Maine State Chamber of Commerce v. Department of Labor

Summary

The court accepted the Superior Court's report and answered all three reported questions in the negative. It held that the Department of Labor's rules requiring employers to pay nonrefundable premiums before approval of substitute private plans were authorized by the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act and were not arbitrary or capricious. It further held that the premium requirement did not constitute a cognizable taking under either the Maine or United States Constitution because participation in a substitute private plan is voluntary and the payment obligation does not implicate an identifiable property interest.