An Act Relating to Portable Classrooms for Certain Cases LR 1553(02)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0842
Committee Amendment CA_A_H351 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §15603

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "I). to H. P . 
Act Relating to Portable Classrooms for 
619, L.D. 842, 
Certain Cases" 
Bill, "An 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
. Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §15603, sub-§8,~, as amended by PL 1997, 
c. 787, §6, is further amended to read: 
B. 
Lease 
costs 
for 
school buildings 
when 
the 
leases, 
including leases under which the school administrative unit 
may apply the lease payments to the purchase of portable, 
temporary classroom space beginning January 1, 1988, have 
been approved by the commissioner for the year prior to the 
year of allocation. 
Beginning July 1, 
1998 lease cost 
includes: 
(1) 
Administrative 
space. 
A school 
administrative 
unit may lease administrative space with state support 
until July 1, 
2003. 
A school 
administrative unit 
engaged 
in 
a 
lease-purchase 
agreement 
for 
administrative 
space is eligible for 
state support 
until July 1, 2008; 
(2) 
Temporary interim nonadministrative space. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~:; 
~ 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. fi,. to H. P. 619, L.D. 842 
(a) 
A 
school 
administrative 
unit 
with 
state-approved 
need 
for 
nonadministrative 
space 
may 
lease 
temporary 
interim 
space, 
with state 
support, 
for 
a 
maximum of 
years. 
A school 
administrative 
unit 
that 
has 
a 
major 
capital 
improvement 
application 
or 
a 
school 
revolving 
renovation 
fund 
application 
on 
file 
with 
the 
department that is not rated high enough by the 
department 
using 
the department's 
rating scale 
compared to other school administrative units to 
obtain 
funding 
to 
correct 
problems 
with 
its 
facilities may appeal to the state board if the 
limitation in this division presents 
an 
undue 
burden. 
~he-&ea~e~~-~~~-~-~iBa*T In making 
a determination on a school administrative unit' s 
reguest for relief based on undue burden. 
the 
state board must consider. but is not limited to 
considering. the following: 
(i) 
Fiscal capacity; 
(ii) 
Enrollment demographics; and 
(iii) 
Any 
unforeseen 
circumstances 
not 
within 
the 
control 
of 
the 
school 
administrative unit. 
The state board's decision is final. 
(b) 
A school administrative unit engaged in a 
lease-purchase 
agreement 
for 
temporary 
interim 
nonadministrative 
space 
is eligible 
for 
state 
support for a maximum of 10 years; and 
(3) 
Permanent 
small 
nonadministrative 
space 
that 
replaces or is converted from existing approved leased 
portable space. 
The existing leased portable space 
will be eligible for state support until July 1, 2003. 
Once 
an 
existing 
leased 
portable 
space 
has 
been 
converted 
into 
a 
permanent 
nonadministrative 
space 
through 
an 
approved 
lease-purchase 
agreement, 
such 
space is eligible for state support for a maximum of 10 
years. 
The Department of Education shall adopt rules necessary to 
implement this paragraph. 
Rules adopted by the Department 
of 
Education 
to 
implement 
this 
paragraph 
are 
major 
substantive 
rules 
pursuant 
to 
Title 
5, 
chapter 
375, 
subchapter **-A 2-A;' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
:::1J'i 
~ 
~ 2 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/1'" to H.P. 619, L.D. 842 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill. 
The amendment 
clarifies that a school administrative unit engaged in a lease 
agreement for temporary interim nonadministrative space may be 
eligible for state support beyond the 5-year limit if the school 
administrative unit has a major capital improvement application 
or a school revolving renovation fund application on file with 
the Department of Education and is not rated high enough by the 
Department 
of 
Education using 
the 
department's 
rating scale 
compared to other school administrative units to obtain funding 
to correct problems with its facilities. 
The 
amendment also 
provides criteria that the State Board of Education must use when 
making a determination on a school administrative unit's appeal 
for relief from an undue burden presented by this statutory 
requirement. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Revised: 04/18/03 :/J!?ac:.. 
12lst Maine Legislature 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD842 
An Act Relating to Portable Classrooms for Certain Cases 
LR 1553(02) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
No Net Fiscal Impact 
Since this legislation will result in fewer local school units engaged in a lease agreement for temporary interim 
nonadministrative space receiving waivers from the State Board of Education for additional state subsidy beyond the 
year time frame, there is no additional cost to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the 
Department of Education. Any savings that may occur as a result of this measure will be distributed to other 
components of General Purpose Aid for Local Schools. The amount can not be determined at this time. 
LRI553(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1