An Act To Increase the Assessment on Workers' Compensation Insurance To Fund the Workers' Compensation Board Administrative Fund
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0035
Committee Amendment CA_B_S62 (Senate)
Committee: Labor are the chairs of the commission

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,.(3" to S.P. 21, L.D. 35, Bi11, "An Act 
To Increase the Assessment on Workers' Compensation Insurance To 
Fund the Workers' Compensation Board Administrative Fund" 
Amend the bi11 in section 1 in subsection 6 in the 7th to 
9th lines (page 1, lines 12 to 14 in L.D.) by striking out the 
fo11owing: 
" 
more than $8,350,000 beginning in the 2003-04 
fiscal year or more than $8,525,000 beginning in the 2004-05 
fiscal year" and inserting in its place the fo11owing: 
'or more 
than $7,546,000 beginning in the 2003-04 fiscal year' 
Further amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 6 in the 
13th to 15th lines (page 1, lines 18 to 20 in L.D.) by striking 
out the following: 
", $8,350,000 beginning in the 2003-04 fiscal 
year or $8,525,000 beginning in the 2004-05 fiscal year" and 
inserting in its place the fo11owing: 
'or more than $7,546,000 
beginning in the 2003-04 fiscal year' 
Further amend the bill by inserting after section 1 
and 
before the summary the following: 
'Sec. 2. Review. 
A commission is established to review the 
budget process of the Workers' Compensation Board. 
1. 
Members. The commission consists of 2 members of the 
Joint Standing Committee on Labor, one representing each of the 2 
political parties in the Legislature with the greatest number of 
members, appointed by the chairs of the Joint Standing Committee 
on Labor, and 2 members of the Workers' Compensation Board, one 
representing and appointed by the labor members of the board and 
one representing and appointed by the management members of the 
board. 
Page l-LR0283(3) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
,: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "(3,, to S.P. 21, L.D. 35 
2. 
Chairs. 
The members from the Joint Standing Committee 
on Labor are the chairs of the commission. 
3. 
Appointments; convening of commission. 
All appointments 
must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date 
of 
this 
Act. 
The 
appointing 
authorities 
shall 
notify 
the 
Executive 
Director 
of 
the 
Legislative 
Council 
once 
all 
appointments 
have 
been 
completed. 
Within 
days 
after 
appointment of all members, the chairs shall call and convene the 
first meeting of the commission. 
4. 
Duties. 
The commission shall review the process used by 
the Workers' Compensation Board to establish, approve and monitor 
its budget and determine whether improvements are needed. 
The 
commission shall determine whether recommendations regarding the 
budget process contained in the 1997 Coopers and Lybrand report 
and the 2001 Berry, Dunn, McNeil and Parker report have been 
implemented 
and, 
if not, 
whether 
and 
how 
they 
should 
be 
implemented. 
5. 
Report. 
The commission shall report its findings and 
recommendations, along with any recommended legislation, to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Labor not later than December 3, 
2003. 
The Joint Standing Committee on Labor is authorized to 
submi t 
legislation to the Second Regular Session of the l2lst 
Legislature in response to the report. 
6. 
Expenses and per diem. 
Commission members 
who 
are 
Legislators are entitled to receive 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 meetings 
of the 
commission. 
Commission 
members who are members of the Workers' Compensation Board are 
entitled to per diem and eXPenses as provided in Title 39-A, 
section 151, subsection 6. 
The Workers' Compensation Board shall 
transfer 
sufficient 
funds 
from 
its 
reserve 
fund 
to 
the 
Legislature to cover the costs of legislative per diem and 
expenses for commission meetings. 
7. 
Staff. 
The Workers' Compensation Board shall provide 
staffing to the commission. 
Upon approval by the Legislative 
Council, the Office of Policy and Legal Analysis and the Office 
of Fiscal and Program Review shall also provide staff assistance 
to the commission. 
8. 
Eztension. 
If 
the 
commission 
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. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
,.. 
<t 
~,. 
, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. 6, to S.P. 21, L.D. 35 
9. 
Commission budget. 
The chairs of the commission, with 
assistance 
from 
the 
commission 
staff, 
shall 
administer 
the 
commission's budget. 
Within 10 days after its first meeting, the 
commission shall present a work plan and proposed budget to the 
Legislative Council for its approval. 
The commission may not 
incur expenses that would result in the commission's exceeding 
its approved budget. 
Upon 
request 
from 
the 
commission, 
the 
Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall promptly 
provide the commission chairs and staff with a status report on 
the 
commission 
budget, 
expenditures 
incurred 
and 
paid 
and 
available funds. 
Sec. 
3. 
Appropriations 
and 
Allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
WORKERS' C<»IPENSATIaf BOARD 
Administration - Workers' Compensation Board 
0183 
The 
following 
Initiative: 
Allocates 
funds 
to reflect 
an 
increase 
in 
the 
assessment cap. 
Other Specia1 Revenue Funds 
All Other 
Other Special Revenue Funds Total 
WORKERS' C(»IPENSATIGI BOARD 
DEPAR'lIIERT mrALS 
07BER SPECIAL REVElI1UE FORDS 
DEPAR'l'MERT mrAL -
ALL FORDS 
LEGISLATURE 
Commission to Review the Budget 
2003-04 
$686,000 
$686,000 
·2003-04 
$686,000 
$686,000 
Process of the Workers' Compensation Board 
2004-05 
$686,000 
$686,000 
2004-05 
$686,000 
$686,000 
Initiative: 
Allocates funds to reflect the reimbursement to be 
received from the Workers' 
Compensation Board reserve fund to 
cover the costs of legislative per diem and expenses. 
Other Specia1 Revenue Funds 
Personal Services 
All Other 
Other Special Revenue Funds Total 
2003-04 
$440 
$415 
$855 
2004-05 
$0 
$0 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
;a-
" , 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .,(5 .. to S.P. 21, L.D. 35 
LEGISLA"l'URE 
DEPARTMEIIT rorALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FORDS 
DEPARTMEIIT rorAL -
ALL FORDS 
SECTI<II rorALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVEBUE FORDS 
SECTI<II rorAL -
ALL FORDS 
SUMMARY 
2003-04 
$855 
$855 
2003-04 
$686,855 
$686,855 
2004-05 
$0 
$0 
2004-05 
$686,000 
$686,000' 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing 
Committee on Labor. 
It changes the assessment limit provided for 
in the bill to $7,546,000 beginning in fiscal year 2003-04. 
The 
bill called for a limit of $8,350,000 in fiscal year 2003-04 and 
$8,525,000 in fiscal year 2004-05. 
The amendment also creates a 4-member commission to review 
the 
Workers' 
Compensation 
Board's 
process 
for 
establishing, 
approving and monitoring its budget, with 2 Legislators and 2 
members of the Workers' Compensation Board. 
The commission will 
report its findings and recommendations to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Labor by December 3, 2003. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMM/rrEE AMENDMENT 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 04/04/03 ~ae 
12lst Maine Legislature 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD35 
An Act to Increase the Assessment on Workers' Compensation Insurance 
To Fund the Workers' Compensation Board Administrative Fund 
LR0283(03) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Minority Report 
Fiscal Note 
Undetermined current biennium cost increase - All Funds 
2003-04 
2004-05 
$686,855 
$686,000 
$686,000 
$686,000 
Projections 
2005-06 
$686,000 
$686,000 
Projections 
2006-07 
$686,000 
$686,000 
This bill as amended includes Other Special Revenue Funds. allocations of $686,000 and $686,000 in fiscal years 2003 
and 2004-05, respectively, to increase the authorized level of spending of the Workers' Compensation Board as a 
result of increasing the assessment cap. Increasing the workers' compensation assessment will increase the cost to all 
State agencies for the workers' compensation portion of personal services expense. The fiscal impact on the State's 
self-insured program can not be determined at this time and will depend on the actual amount assessed. 
An allocation of$855 is included in fiscal year 2003-04 for the additional costs of the legislative per diem and 
expenses for the two legislators who will serve on the Commission to Review the Budget Process of the Workers' 
Compensation Board. The total cost to the Workers' Compensation Board for the per diem and expenses of all the 
Commission members can not be determined at this time. It is expected that there will be sufficient funds available in 
the reserve fund to cover these costs. The additional costs associated with providing staffing assistance to the 
commission during the interim between legislative sessions can be absorbed by the Legislature utilizing existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR0283(3) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1