Representative Poppy Arford is serving her second term in the Maine Legislature where she has the privilege of representing State House District 101, part of Brunswick. She has served both terms on the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services where she has sponsored three bills that became law. The most recent bill expands on and aligns existing Maine price transparency law with the federal No Surprises Act. This bipartisan bill’s success was achieved through Rep. Arfords’ commitment to price transparency and leadership of a multi-stakeholder group collaboration. During her second term, Arford was named House chair of a legislative task force on healthcare facility fees. The Task Force produced a report that led to the passage of a bill that increases the transparency of facility fees charged by hospitals and other healthcare establishments.

Rep. Arford cares deeply about her Brunswick community and the well-being of all Maine people. Prior community service includes two terms on the Brunswick Town Council and a term on the Town of Brunswick’s Sustainability Committee. She contributes to the Brunswick community through her constituent service activities and support for local organizations and events. She was awarded the 2023 Legislator of the Year award by the regional Independence Association based in Brunswick.

Passionate about the Maine outdoors, Rep. Arford has previously worked as an Outward Bound instructor, leading wilderness expeditions with adjudicated youth. She has worked as a Registered Substance Abuse Counselor and as the Director of ShareCenter, a program that provides reusable resource materials to educators. Rep. Arford has served as a patient advocate and healthcare consumer representative on statewide healthcare quality improvement and price transparency efforts. This includes six years on the board of directors for Maine Health Data Organization. Her primary focus is affordable and best-practice care for all Maine people.
Rep. Arford is also a champion for affordable, safe, and stable housing for Maine people locally and statewide. She is keenly aware of the need for emergency housing. Her bill, which established and funded the Emergency Housing Matching Grant Program, was signed into law last July and is an example of her commitment to finding legislative and community-based solutions to ensure a home for all Maine people.

Rep. Arford grew up in Auburn, Maine and holds a degree in social work from the University of Southern Maine. She is also a graduate of the Maine-based Hanley Health Leadership Development program. She has had the good fortune of calling Brunswick her home for over 35 years. She and her husband, Loren, have a family of three adult children and a beloved rescue dog named “Happy”.

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Committee

Rep. Arford is a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Health Coverage Insurance and Financial Services.

Brief description of the subject matter handled by the committee: Banking; financial institutions; credit unions; consumer credit; credit law (business-related); Uniform Consumer Credit Code; Bureau of Financial Institutions; Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection; mortgage lending; foreclosure prevention; servicing of student loans; debt collection practices and debt buyers; Office of Securities; stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other securities; financial services; Bureau of Insurance; credit, automobile, life, property and casualty insurance; private health insurance; health and medical data; Maine Health Data Organization; health maintenance organizations; mandated health benefits; health care reform; compliance with federal Affordable Care Act; prescription drugs; pharmacy benefit managers; cost containment; multiple employer welfare arrangements; State Employee Health Commission and state employee group health plan; longterm care insurance; disability income insurance; insurance rating, regulation and practices; insurance producers; professional and occupational licensing for health care and financial services; Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company; workers' compensation insurance; selfinsurance; and viatical and life settlement contracts.

For more information about the schedule of committee hearings or to sign up for advance notice of public hearings click here.

Legislation

Click on the button below to see all bills, joint resolutions and orders I sponsored or cosponsored this session, as well as legislative sentiments that honor and recognize people from our district and throughout the state.

To do a general bill search, click here.

Contact Me

Thank you for taking time to contact me. You may use the online contact form to reach me.

You can also contact me at my home:

8 Quarry Road
Brunswick, ME 04011
Poppy.Arford@legislature.maine.gov

When the Legislature is in session, you can leave a message for me by calling the State House Message Phone: (800) 423-2900 or the State House TDD Line: Relay 711.