AUGUSTA – A bill sponsored by Rep. Julie McCabe, D-Lewiston, that will help prevent cybersecurity attacks on Maine hospitals and ensure continuity of patient care when future cyberattacks occur, goes into effect today. As amended, LD 2103 will require Maine hospitals to adopt a cybersecurity plan consistent with best practices established by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other national organizations. The plan must include provisions for hospitals to ensure the timely notification of law enforcement and state regulators if an attack occurs, establish backup communications systems and implement annual training for employees. “We’ve already seen the devastating impact a cyberattack can have on our hospitals, with care disrupted and patients put at risk,” said McCabe. “This measure will help to ensure that hospitals are prepared to prevent and respond to these threats, can continue delivering critical patient care during an incident and safeguard sensitive personal and medical information.” The bill was born out of two separate cyber-incidents in 2025, impacting five hospitals across Maine. The cyberattacks crippled basic communication services, exposed serious and wide-ranging breakdowns in hospitals’ protocols and threatened patient care for weeks — including both preventative care and care for cancer patients. The five Maine hospitals impacted by these cyberattacks were Covenant Health’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor and Central Maine Medical Center’s hospitals in Lewiston, Bridgton and Rumford. More than 400,000 people, almost one-third of the state’s residents, were put at risk. McCabe is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents House District 93, which includes part of Lewiston. She serves on the Health and Human Services Committee. Contact: Brian Lee (McCabe) | 305-965-2744