Gov. Janet Mills (D) has signed a bill into law prohibiting legislative staff from lobbying for at least a year after leaving their positions.
State law currently bars former executive branch employees and former lawmakers from lobbying for a minimum of one year after leaving.
LD 1576, sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, extends these existing prohibitions to legislative staff members.
Beginning on January 1, 2026, these new restrictions will apply to both partisan and non-partisan staff members, as well as committee clerks and those who work for the Office of the Secretary of the Senate or the Clerk of the House.
“This bill is straightforward,” said primary bill sponsor Rep. Morgan J. Rielly (D-Westbrook). “It addresses what I feel is a gap in our laws regarding our one-year lobbying prohibition by extending it to partisan and nonpartisan staff in the Legislature.”
“I don’t think it is appropriate for partisan and nonpartisan staff to have the ability to work in the State House on a Friday and then lobby their former committees or legislators on a Monday,” Rep. Rielly added.
“Leaving during the session or in between sessions to lobby undermines trust, not just with legislators, but with the broader public,” he continued. “It also creates an unfair advantage for the lobby, with staff being privy to caucus or committee information and having close connections with current legislators. To avoid this, we should extend the same one-year lobbying ban to the staff of the Legislature.”
Cosponsoring this bill were Sen. Rick Bennett (R-Oxford), Rep. Daniel J. Ankeles (D-Brunswick), Rep. David W. Boyer Jr. (R-Poland), Rep. Nathan M. Carlow (R-Buxton), Rep. Sharon C. Frost (U-Belgrade), Rep. Anne P. Graham (D-North Yarmouth), Rep. Benjamin C. Hymes (R-Waldo), Rep. Laura D. Supica (D-Bangor), and Sen. Craig Hickman (D-Kennebec).
Following an early May work session, nearly all members of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee voted to recommend that the Legislature approve this legislation. Only Rep. Parnell William Terry (D-Gorham) voted against recommending passage of LD 1576.
Shortly thereafter, the House overwhelmingly passed the bill in a bipartisan roll call vote of 115-28. The Senate then approved the bill without taking a roll call vote.
LD 1576 was signed into law by Gov. Mills on June 8 and will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the session.
