An Act To Create Economic Development Zones
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0663
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: CLARK, MARTIN, DUPREY, GOODWIN, JOY, LUNDEEN, WATSON, DAVIS, STANLEY
Amends: 5 MRSA §13058, 5 MRSA §13073-B

Legislative Document 
No. 663 
H.P.493 
House of Representati ves, February 11, 2003 
An Act To Create Economic Development Zones 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative CLARK of Millinocket. 
Cosponsored by Senator MARTIN of Aroostook and 
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/h·711d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: DUPREY of Medway, GOODWIN of Pembroke, JOY of Crystal, LUNDEEN 
of Mars Hill, WATSON of Bath, Senators: DAVIS of Piscataquis, STANLEY of Penobscot. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the State must ensure that at least 
45~o of its 
economic development assistance be directed towards those areas 
of 
the 
State with 
high 
unemployment 
and 
used 
for 
economic 
development activities that reduce unemployment in those areas; 
and 
Whereas. that assistance must begin immediately; 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 enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13058, sub-§6, 1f1fE and F, as amended by 
PL 
2001, c. 703, §2, are further amended to read: 
E. 
A foreign trade zone program; aRe 
F. 
The 
Business 
Assistance 
Referral 
and 
Facilitation 
Program, pursuant to section l3063T; and 
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §13058. sub-§6.1fH is enacted to read: 
H. 
The Economic Development Zone Program as established ln 
section l3073-B. 
This paragraph is repealed January 1, 2007. 
Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §13073-B is enacted to read: 
§13073-B. 
Economic Development Zone Program 
The Economic Development Zone Program, referred to in this 
section as "the program," is established within the Office of 
Tourism and Community Development. 
The purpose of the program is 
to identify those areas of the State with high unemployment as 
economic development zones 
and to coordinate the department's 
economic development expenditures to ensure that at least 45% of 
the department's economic development expenditures are directed 
to 
those 
economic 
development 
zones 
and 
used 
for 
economic 
development activities that reduce unemployment in those areas. 
The Director of the Office of Tourism and Community Development 
shall 
administer 
the 
program 
and 
shall 
ensure 
that 
the 
department's economic development expenditures are expended in 
accordance with the goals of the program. 
Page l-LR1322(1) 
The 
Director 
of 
the 
Office 
of 
Tourism 
and 
Community 
Development shall adopt rules to implement the program. 
Rules 
adopted under this section are major substantive rules as defined 
in chapter 375, subchapter 2-A and must be provisionally adopted 
and submitted to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2004. 
The rules must specify the unemployment criteria to be used in 
identifying economic development zones. 
This section is repealed January 1, 2007. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
The 
bill creates 
the 
Economic 
Development 
Zone 
Program 
within the 
Department of 
Economic 
and 
Community Development, 
Office of Tourism and Community Development. 
The purpose of the 
program is 
to 
identify those 
areas 
of 
the 
State with high 
unemployment as economic development zones and to coordinate the 
department's economic development expenditures to ensure that at 
least 45 0'0 of the department's economic development expenditures 
are directed to those economic development zones and used for 
economic development activities that reduce unemployment in those 
areas. 
The bill requires the Commissioner of Economic and Community 
Development 
to 
provisionally 
adopt 
major 
substantive 
rules 
implementing the program and submit them to the Legislature for 
review no later than January 1, 2004. 
The bill also repeals this program January 1, 2007.