# Maine — Captive-audience meeting bans by US state — whether an employer can require attendance at a meeting on political or religious matters, quoted from the state's own statute For Maine, statute is Title 26, §600-B, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02. - **State:** Maine _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ - **What the law prohibits:** 2. Adverse action prohibited. An employer or the employer's agent, representative or designee may not discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or take any adverse employment action against an employee because: A. The employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting, or any portion of such a meeting, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] B. The employee declines to receive or listen to a communication from the employer or the agent, representative or designee of the employer, or any portion of such a communication, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; or [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] C. The employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of this section. [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Exceptions:** 5. Communications and rights not affected. This section does not: A. Prohibit communications of information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of the lawful requirement; [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] B. Limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative or designee to conduct meetings involving religious matters or political matters as long as attendance is wholly voluntary or to engage in communications as long as receipt or listening is wholly voluntary; or [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] C. Limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative or designee from communicating to its employees any information that is necessary for such employees to perform their lawfully required job duties. [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] 6. Exemption. This section does not apply to a religious employer. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Enforcement:** 3. Enforcement. An aggrieved employee may bring a civil action to enforce this section no later than 90 days after the date of the alleged violation in the Superior Court for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred or where the principal office of the employer is located. The court may award a prevailing employee all appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, reinstatement to the employee's former position or an equivalent position, back pay and reestablishment of any employee benefits, including seniority, to which the employee would otherwise have been eligible if the violation had not occurred and any other appropriate relief as considered necessary by the court. _(verified: appears in its own passage below)_ - **Statute:** Title 26, §600-B _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_ ## What the source says > 2. Adverse action prohibited. An employer or the employer's agent, representative or designee may not discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or take any adverse employment action against an employee because: A. The employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting, or any portion of such a meeting, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] B. The employee declines to receive or listen to a communication from the employer or the agent, representative or designee of the employer, or any portion of such a communication, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; or [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] C. The employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of this section. [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] ## Where each value comes from This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it. ### What the law prohibits > 2. Adverse action prohibited. An employer or the employer's agent, representative or designee may not discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge, discipline or otherwise penalize or take any adverse employment action against an employee because: A. The employee declines to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting, or any portion of such a meeting, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] B. The employee declines to receive or listen to a communication from the employer or the agent, representative or designee of the employer, or any portion of such a communication, that communicates the opinion of the employer about religious or political matters; or [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] C. The employee, or a person acting on behalf of the employee, makes a good faith report, orally or in writing, of a violation or a suspected violation of this section. [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] ### Exceptions > 5. Communications and rights not affected. This section does not: A. Prohibit communications of information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of the lawful requirement; [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] B. Limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative or designee to conduct meetings involving religious matters or political matters as long as attendance is wholly voluntary or to engage in communications as long as receipt or listening is wholly voluntary; or [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] C. Limit the rights of an employer or its agent, representative or designee from communicating to its employees any information that is necessary for such employees to perform their lawfully required job duties. [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2023, c. 414, §1 (NEW).] 6. Exemption. This section does not apply to a religious employer. ### Enforcement > 3. Enforcement. An aggrieved employee may bring a civil action to enforce this section no later than 90 days after the date of the alleged violation in the Superior Court for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred or where the principal office of the employer is located. The court may award a prevailing employee all appropriate relief, including injunctive relief, reinstatement to the employee's former position or an equivalent position, back pay and reestablishment of any employee benefits, including seniority, to which the employee would otherwise have been eligible if the violation had not occurred and any other appropriate relief as considered necessary by the court. ### Statute > Title 26, §600-B: Adverse action against employee concerning certain religious or political matters prohibited ## Source - https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/26/title26sec600-B.html Last verified: 2026-09-02. Review by: 2027-03-01. Part of [Captive-audience meeting bans by US state — whether an employer can require attendance at a meeting on political or religious matters, quoted from the state's own statute](https://referencesource.org/captive-audience-meeting-ban-by-state/).