LD 2229

132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
  SECOND REGULAR SESSION-2026
Legislative Document  No. 2229
S.P. 911  In Senate, March 5, 2026
  An Act Regarding Municipal Inspection of the Electrical and
  Plumbing Components of a Manufactured Home
  (EMERGENCY)
   Reported by Senator CURRY of Waldo for the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and
Economic Development pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 105, section 7.
   Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and
ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
  DAREK M. GRANT
  Secretary of the Senate
  Printed on recycled paper
1    Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
2 become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
3     Whereas, there exists uncertainty across the State about the role of the State and local
4 units of government over the standards for and inspection of the electrical and plumbing
5 components of manufactured housing that are constructed and installed in accordance with
6 the manufactured housing laws; and
7     Whereas, duplicative inspections delay the installation and occupancy of
8 manufactured housing at a time when the State is experiencing a significant housing crisis;
9 and
10     Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
11 the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
12 immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
13 therefore,
14 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
15     Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §9042, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
16     3-A. Electrical and plumbing installation. Electrical installations performed in
17 accordance with Title 32, section 1201-A, subsection 14 are not subject to inspection by or
18 on behalf of a municipality at the location where the manufactured housing will be affixed
19 to real property. Plumbing installations performed in accordance with Title 32, section
20 3302, subsection 1, paragraph E are not subject to inspection by a municipality or 3rd-party
21 inspector at the location where the manufactured housing will be affixed to real property.
22     Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §4152, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and
23 Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further
24 amended to read:
25     6. Electrical equipment in manufacturer's plant. Any electrical installations or
26 equipment involved in the manufacture, test or repair of electrical equipment in the
27 manufacturer's plant; and
28     Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §4152, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and
29 Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further
30 amended to read:
31     7. Certain laboratories. Installations in suitable laboratories of exposed electrical
32 wiring for experimental purposes only.; and
33     Sec. 4. 30-A MRSA §4152, sub-§8 is enacted to read:
34    8. Certified manufactured housing. Installations in manufactured housing certified
35 under Title 10, chapter 951 and rules adopted under that chapter.
36     Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §4173, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
37    1-A. Manufactured housing excluded. This section does not apply to manufactured
38 housing constructed or installed in compliance with Title 10, chapter 951 and rules adopted
39 under that chapter.
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1     Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §4215, sub-§1, ¶A, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2
2 and Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is
3 further amended to read:
4     A. The installation of plumbing into a building, except manufactured housing
5     constructed and installed in compliance with Title 10, chapter 951 and rules adopted
6     under that chapter;
7     Sec. 7. 30-A MRSA §4221, sub-§4, ¶B, as amended by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. D, §6
8 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is further amended to read:
9     B. Installation of domestic heating appliances by master oil and solid fuel burning
10     technicians licensed pursuant to Title 32, chapter 139; and
11     Sec. 8. 30-A MRSA §4221, sub-§4, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 304, §1, is
12 amended to read:
13     C. Installation of stand-alone water meters, water meters in combination with
14     nontestable backflow prevention devices and related valves by water utility personnel
15     or water utility contractors. The water utility shall include in any notice it provides to
16     a customer regarding entry to install such a meter or related valves a statement that
17     installation of a backflow preventor may necessitate installation by the customer of
18     additional devices, such as an expansion tank, due to thermal expansion.; and
19     Sec. 9. 30-A MRSA §4221, sub-§4, ¶D is enacted to read:
20     D. Installation of plumbing in manufactured housing certified under Title 10, chapter
21     951 and rules adopted under that chapter.
22     Sec. 10. 32 MRSA §1201-A, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2025, c. 88, §3, is further
23 amended to read:
24     12. Incidental work. Regular employees of an owner or a lessee of real property
25 doing incidental electrical work on that property or incidental electrical work by a person
26 whose occupation involves miscellaneous jobs of manual labor. For purposes of this
27 subsection, "incidental electrical work'' means minor electrical work, limited to light
28 fixtures and switches, that occurs by chance and that does not require electrical installation
29 calculations; or
30     Sec. 11. 32 MRSA §1201-A, sub-§13, as enacted by PL 2025, c. 88, §4, is
31 amended to read:
32     13. Personal abode. Notwithstanding the requirements set forth in section 1102‑D
33 for electrical installations in newly constructed single-family dwellings, a person making
34 electrical installations in an existing single-family dwelling occupied and owned by that
35 person, as long as the installation conforms with the standards of the National Electrical
36 Code or other standards approved by the board.; or
37     Sec. 12. 32 MRSA §1201-A, sub-§14 is enacted to read:
38     14. Manufactured housing. Electrical installations in manufactured housing as
39 defined in Title 10, section 9002, subsection 7, when performed by a regular employee of
40 a manufacturer licensed under Title 10, chapter 951, as long as a master electrician
41 employed by the manufacturer either supervises or inspects the installation in the
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42
1 manufacturing facility. The name and license number of the master electrician must be
43
2 documented on the inspection report of the master electrician.
3     Sec. 13. 32 MRSA §3302, sub-§1, ¶C, as amended by PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. D, §3,
4 is further amended to read:
5     C. Plumbing by a person in a single-family residence occupied or to be occupied by
6     that person as that person's bona fide personal abode as long as the installation
7     conforms with board laws and rules; and
8     Sec. 14. 32 MRSA §3302, sub-§1, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 210, Pt. D, §3,
9 is amended to read:
10     D. Plumbing by a pump installer who is duly licensed pursuant to section 4700‑I,
11     subsection 2, except that this exception is limited to installing piping from the cold
12     water distribution pipe at the pressure tank's main shut-off valve to the existing water
13     supply piping as long as the piping is located in the same room as the tank, the length
14     of the piping is no longer than 15 feet and the piping does not extend beyond any
15     existing branches. Such plumbing must conform to the board's laws and rules.; and
16     Sec. 15. 32 MRSA §3302, sub-§1, ¶E is enacted to read:
17     E. Plumbing in manufactured housing as defined in Title 10, section 9002, subsection
18     7, when performed by a regular employee of a manufacturer licensed under Title 10,
19     chapter 951, as long as a master plumber employed by the manufacturer either
20     supervises or inspects the installation in the manufacturing facility. The name and
21     license number of the master plumber must be documented on the inspection report of
22     the master plumber.
23     Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
24 takes effect when approved.
25SUMMARY
26      This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic
27 Development pursuant to Resolve 2025, chapter 105. The committee has not taken a
28 position on the substance of this bill. By reporting this bill out, the committee is not
29 suggesting and does not intend to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this
30 bill. The committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of having a bill printed
31 that can be referred to the committee for an appropriate public hearing and subsequent
32 processing in the normal course.
33     The bill allows an individual to make an electrical installation or plumbing installation,
34 without a license under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapters 17 and 49,
35 respectively, when the installation is made during the construction of manufactured
36 housing in compliance with Title 10, chapter 951 and under the supervision of or inspection
37 by a master electrician or master plumber, respectively. The bill eliminates duplicative
38 inspections by municipalities of electrical and plumbing construction and installation
39 within manufactured housing constructed and installed in compliance with the
40 manufactured housing laws.
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