Executive Orders

A Summary of Governor Mills’ Executive Orders During Pandemic

Fred Horch with help from Support Brunswick

Last updated: 3:00 pm Wed, May 20, 2020

This is a summary of the Executive Orders issued by Maine Governor Janet Mills after her proclamation of a state of civil emergency on March 15, 2020, to protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Essential Executive Orders

Stay Safer At Home (Order #49) April 29, 2020

  • Extend orders #14, 19, 28 and 34 until May 31
  • Begin implementing the Restarting Plan for Maine’s economy on May 1
  • Require people to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing is difficult

Quarantine Travelers to Maine (Order #34) April 3, 2020

  • Require any person traveling into Maine to self-quarantine for 14 days
  • Suspend lodging reservations

Stay at Home (Order #28) March 31, 2020

  • Stay at home except to participate in essential activities:
    • obtaining necessary supplies
    • maintaining health and safety
    • caring for family members and friends
    • traveling for education,
    • engaging in outdoor activities, and
    • traveling for government purposes
  • When out of the home, maintain a minimum distance of six feet from other people
  • Do not use public transportation except for an essential reason
  • Transport no passengers in private vehicles other than immediate household members
  • Close schools
  • Prioritize remote order and curbside pick-up for essential retail businsses
  • Limit in-store gathering:
    • < 7,500 square feet : 5 customers
    • 7,500 to 12,000 s.f. : 15 customers
    • 12,000 to 18,000 s.f. : 35 customers
    • 18,000 to 40,000 s.f. : 45 customers
    • 40,000 to 60,000 s.f. : 70 customers
    • > 60,000 s.f. : 100 customers
  • Require stores to
    • Actively enforce social distancing requirements in and around their facilities
    • Post signage instructing customers to remain six feet apart
    • Mark floors with social distancing reminders
    • Disinfect handles of carts and baskets
    • Minimize customer handling of merchandise
    • Offer separate hours for at risk customers
    • Install protective shields between customer and checkout (if the store is larger than 75,000 s.f.)

Essential Businesses and Operations (Order #19) March 24, 2020

  • Require all businesses (including non-profit organizations) to implement and actively enforce social distancing in and around their facilities.
  • Divide businesses (including non-profit organizations) into essential and non-essential.
  • Allow essential businesses to continue their activities.
  • Require non-essential businesses to cease operations at sites that are public facing or at sites that require more than ten workers to convene in space where social distancing is not possible.
  • Allow non-essential businesses to continue certain activities:
    • Taking orders by phone, email or other remote means.
    • Delivering orders.
    • Maintaining the value of the business’ inventory.
    • Preserving the condition of the business’ physical plant and equipment.
    • Ensuring security.
    • Processing payroll, employee benefits and related functions.

Restrict Gatherings of More Than 10 People (Order #14) March 18, 2020

  • Prohibit gatherings of more than ten people throughout Maine
  • Close dine-in facilities of restaurants and bars
  • Allow carry-out, delivery and drive-through food and beverage service

All Executive Orders (Governor’s Office List of Official Documents)

https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/official_documents

Executive Orders Currently In Effect

 

# Effective Dates Description of Order
54 Starting May 15, 2020 Allow the Department of Corrections to prohibit transfer of inmates
53 Starting May 12, 2020 Require vehicles to be registered within 30 days of this order
53 Retroactive to March 15, 2020 Extend property tax due dates, interest accrual and collection of liens
52 Starting May 12, 2020 Modify or suspend requirements for education credentialing
52 Starting May 12, 2020 Authorize school bus drivers to use lights to control traffic while delivering food, etc.
51 Starting May 6, 2020 Establish the Economic Recovery Committee
50 Starting April 30, 2020 Suspend watercraft excise tax in some municipalities during state of emergency
49 April 29 to May 31, 2020 “Stay Safer at Home”
49 April 29 to May 31, 2020 Prioritize public health
49 April 29 to May 31, 2020 Extend Executive Orders #14, 19, 28 and 34
49 Starting May 1, 2020 Start implementing the “Restarting Plan” for Maine’s economy.
49 Starting May 1, 2020 Require face coverings in public settings
48 Retroactive to March 1, 2020 Maximize federal COVID-19 funding for MaineCare
47 Starting April 27, 2020 Increase eligibility for children’s homeless shelters
46 Starting April 24, 2020 Extend licenses of law enforcement professionals
46 Starting April 24, 2020 Extend deadline for basic law enforcement training
45 Starting April 24, 2020 Expedite delivery of property tax relief checks
44 Starting April 24, 2020 Extend deadline to report “sentinel events” (unanticipated deaths, etc.) in healthcare facilities
43 Starting April 24, 2020 Waive 30 day waiting period for financial orders
42 Starting April 21, 2020 Make terms of Loan Guarantee Program more consumer friendly
41 April 21 to June 6, 2020 Suspend IF&W authority to establish open season date to hunt wild turkey
41 May 2 to June 6, 2020 Set period for wild turkey open spring season
41 May 2 to June 6, 2020 Suspend certain requirements for hunting wild turkeys
41 Starting April 21, 2020 Suspend issuance of fishing derby and bass tournament permits
41 April 21 to July 31, 2020 Suspend collection of whitewater rafting outfitter user fees and allocation fees
40 Starting April 16, 2020 Prohibit attempts by landlords to evict tenants by unauthorized means
40 Starting April 16, 2020 Suspend writs of possession (i.e. evictions) for reason of nonpayment of rent
40 Starting April 16, 2020 Extend notice periods for landlords
39 April 10 to July 14, 2020 Change date of primary election to July 14
38 Starting April 10, 2020 Allow contact lenses to be dispensed pursuant to a prescription no more than 3 years old
37A Starting April 24, 2020 Allow some notarization remotely by two-way audio-visual technology rather than requiring the signatory and Notary Public to be at the same physical location. The signatory must send the original signed document within 96 hours (4 days) to the Notary Public.
36 Starting April 7, 2020 Extend renewal dates for guide licenses from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020
35 Starting April 6, 2020 Allow health care providers to use telehealth to provide services
35 Starting April 6, 2020 Allow veterinarians to use telehealth to provide services
35 Starting April 6, 2020 Allow Counselors and therapists to use telecommunications to provide services
35 Starting April 6, 2020 Allow health care professionals to renew licenses without continuing education requirements; suspend expiration of most healthcare-related licenses during the public health emergency
34 April 3 to May 31, 2020 “Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in Maine”
33 March 30 to May 31, 2020 Adjust expiration dates of seafood licenses and permits
32 Starting April 1, 2020 Suspend requirement to produce fire burn permits at scene of burn
31 Starting March 31, 2020 Extend filing deadlines for property tax exemptions
30A Starting April 9, 2020 Extend annual current use taxation application deadline
29A Starting April 27, 2020 Exclude federal stimulus payments from determining eligibility for benefits
29 Starting March 31, 2020 Expand eligibility for Maine General Assistance
28A Starting April 10, 2020 “In-Store Gathering Limits”
28 April 2 to May 31, 2020 “Stay At Home”
28 April 2 to May 31, 2020 “Limit Vehicle Travel”
28 April 2 to May 31, 2020 “Close Schools”
28 April 2 to May 31, 2020 “Limit Essential Retail Businesses and Operations”
27 Starting March 30, 2020 Permit hypodermic needle exchange programs to operate safely
25 Starting March 27, 2020 Relax standards for Maine Quality Centers Program
24 Starting March 26, 2020 Relax recycling and solid waste rules
23 Starting March 26, 2020 Allow pharmacies to ship investigational drugs to Maine residents
22 Starting March 26, 2020 Suspend requirements for medical exams for children in custody of DHHS
21 Starting March 25, 2020 Relax enforcement of elver fishing laws
20 Starting March 24, 2020 Allow family care providers to care for three children without being certified
19A April 7 to May 31, 2020 “Essential Businesses and Operations”
19 April 7 to May 31, 2020 “Essential Businesses and Operations”
18 Starting March 23, 2020 Extend compliance dates of certain motor vehicle laws
16 Starting March 20, 2020 Allow physicians, PAs and nurses to practice via telemedicine; suspend license expirations and fees
15 Duration of school year Require all school districts to continue to pay their hourly employees
14 March 18 to May 31, 2020 “Restrict Gatherings of More Than 10 People”

 

Executive Orders No Longer In Effect

# Effective Dates Description of Order
41 April 25 and 27, 2020 Youth-only hunting of wild turkey.
37 Starting April 8, 2020 Amended by Order 37A
30 March 31, 2020 Amended by Order 30A
26 March 27 to April 30, 2020 Superseded by Order 50
17 March 20 to April 30, 2020 Allow people to fish without a license