Resolve, To Establish the Maine Networked Services Task Force
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1148
Committee: Utilities and Energy
Sponsors: MILLS

Legislative Document 
No. 1148 
H.P.851 
House of Representatives, March 4, 2003 
Resolve, To Establish the Maine Networked Services Task Force 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Utilities and Energy suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative MILLS of Cornville. 
Printed on recycled paper 
17/~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Emergency preamble. 
Whereas, Acts 
Legislature 
do 
not 
become 
effective 
adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; 
and 
resolves 
of 
the 
until 
days 
after 
and 
Whereas, this resolve creates the Maine Networked Services 
Task Force; and 
Whereas, 
the study must 
be initiated before the 
90-day 
period expires in order that the study may be completed and a 
report submitted in time for submission to the next legislative 
session; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, be it 
Sec. 1. 
Task force established. 
Resolved: 
That 
the 
Maine 
Networked Services Task Force, referred to in this resolve as 
"the task force," is established to conduct 
a 
study of the 
electric 
transmission 
and 
distribution 
industry, 
the 
telecommunications industry and the cable television industry in 
the State in order to assess the degree to which these industries 
are meeting the access, 
reliability, security and quality of 
service requirements that the users require; and be it further 
Sec. 2. Task force membership. Resolved: 
That the task force 
consists of 19 members appointed as follows: 
1. 
Two members appointed by the President of the Senate, 
who must be members of the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities 
and Energy; 
2. 
Two members appointed by the Speaker of the House, who 
must be members of the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and 
Energy; 
3. 
Eleven members appointed by the Governor as follows: 
A. 
One member representing investor-owned transmission and 
distribution utilities; 
B. 
One 
member 
representing 
investor-owned 
telecommunications utilities; 
C. 
One member representing cable television companies or 
their affiliates doing business in Maine; 
Page l-LR04l5(1) 
• 
D. 
One member representing higher education interests; 
E. 
One member representing small business customers; 
F. 
One member representing large users of electricity; 
G. 
One 
member 
representing 
large 
consumers 
of 
telecommunications services; 
H. 
One member representing the Maine Municipal Association; 
I. 
One member representing health care interests; and 
J. 
Two members representing the interests of low-income or 
elderly customers; and 
4. 
The following 4 members: 
A. 
The Director of the State Planning Office within the 
Executive Department or the director's designee; 
B. 
The Public Advocate or the Public Advocate's designee; 
c. 
The 
Commissioner 
of Education or 
the commissioner's 
designee; and 
D. 
The Chair of the Public Utilities Commission or the 
chair's designee; and be it further 
Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: 
That the first-named Senate member 
is the Senate chair of the task force and the first-named House 
of Representatives member is the House chair of the task force; 
and be it further 
Sec. 4. Appointments; convening of task force. Resolved: 
That all 
appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the 
effective date of this resolve. 
The appointing authorities shall 
notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all 
appointments 
have 
been 
completed. 
Wi thin 
days 
after 
appointment of all members, the chairs shall call and convene the 
first meeting of the task force; and be it further 
Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: 
That the task force shall: 
1. 
Identify those services that are provided to businesses 
and residential consumers using electric, telecommunications and 
cable networks; 
2. 
Establish performance standards for access, reliability, 
security and quality for electric, telecommunications and cable 
networks that meet or exceed consumer requirements and that are 
in the public interest; 
3. 
Determine 
the 
extent 
to 
which 
the 
electric, 
telecommunications and cable networks are meeting the performance 
standards; 
4. 
Identify those areas, situations or conditions where the 
electr ic, telecommunications and cable networks are not meeting 
the performance standards; 
5. 
Determine the extent to which the ownership of electric, 
telecommunications and cable networks has become and may continue 
to become more concentrated and assess the impact of increased 
ownership concentration on investment in these networks and the 
ability of these networks to meet the performance standards; 
6. 
Evaluate the economic and social consequences to Maine 
businesses, 
residential 
consumers, 
workers, 
governmental 
institutions and other entities and the State as a whole of the 
failure of electric, telecommunications and cable networks to 
meet the performance standards; 
7. 
Develop strategies, public policy initiatives, programs, 
rules and regulations or other methods to ensure that electric, 
telecommunications 
and 
cable 
networks 
meet 
the 
performance 
standards; 
8. 
Evaluate how performance standards will likely change 
over time as society becomes increasingly dependent on network 
services and whether the institutions, organizations or companies 
that 
own 
and 
manage 
electric, 
telecommunications 
and 
cable 
networks can meet these performance standards; and 
9. 
Prepare a final report to the Legislature 
include findings and recommendations on these matters: 
further 
that will 
and be it 
Sec. 6. Staff assistance. Resolved: 
That, upon 
Legislative Council, 
the Office of Policy and 
shall provide necessary staffing services to the 
be it further 
approval of the 
Legal Analysis 
task force: and 
Sec. 7. Compensation. Resolved: 
That the legislative members 
of the task force are entitled to the legislative per diem, as 
defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 2, and 
reimbursement for travel and other necessary expenses related to 
.. 
their 
attendance 
at authorized meetings 
of 
the 
task 
force. 
Public members not otherwise compensated by their employers or 
other 
entities 
that 
they 
represent 
are 
entitled to 
receive 
reimbursement of necessary expenses and, upon a demonstration of 
financial hardship, a per diem equal to the legislative per diem 
for their attendance at authorized meetings of the task force; 
and be it further 
Sec. 8. Report. Resolved: 
That, 
no later than December l, 
2003, 
the task force shall submit a report that includes its 
findings 
and 
recommendations, 
including suggested legislation, 
for presentation to the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and 
Energy and the Legislative Council. 
The task force is authorized 
to introduce legislation. 
Following receipt and review of the 
report, the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy may 
report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 121st 
Legislature; and be it further 
Sec. 9. Extension. Resolved: 
That, if the task force requires 
a limited extension of time to complete its study and make its 
report, it may apply to the Legislative Council, which may grant 
an extension; and be it further 
Sec. 10. Task force budget. Resolved: 
That the chairs of the 
task force, 
with assistance from the task force staff, shall 
administer the task force's budget. 
Within 10 days after its 
first meeting, 
the task force shall present a 
work plan and 
proposed budget to the Legislative Council for its approval. 
The 
task force may not incur expenses that would result in the task 
force's exceeding its approved budget. 
Upon request from the 
task force, 
the Executive Director of the Legislative Council 
shall promptly provide the task force chairs and staff with a 
status report on the task force budget, expenditures incurred and 
paid and available funds. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this resolve takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve establishes the Maine Networked Services Task 
Force to study and evaluate the delivery system for networked 
services 
such 
as 
telecommunications, 
Internet 
service, 
cable 
television services and electricity.