An Act To Establish the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act LR 2551(03)
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1815
Committee Amendment CA_B_H784 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "i.3" to H.P. l337, L.D. 1815, Bill, 
Act To Establish the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act" 
"An 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2 and 3 and 
inserting in their place the following: 
'Sec. 2. 10 MRSA c. I-A is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER I A 
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND THE ECONOMY 
Sll. 
Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act 
1. 
Short title. 
This section may be known and cited as 
"the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act." 
2. 
Definitions. 
As 
used 
in this 
section, 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following meanings. 
A. 
"Commission" means the Citizen Trade Policy Commission 
established in Title 5, section 12004-1, subsection 79-A. 
B. 
"Trade agreement" means any agreement reached between 
the 
United 
States 
Government 
and 
any 
other 
country, 
countries 
or 
other 
international 
F')litical 
entity 
or 
Page l-LR255l(3) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT h" to H.P. 1337, L.D. 1815 
entities that proposes to regulate trade among the parties 
to the agreement. 
"Trade agreement" includes, but is not 
limited 
to, 
the 
North 
American 
Free 
Trade 
Agreement. 
agreements 
with 
the 
World 
Trade 
Organization 
and 
the 
proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas. 
3. 
Purposes. 
The commission is established to assess and 
monitor the legal and economic impacts of trade agreements on 
state 
and 
local 
laws, 
working 
conditions 
and 
the 
business 
environment; to provide a mechanism for citizens and Legislators 
to voice their concerns and recommendations; and to make policy 
recommendations 
designed 
to 
protect 
Maine's 
jobs, 
business 
environment and laws from any negative impact of trade agreements. 
4. 
Membership. 
The commission consists of the following 11 
members: 
A. 
Two 
Senators 
representing each 
of 
the 
political 
parties with the greatest numerical representation in the 
Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
B. 
Two members of the House of Representatives representing 
each of the 2 political parties with the greatest numerical 
representation in the House, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House; 
C. 
The Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee; 
D. 
A 
small 
business 
person 
selected 
by 
the 
National 
Federation of Independent Business; 
E. 
A small farmer selected by the Maine Farm Bureau; 
F. 
A representative of a Maine-based corporation with at 
least 25 employees that is active in international trade, 
selected by the Maine State Chamber of Commerce; 
G. 
A representative of the Maine Municipal Association, 
selected by the Maine Municipal Association; 
H. 
A person who is active in the organized labor community, 
selected by the AFL-CIO; and 
I. 
A member 
of 
a 
nonprofit environmental organization, 
selected by the Natural Resources Council of Maine. 
The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of 
the Legislative Council 
upon making their appointments. 
The 
first-named 
Senator 
and 
first-named 
House 
of 
Representatives 
member shall call the first meeting and serve as cochairs until a 
chair is elected pursuant to section 6. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,b .. to H.P. 1337, L.D. 1815 
5. 
Terms; vacancies; limits. 
Except for Legislators and 
the Attorney General, 
who 
serve 
terms 
coincident with their 
elective terms, all members are appointed for 3-year terms. 
A 
vacancy must be filled by the same appointing authority that made 
the original appointment. 
Appointed members may not serve more 
than 
terms. 
Members 
may 
continue 
to 
serve 
until 
their 
replacements are designated. 
A member may designate an alternate 
to serve on a temporary basis. 
6. 
Chair; officers; rules. 
The commission shall appoint 
its own chair and other officers and make rules for orderly 
procedure. 
7. 
Compensation. 
Members 
of 
the 
commission 
who 
are 
Legislators are entitled to receive the legislative per diem and 
expenses as defined in Title 3, section 2 for their attendance to 
their duties under this chapter. 
Other members are entitled to 
receive 
reimbursement of necessary expenses if they are not 
otherwise 
reimbursed by their employers or others 
whom 
they 
represent. 
After one year, the commission shall assess the need 
for 
and gualifications 
of 
a 
staff person. 
for 
example, 
an 
executive 
director. 
If 
the 
commission 
determines 
that 
it 
requires such a person, it may request additional funds from the 
Legislature. 
8. 
Staff. 
The Office of Policy and Legal Analysis shall 
provide the necessary staff support for the operation of the 
commission. 
9. 
Powers and duties. 
The commission: 
A. 
Shall meet at least twice annually: 
B. 
Shall hear public testimony and recommendations from the 
people of the State and qualified experts when appropriate 
at no fewer than 2 locations throughout the State each year 
on the actual and potential social. environmental. economic 
and legal 
impacts of international trade agreements 
and 
negotiations on the State: 
C. 
Shall conduct an annual assessment of the impacts of 
international 
trade 
agreements 
on 
Maine's 
state 
laws. 
municipal laws, working conditions and business environment: 
D. 
Shall maintain active communications with and submit an 
annual report to the Governor, the Legislature, the Attorney 
General, municipalities, Maine's congressional delegation, 
the Maine International Trade Center, the Maine Municipal 
Association, 
the 
United 
States 
Trade 
Representative's 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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(~."~', (~~. 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~/!;" to H.P. 1337, L.D. 1815 
Office, the National Conference of State Legislatures and 
the 
National 
Association 
of 
Attorneys 
General 
or 
the 
successor 
organization 
of 
any 
of 
these 
groups. 
The 
commission shall make the report easily accessible to the 
public by way of a publicly accessible site on the Internet 
maintained 
by 
the 
State. 
The 
report 
must 
contain 
information acquired pursuant to activities under paragraphs 
Band C: 
E. 
Shall maintain active communications with any entity the 
commission 
determines 
appropriate 
regarding 
ongoing 
developments in international trade agreements and policy: 
F. 
May recommend or submit legislation to the Legislature: 
G. 
May recommend that the State support, or withhold its 
support from, future trade negotiations or agreements: and 
H. 
May 
examine 
any 
aspects 
of 
international 
trade, 
international economic integration and trade agreements that 
the members of the commission consider appropriate. 
10. 
Evaluation. 
By December 31, 2009, the commission shall 
conduct an evaluation of its activities and recommend to the 
Legislature whether to continue, alter or cease the commission's 
activities. 
Sec. 3. Staggered terms. 
Notwithstanding the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 10, section 11, subsection 5, the terms of the 
original appointees described in Title 10, section 11, subsection 
4, paragraphs D and G serve initial terms of one year, and the 
appointees described in Title 10, 
section 11, 
subsection 4, 
paragraphs E and H serve initial terms of 2 years. 
An initial 
term of one or 2 years may not be considered a full term for 
purposes of limiting the number of terms for which a member may 
serve. 
Sec. 
4. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
LEGISLATURE 
Legislature 
The 
following 
Ini tiati ve: 
Provides funds for the per diem and expenses of 
members of the Citizen Trade Policy Commission as well as public 
hearing and general operation expenses. 
General Fund 
Personal Services 
All Other 
2003-04 
$0 
o 
2004-05 
$880 
9,850 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,6" to H.P. 1337, L.D. 1815 
General Fund Total 
$0 
$10,730' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment changes the membership of the Citizen Trade 
Policy Commission. 
It reduces the number of Legislators from 6 
to 4 and reduces the number of other members from 11 to 7. 
It 
allows 
members 
to 
appoint alternate 
members 
to 
serve 
on 
a 
temporary basis. 
The amendment reduces the number of required public hearings 
to 2 each year instead of 5 in the first year and 3 in subsequent 
years. 
It also changes compensation so that Legislators receive 
per diem and expenses for attendance at meetings, 
and other 
members 
receive 
reimbursement 
of 
expenses 
if 
they 
are 
not 
otherwise reimbursed for those costs. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations 
section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 03/10/04 ,;Ik?ac:.. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1815 
An Act To Establish the Maine Jobs, Trade and Democracy Act 
LR 2551(03) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Committee: Labor 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2003-04 
$0 
$0 
2004-05 
$10,730 
$10,730 
Projections 
2005-06 
$10,730 
$10,730 
Projections 
2006-07 
$10,730 
$10,730 
Establishing an ongoing Citizen Trade Policy Commission requires a General Fund appropriation to the Legislature in 
the amount of $10,730 in fiscal year 2004-05 and annually thereafter. This appropriation will provide funds for per 
diem and expenses for members ofthe commission as well as public hearing and general operating expenses. 
LR2551(3) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1