State of the states: Maine comprehensive privacy, Oregon AI chatbot bills on the move
State of the states: Maine comprehensive privacy, Oregon AI chatbot bills on the move
Publish Date: 2026-03-06 13:06:00
Source Domain: iapp.org
The Maine Legislature has advanced a comprehensive privacy bill through both chambers, but uncertainty is still swirling around its fate.
The Maine Senate passed an amended version of Legislative Document 1822, the Maine Online Data Privacy Act, on a 20-14 vote 5 March. The original version of the bill passed the Maine House weeks prior, but the House will now debate the Senate amended version that includes a controversial exemption for political organizations.
Much of the bill aligns closely with Maryland’s comprehensive framework, which contains stringent data minimization requirements, enhanced children’s privacy protections and prohibitions on sensitive data sales. The amended version introduced by the bill sponsor, state Sen. Anne Carney, D-Maine, includes the political organization exemption, updates to attorney general enforcement funding and a new 1 Sept. 2027 effective date.
Despite a Democratic trifecta with control of the legislature and the governor’s office, the bill has advanced on small margins through committees and chambers. Those margins are now threatened by the political organization exemption, which showed in the 18-16 vote to allow the amendment.
During Senate floor remarks, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Maine, explained why he joined Republicans in trying to defeat the exemption.
“These are neutral standards, not politically dictated standards,” Baldacci said. “I don’t see any First Amendment protection issue here. … The bill by itself adequately protected the First Amendment.”
Baldacci added the exemption doesn’t help consumers and “does a disservice to the rest of the bill, which is a lot of very positive things.”
Legislative debates have bogged down Maine’s comprehensive aspirations for the last few years. State lawmakers used joint committee meetings in and out of the 2025 legislative session to consider multiple comprehensive bills and approaches. The aim was to find a consensus framework, whether it was one of the bills being considered or…
