee group health plan; longterm care insurance; disability income insurance; insurance rating, regulation and practices; insurance producers; professional and occupational licensing for health care and financial services; Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company; workers' compensation insurance; selfinsurance; and viatical and life settlement contracts" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Housing and Economic Development #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/HED) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Affordable housing; accessory dwelling units; housing-related subdivision law; housing-related site location of development law; land use, subdivisions and growth management; planning and regulation, including municipal zoning and land use standards established by the Land Use Planning Commission; Maine State Housing Authority; mortgage lending; foreclosure prevention; housing safety; building codes; insulation; lead testing; homelessness; economic development; economic planning and development agencies; venture capital and trade programs; opportunity zones; import competition; product marketing; research and development; technology commercialization; technology transfers; tourism; business regulation, including automobile and fuel sales; retail pricing; franchising; advertising; real estate practices; Finance Authority of Maine (FAME), excluding student assistance programs at FAME; business and nonprofit organizations; and Uniform Commercial Code" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/IFW) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Fisheries and Wildlife; inland fisheries and wildlife research and management; hunting; fishing; trapping; hunter safety; fish hatcheries; game wardens; guides; taxidermist licensing; ATVs; snowmobiles; watercraft registration and boater safety; and whitewater rafting" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Judiciary #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/JUD) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Judicial system organization and budget; criminal procedure; civil procedure; civil actions, including torts and medical malpractice; Maine Tort Claims Act; liability; immunity; claims against the State; child protection (with Health and Human Services); Family Law Advisory Commission; family law; domestic relations; child support; adoption; legal services; Maine Indigent Legal Services Commission; attorneys; Attorney General; District Attorneys; constitutional rights; abortion regulation and reproductive rights; civil rights; involuntary commitment and treatment; medical rights; human rights and discrimination; Maine Human Rights Commission; protection from harassment; protection from abuse; guardianship and conservatorship; probate law; Probate and Trust Law Advisory Commission, Probate Code; Trust Code; foreclosure; property law; property rights; eminent domain; unclaimed property; business and nonprofit organizations; Uniform Commercial Code; laws relating to Maine’s Indian Tribes, including the Act to Implement the Maine Indian Claims Settlement; Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission; freedom of access, confidentiality and privacy laws; statutory maintenance; and errors and inconsistencies" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Labor #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/LAB) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Labor; wage and hour laws; working conditions, including health and safety; unemployment compensation; workers' compensation; labor relations; collective bargaining; private sector retirement; Workers’ Compensation Board; Maine Labor Relations Board; retirement eligibility and benefits for state and municipal employees, including teachers; judicial and legislative retirement systems; Maine Public Employees Retirement System" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Marine Resources #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/MAR) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Marine Resources; Marine Patrol; commercial and recreational marine fisheries management, licensing and enforcement; marine science and research; shellfish sanitation and management; and aquaculture" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on State and Local Government #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/SLG) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "State government, including the Legislature, state property, public purchasing and contracts, state agencies and government organization, state employment, oversight of state officials, periodic review of State Government Evaluation Act; Maine State Archives; administrative procedures, boards and commissions, state holidays and designations, and capitol area planning; county government, including regional planning, budget process and county officials; municipal and local government, including deorganization and consolidation, planning and regulation, land use; discontinued and abandoned roads and cemeteries" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Taxation #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/TAX) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Bureau of Revenue Services and State Board of Property Tax Review; state and local taxes; tax exemptions and credits; tax expenditure review; taxpayer relief programs; property valuation and assessment; tax increment financing; municipal revenue sharing; taxation of unorganized territories; and tree growth and other current use tax issues" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Transportation #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/TRA) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Department of Transportation; Bureau of Motor Vehicles; motor vehicle registration and license plates; drivers’ licenses; driver education; Maine Turnpike Authority; Highway Fund; transportation policy; public transportation; aeronautics; highway and bridge construction and maintenance; highway safety; traffic regulation; waterways; railroads; Department of Public Safety, State Police; and motor vehicles and motor carriers" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)). --- ## Joint Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs #### [Website](https://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/VLA) Membership, committee documents, bills in committee, testimony, and meeting schedule available on website. #### Purpose/Jurisdiction "Alcoholic beverage laws; adult-use marijuana regulation; lottery; for profit and nonprofit gambling, including games of chance, beano and raffles; slot machines, gaming devices; harness racing and off-track betting; election laws; campaign practices; campaign financing and disclosures; the Maine Clean Election Act; voter registration; direct initiatives and people’s veto; legislative ethics; lobbyist registration and reporting; Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices; veterans’ programs; Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management Services (except the Maine Emergency Management Agency); Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations; Gambling Control Board; and Maine National Guard" ([Committee Subject Matter](https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/Committees/CommitteeSubjectMatter)).