Source: http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/bills/bills_125th/chapters/PUBLIC304.asp
Timestamp: 2018-04-19 21:30:36
Document Index: 286459525

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 349', '§ 349', '§ 349', '§ 349', '§ 349', '§ 349', '§ 349', '§8063', '§ 8063', '§13062', '§2', '§17', '§13063', '§17', '§ 13063', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§ 90', '§12004', '§2', '§2', '§57', '§90', '§8057', '§4', '§7', '§8063', '§ 8063', '§8002', '§9', '§1', '§341', '§13', '§40', '§ 341', '§341', '§1', '§6', '§341', '§2', '§2', '§341', '§1', '§341', '§2', '§1', '§341', '§3', '§1', '§341', '§4', '§2', '§341', '§6', '§13', '§40', '§341', '§7', '§13', '§40', '§341', '§13', '§40', '§ 341', '§341', '§ 341', '§342', '§9', '§18', '§40', '§342', '§11', '§8', '§342', '§11', '§344', '§2', '§3', '§347', '§1', '§5', '§347', '§4', '§2', '§353', '§3', '§2', '§414', '§5', '§25', '§489', '§10', '§40', '§102', '§2448', '§1', '§2', '§2448', '§7', '§2', '§ 972', '§ 973', '§ 974']

PUBLIC Law, Chapter 304, An Act To Ensure Regulatory Fairness and Reform
LD 1 PUBLIC Law, Chapter 304
Emergency Signed on 2011-06-13 00:00:00.0 - First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature
An Act To Ensure Regulatory Fairness and Reform
Sec. A-1. 38 MRSA c. 2, sub-c. 1-A is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 1-A
§ 349-L. Scope of program
This subchapter is intended to enhance the protection of human health and the environment by encouraging regulated entities to voluntarily discover, disclose, correct and prevent violations of state and federal environmental requirements. An environmental audit program and a compliance management system developed under this subchapter may be part of a regulated entity's comprehensive environmental management system.
§ 349-M. Definitions
1. Compliance management system. ''Compliance management system'' means a system implemented by a regulated entity appropriate to the size and nature of its activities to prevent, detect and correct violations of environmental requirements through all of the following:
A. Compliance policies, standards and procedures that identify how employees and agents of the regulated entity are to meet environmental requirements and the conditions of permits, enforceable agreements and other sources of authority for environmental requirements;
§ 349-N. Incentives
Subject to section 349-Q, and notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to penalties, the department may adjust or mitigate penalties for violations of environmental requirements in accordance with this section.
A. A prevalent management philosophy or practice that conceals or condones environmental violations; or
§ 349-O. Conditions of discovery
The incentives established in section 349-N apply to a violation of an environmental requirement only if:
1. Systematic discovery. The violation was discovered through:
A. An environmental audit program; or
2. Voluntary discovery. The violation was discovered by the regulated entity. Incentives under section 349-N do not apply to violations discovered through a legally mandated monitoring or sampling requirement prescribed by statute, regulation, permit, judicial or administrative order or consent agreement, including:
A. Emissions violations detected through a continuous emissions monitor or an alternative monitor established in a permit where any such monitoring is required;
4. Discovery and disclosure independent of government or 3rd-party plaintiff. The regulated entity discovers and discloses to the department the potential violation prior to:
A. The commencement of an inspection or investigation related to the violation. If the department determines that the regulated entity did not know that it was under investigation and the department determines that the entity is otherwise acting in good faith, the department may determine that the requirements of this paragraph are met;
6. Prevent recurrence. The regulated entity agrees in writing to take steps to prevent a recurrence of the violation, which may include improvements to its environmental audit program or compliance management system;
7. No repeat violations. The specific violation, or a closely related violation, has not occurred within the past 3 years at the same facility and has not occurred within the past 5 years as part of a pattern at multiple facilities owned or operated by the same regulated entity. For the purposes of this subsection, a violation or closely related violation is any violation previously identified in a judicial or administrative order, a consent agreement or order, a complaint, letter of warning or notice of violation, a conviction or plea agreement or any act or omission for which the regulated entity has previously received penalty mitigation from the United States Environmental Protection Agency or the department;
§ 349-P. Economic benefit
1. Department discretion. In order to ensure that regulated entities that violate environmental requirements do not gain an economic advantage over regulated entities that comply with environmental requirements, this subchapter may not be construed to limit the discretion of the department to recover any economic benefit gained as a result of noncompliance by a regulated entity.
§ 349-Q. Application
This subchapter does not limit any authority of the department to adjust or otherwise mitigate any penalty imposed or sought by the department for a violation when the regulated entity responsible for the violation does not receive an incentive under this subchapter for the same violation.
§ 349-R. Rules
The board may adopt rules to implement the regulation of environmental audit programs established in this subchapter. Rules adopted under this section are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. B-1. 5 MRSA §8063-A is enacted to read:
§ 8063-A. Analysis of benefits and costs
In addition to the economic impact statement required under section 8052, subsection 5-A and the fiscal impact note required under section 8063, an agency may, within existing budgeted resources and in instances in which the consideration of costs is permitted, conduct an analysis of the benefits and costs of a proposed rule to evaluate the effects of the rule on the distribution of benefits and costs for specific groups and on the overall economic welfare of the State.
1. Contents of a cost-benefit analysis. To the extent permitted within existing resources, a cost-benefit analysis conducted under this section must include, at a minimum, the following information:
A. Specification of the baseline condition for the analysis, including all required parameters for the analysis, all assumptions made in specifying the baseline condition and specification of the analysis period;
Sec. C-1. 5 MRSA §13062, sub-§2, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 534, Pt. A, §§17 and 19, is amended to read:
B. In accordance with section 13063, the office shall implement a business ombudsman program to assist businesses by referring businesses and persons to the proper agencies designed to provide the business services or assistance requested, and to serve as a central clearing house of information with respect to business assistance programs and services available in the State.
Sec. C-2. 5 MRSA §13063, as corrected by RR 1997, c. 2, §§17 and 18, is amended to read:
§ 13063. Business Ombudsman Program
The director shall be responsible for the implementation of establish and implement pursuant to this section the Business Assistance Referral and Facilitation Ombudsman Program , referred to in this section as "the program," and the director shall serve as the ombudsman for the program. The program is established to: resolve problems encountered by businesses dealing with other state agencies; facilitate responsiveness of State Government to small business needs; report to the commissioner and the Legislature on breakdowns in the economic delivery system, including problems encountered by businesses dealing with state agencies; assist businesses by referring businesses and persons to resources that provide the business services or assistance requested; provide comprehensive permit information and assistance; and serve as a central clearinghouse of information with respect to business assistance programs and services available in the State.
1. Referral and central clearinghouse service. The director ombudsman shall maintain and update annually a list of the business assistance programs and services and the names, locations , websites and telephone numbers of the organizations providing these programs and services that are available within the State. The director ombudsman may publish a guide consisting of the business assistance programs and services available from public or private sector organizations throughout the State. This program shall must be designed to:
A. Respond to written and oral requests for information about business services and assistance programs available throughout the State;
2. Business fairness and responsiveness. The director ombudsman shall implement a business facilitation fairness and responsiveness service which shall be designed to:
A. Resolve problems encountered by business persons businesses with other state agencies and with certified regional and local economic development organizations;
3. Comprehensive permit information. The director ombudsman shall develop and maintain a program to provide comprehensive information on permits required for business undertakings, projects and activities and to make that information available to any person. This program must function as follows.
A. Not later than 90 days from April 6, 1992 By December 15, 2011, each state agency required to review, approve or grant permits for business undertakings, projects and activities shall report to the office in a form prescribed by the office on each type of review, approval and permit administered by that state agency. Application forms, applicable agency rules and the estimated time period necessary for permit application consideration based on experience and statutory or regulatory requirements must accompany each state agency report.
4. Permit assistance. Within 90 days of April 6, 1992 By December 15, 2011, the director ombudsman shall set up procedures to assist permit applicants who have encountered difficulties in obtaining timely and efficient permit review. These procedures must include the following.
A. Any applicant for permits required for a business undertaking, project or activity must be allowed to confer with the office to obtain assistance in the prompt and efficient processing and review of applications.
5. Retail business permitting program. By July 1, 1994 February 1, 2012, the director ombudsman shall establish and administer a central permitting program for all permits required by retail businesses selling directly to the final consumer, except permits including, but not limited to, permits required for the operation of hotels and motels, convenience stores and eating and lodging places, and permits required for the sale of liquor or beer, tobacco, food, beverages, lottery tickets and gasoline. Permits issued by the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Marine Resources and the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission are not included in this program. Agencies and permits referred to in subsections 5 to 7 do not include these excepted agencies or permits issued by them. The director ombudsman shall:
A. Create a consolidated permit procedure that allows each business to check on a cover sheet all state permits for which it is applying and to receive all permit applications from a centralized office;
6. Municipal permitting agents. By January 1, 1995 February 1, 2012, the director ombudsman shall establish a municipal centralized permitting program.
A. Upon application by the municipal officers of a municipality and upon evidence that the municipality meets all qualifications as determined by departmental rulemaking, the director ombudsman shall appoint the municipality as a centralized permitting agent to provide all permits for retail businesses. Upon evidence that a municipality qualified to provide permits meets the qualifications for conducting the inspection associated with any of those permits as determined by departmental rulemaking, the director ombudsman shall appoint that municipality as an agent to provide that inspection for retail businesses with less than 10,000 square feet of retail space. The ombudsman shall ensure that municipalities appointed as agents for purposes of inspection are qualified and capable of conducting those inspections in a manner that ensures compliance with all applicable public health and safety requirements. Retail businesses shall pay the municipality an additional fee of $4 for each permit included in the consolidated application up to a limit of $40. Municipalities may retain 1/2 of all fees collected for permits requiring inspection. The remaining 1/2 of those permit fees and all fees for permits not requiring inspection must be remitted to the department, which shall remit the fees to the issuing agency. A municipality with a population of less than 4,000 population may contract with an appointed municipality for centralized permitting and inspection services. A retailer retail business is not required to participate in the municipal central permitting program.
B. The director ombudsman shall make permitting and inspection training programs available to a municipality seeking appointment or appointed as a central permitting agent. The municipality shall pay a fee of $25 for each person receiving permitting training and $100 for each person receiving inspection training.
D. A joint standing committee of the Legislature that recommends legislation that involves a new permit for retail businesses shall indicate in the legislation whether the permit is to be included in the municipal centralized permitting program.
During a review under Title 3, chapter 35 of a permit issuing agency, the joint standing committee having responsibility for the review shall recommend whether any of the permits issued by that agency should be included in the municipal centralized permitting program.
Sec. D-2. 5 MRSA c. 5, sub-c. 2 is enacted to read:
§ 90-N. Bureau established
The Bureau of the Special Advocate, referred to in this subchapter as "the bureau," is established within the Department of the Secretary of State to assist in resolving regulatory enforcement actions affecting small businesses that, if taken, are likely to result in significant economic hardship and to advocate for small business interests in other regulatory matters.
§ 90-O. Definitions
§ 90-P. Special advocate; appointment and qualifications
The Secretary of State shall appoint a special advocate to carry out the purposes of this subchapter. The special advocate shall serve at the pleasure of the Secretary of State.
§ 90-Q. Small business requests for assistance
A small business may file a complaint requesting the assistance of the special advocate in any agency enforcement action initiated against that small business. The special advocate may provide assistance to the small business in accordance with section 90-R, subsection 2. The special advocate shall encourage small businesses to request the assistance of the special advocate as early in the regulatory proceeding as possible. Before providing any assistance, the special advocate shall provide a written disclaimer to the small business stating that the special advocate is not acting as an attorney representing the small business, that no attorney-client relationship is established and that no attorney-client privilege can be asserted by the small business as a result of the assistance provided by the special advocate under this subchapter.
§ 90-R. Powers and duties of the special advocate
2. Advocate on behalf of an aggrieved small business. Upon receipt of a complaint requesting assistance under section 90-Q, the special advocate may:
§ 90-S. Regulatory impact notice
At the recommendation of the special advocate, the Secretary of State may issue a regulatory impact notice to the Governor informing the Governor that an agency has initiated an agency enforcement action that is likely to result in significant economic hardship to a small business, when an alternative means of enforcement was possible, and asking that the Governor take action, as appropriate and in a manner consistent with all applicable laws, to address the small business issues raised by that agency enforcement action. The regulatory impact notice may include, but is not limited to, a description of the role of the special advocate in attempting to resolve the issue with the agency, a description of how the agency enforcement action will affect the interests of the small business and a description of how an alternative enforcement action, when permitted by law, would relieve the small business of the significant economic hardship expected to result from the agency enforcement action. The Secretary of State shall provide a copy of the regulatory impact notice to the agency that initiated the agency enforcement action, the small business that made the complaint and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over the agency.
§ 90-T. Regulatory Fairness Board
The Regulatory Fairness Board, referred to in this section as "the board," is established within the Department of the Secretary of State to hear testimony and to report to the Legislature and the Governor at least annually on regulatory and statutory changes necessary to enhance the State's business climate.
A. Meet at least 3 times a year to review complaints submitted to the special advocate;
Sec. D-3. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§2-G, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 676, §2, is amended to read:
Business Maine Regulatory Fairness Board Expenses Only 5 MRSA §57 §90-T
Sec. D-5. Transition provisions; Regulatory Fairness Board. The terms of members appointed to the Maine Regulatory Fairness Board under the former Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 57 are terminated on the effective date of this Act. Notwithstanding Title 5, section 90-T, subsection 2, the initial terms of members appointed to the Regulatory fairness Board must be staggered as follows:
1. The member appointed by the President of the Senate shall serve an initial term of 2 years;
Sec. E-1. 5 MRSA §8057-A, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 574, §7, is amended to read:
Sec. E-2. 5 MRSA §8063-B is enacted to read:
§ 8063-B. Identification of primary source of information
For every rule proposed by an agency, except for emergency rules, the agency shall file with the Secretary of State citations for up to 3 primary sources of information relied upon by the agency in developing the proposed rule. The agency shall include that information with a copy of the proposed rule when responding to a request under section 8053, subsection 3-A. Professional judgment may be cited as one of those primary sources of information. Citations to primary sources of information are not subject to judicial review.
Sec. G-1. 5 MRSA §8002, sub-§9, as amended by PL 1989, c. 574, §1, is further amended to read:
A. "Rule" means the whole or any part of every regulation, standard, code, statement of policy, or other agency guideline or statement of general applicability, including the amendment, suspension or repeal of any prior rule, that is or is intended to be judicially enforceable and implements, interprets or makes specific the law administered by the agency, or describes the procedures or practices of the agency.
(2) Advisory rulings issed issued under subchapter III 3;
(4) Any form, instruction or explanatory statement of policy which that in itself is not judicially enforceable, and which that is intended solely as advice to assist persons in determining, exercising or complying with their legal rights, duties or privileges.
Sec. H-1. 38 MRSA §341-B, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 and affected by §40, is amended to read:
§ 341-B. Purpose of the board
The purpose of the Board of Environmental Protection is to provide informed, independent and timely decisions on the interpretation, administration and enforcement of the laws relating to environmental protection and to provide for credible, fair and responsible public participation in department decisions. The board shall fulfill its purpose through major substantive rulemaking, decisions on selected permit applications, review decisions on appeals of the commissioner's licensing and enforcement actions and recommending changes in the law to the Legislature.
Sec. H-2. 38 MRSA §341-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 3, §6, is further amended to read:
1. Appointments. The board consists of 10 7 members appointed by the Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resource matters and to confirmation by the Legislature.
Sec. H-3. 38 MRSA §341-C, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1997, c. 346, §2, is further amended to read:
2. Qualifications and requirements. Members of the board must be chosen to represent the broadest possible interest and experience that can be brought to bear on the administration and implementation of this Title and all other laws the board is charged with administering. At least 4 members must be residents of the First Congressional District and at least 4 members must be residents of the Second Congressional District. At least 3 members must have technical or scientific backgrounds in environmental issues and no more than 4 members may be residents of the same congressional district. The boundaries of the congressional districts are defined in Title 21-A, chapter 15. A county commissioner, county employee, municipal official or municipal employee is not considered to hold an incompatible office for purposes of simultaneous service on the board. If a county or municipality is a participant in an adjudicatory proceeding before the board, a commissioner, official or employee from that county or municipality may not participate in that proceeding.
Sec. H-5. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§1-C is enacted to read:
Sec. H-6. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2009, c. 615, Pt. E, §1, is further amended to read:
A. Involves a policy, rule or law that the board has not previously interpreted;
Sec. H-7. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1995, c. 642, §§1 and 2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
Sec. H-9. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§4, ¶D, as amended by PL 2009, c. 615, Pt. E, §2, is further amended to read:
D. License or permit decisions regarding an expedited wind energy development as defined in Title 35-A, section 3451, subsection 4 or a general permit pursuant to section 480-HH or section 636-A. In reviewing an appeal of a license or permit decision by the commissioner under this paragraph, the board shall base its decision on the administrative record of the department, including the record of any adjudicatory hearing held by the department, and any supplemental information allowed by the board using the standards contained in subsection 5 for supplementation of the record. The board may remand the decision to the department for further proceedings if appropriate. The chair of the Public Utilities Commission or the chair's designee serves as a nonvoting member of the board and is entitled to fully participate but is not required to attend hearings when the board considers an appeal pursuant to this paragraph. The chair's participation on the board pursuant to this paragraph does not affect the ability of the Public Utilities Commission to submit information to the department for inclusion in the record of any proceeding before the department.
Sec. H-11. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 and affected by §40, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
6. Enforcement. The board shall hear appeals of emergency orders pursuant to section 347-A, subsection 3.
Sec. H-12. 38 MRSA §341-D, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 and affected by §40, is amended to read:
7. Reports to the Legislature. The board shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy and natural resource matters by January 15th of the first regular session of each Legislature on the effectiveness of the environmental laws of the State and any recommendations for amending those laws or the laws governing the board.
Sec. H-13. 38 MRSA §341-E, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §13 and affected by §40, is amended to read:
§ 341-E. Board meetings
Board meetings held under section 341-D , subsections 1 to 7, are governed by the following provisions.
Sec. H-14. 38 MRSA §341-H is enacted to read:
§ 341-H. Departmental rulemaking
The department may adopt, amend or repeal rules and emergency rules necessary for the interpretation, implementation and enforcement of any provision of law that the department is charged with administering as provided in this section.
A. Identify in its regulatory agenda under Title 5, section 8060, when feasible, a proposed rule or provision of a proposed rule that is anticipated to be more stringent than a federal standard, if an applicable federal standard exists;
Sec. H-15. 38 MRSA §342, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §18 and affected by §40, is amended to read:
9. Rules. The commissioner may adopt, amend or repeal, in accordance with section 341-H, routine technical rules under Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A and shall submit to the board new or amended major substantive rules for its adoption.
Sec. H-16. 38 MRSA §342, sub-§11-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 784, §8, is amended to read:
11-A. Recommendations and assistance to board. The commissioner shall make recommendations to the board regarding proposed major substantive rules; permit and license applications over which the board has jurisdiction; modification , revocation or suspension of or corrective action on licenses; appeals of license and permit decisions; and other matters considered by the board. The commissioner shall also provide the board with the technical services of the department.
Sec. H-17. 38 MRSA §342, sub-§11-B is enacted to read:
11-B. Revoke or suspend licenses and permits. After written notice and opportunity for a hearing pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 4, the commissioner may act to revoke or suspend a license or recommend that the board modify or take corrective action on a license whenever the commissioner finds that:
A. The licensee has violated any condition of the license;
Sec. H-18. 38 MRSA §344, sub-§2-A, ¶A, as amended by PL 2009, c. 615, Pt. E, §3, is further amended to read:
A. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the commissioner shall decide as expeditiously as possible if an application meets one or more 3 of the 4 criteria set forth in section 341-D, subsection 2 and shall request that the board assume jurisdiction of that application. If an interested person requests that the commissioner refer an application to the board and the commissioner determines that the criteria are not met, the commissioner shall notify the board of that request. If at any subsequent time during the review of an application the commissioner decides that the application falls under section 341-D, subsection 2, the commissioner shall request that the board assume jurisdiction of the application.
Sec. H-19. 38 MRSA §347-A, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 245, §5, is further amended to read:
Sec. H-20. 38 MRSA §347-A, sub-§4, ¶D, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 204, §2, is amended to read:
D. The public may make written comments to the board commissioner at the board's commissioner's discretion on an administrative consent agreement entered into by the commissioner and approved by the board.
Sec. H-21. 38 MRSA §353, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1997, c. 624, §2, is further amended to read:
Sec. H-22. 38 MRSA §414-A, sub-§5, ¶C, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 794, Pt. A, §25, is amended to read:
C. Notwithstanding Title 5, section 10051, the board may modify , revoke or suspend a license and the commissioner may revoke or suspend a license when the board or the commissioner finds that any of the conditions specified in section 341-D 342, subsection 3 11-B exist or upon an application for transfer of a license.
Sec. H-23. 38 MRSA §489-A, sub-§10, as affected by PL 1989, c. 890, Pt. A, §40 and amended by Pt. B, §102, is further amended to read:
10. Appeal of decision by commissioner to review. An aggrieved party may appeal the decision by the commissioner to exert or not exert state jurisdiction over the proposed project to the board. Review and actions taken by the department are subject to appeal procedures governing the department under section 341-D, subsections subsection 4 and 5.
Sec. H-24. Transition provisions. The following transition provisions apply to changes in the membership of the Board of Environmental Protection, rulemaking and the impact on pending proceedings.
1. Board membership. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 341-C, the terms of members of the Board of Environmental Protection serving on the effective date of this Act that would otherwise expire prior to September 16, 2011 are extended to September 16, 2011 and expire on that date.
Sec. J-1. 25 MRSA §2448-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 364, §2, is amended to read:
1. Projects. A municipality registered pursuant to this section may review projects of public buildings that constitute a mercantile occupancy over 3,000 square feet, a hotel, a motel or a business occupancy of 2 or more stories as described in section 2448.
Sec. J-2. 25 MRSA §2448-A, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 364, §2, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
7. Application review process. Upon determination by the municipal reviewing authority that an application for a permit or permit amendment under this section is complete for processing, the municipal reviewing authority shall submit to the commissioner within 14 days of that determination a copy of the project application.
Sec. L-1. 3 MRSA c. 36 is enacted to read:
§ 972. Direction from committees of jurisdiction
On or before February 1st of any first regular session of the Legislature, a committee of jurisdiction may direct an agency in writing to undertake a retrospective review of one or more rules under the jurisdiction of the committee.
§ 973. Agency review
When directed by a committee of jurisdiction to undertake a retrospective review of a rule under this chapter, an agency shall evaluate the continued relevance, clarity and reasonableness of the rule by examining:
§ 974. Report to the committee of jurisdiction
An agency directed to undertake a retrospective review of one or more of its rules in a first regular session of the Legislature pursuant to section 972 shall submit a written report to the committee of jurisdiction on or before February 14th of the second regular session of that Legislature. The report must address each of the criteria listed in section 973 for each rule reviewed by the agency and identify ways in which the agency proposes to amend the rule, if any, and recommend whether the legislative authority for each rule should be retained, repealed or modified.
Sec. M-1. Application for designation as a state regional center. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall work collaboratively and in partnership with the Finance Authority of Maine, the Maine International Trade Center and representatives of private sector business interests in applying to the United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service for the designation of the State as a state regional center for the purposes of reviewing and approving foreign investment projects under the Immigrant Investor Pilot Program enacted in federal law under Public Law 102-395, Section 610, 8 United States Code, Section 1153(b)(5). The purpose of the pilot program is to encourage immigration through the 5th employment-based preference, EB-5, immigrant visa category by immigrants seeking to enter the United States to invest from $500,000 to $1,000,000 in commercial enterprises that will create at least 10 full-time jobs.
Sec. M-2. Report. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall report by January 15, 2012 to the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development on the progress of the State's application process required under section 1. That report must include any statutory changes recommended to facilitate that application or to administer a federally designated regional center in the State.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved, except that those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 38, section 341-C take effect on September 16, 2011.
Effective June 13, 2011, unless otherwise indicated.