An Act To Strengthen Maine's Small Business Economy
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1068
Committee: Taxation
Sponsors: BROMLEY, SMITH, DAMON, AUSTIN, BEAUDETTE, BRYANT, CANAVAN, CROSBY, FARRINGTON, JACOBSEN
Amends: 1 MRSA §537

Legislative Document 
No. 1068 
S.P.385 
In Senate, March 1, 2005 
An Act To Strengthen Maine's Small Business Economy 
Reference to the Committee on Taxation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BROMLEY of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative SMITH of Monmouth and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator: DAMON of Hancock, Representatives: AUSTIN of Gray, BEAUDETTE of 
Biddeford, BRYANT of Windham, CANAVAN of Waterville, CROSBY of Topsham, 
FARRINGTON of Gorham, JACOBSEN of Waterboro. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §537, sub-§I, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 713, 
§l, is amended to read: 
1. 
Funding. 
I nf 0 rME is --&e-l-f---s-uppo-r-t-1ng-.-- -Geae Ii' al - -F-und--9 Ii' 
9~Reli'-£~a~€-..f~~-~&-Be-~6ea-~~-~~-t~~~r-&e¥eRae-is 
~eae~a~ea may generate revenue 
through fees 
or surcharges on 
premium services paid by subscribers and from money, 
goods or 
in-kind services donated or awarded from 
a9a-GeR€-£a,l--~\:uia any 
sources to carry out the purposes of this Act. 
Sec. 2. Rulemaking. 
The Department of Economic and Community 
Development and the Department of Labor are authorized to adopt 
rules 
to 
implement 
the purposes of this Act. 
Rules 
adopted 
pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined 
in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A. 
Sec. 3. Report. 
The 
Department of Economic 
and Community 
Development shall arrange for an independent evaluation of all 
programs supported pursuant to this Act and shall report the 
findings of this evaluation to the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over business, research and 
economic development matters no later than January 1, 
2007 and 
annually thereafter. 
Sec. 
4. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL 
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Business Equipment Tax Reimbursement 
0806 
The 
following 
Initiative: 
Deappropriates an amount equal to 10% of funds to be 
used to provide direct support for Maine's small business economy. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
($7,800,000) 
($7,800,000) 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL 
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT 'l'OTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
2005-06 
($7,800,000) 
Page l-LR0766 (1) 
2006-07 
($8,300,000) 
($8,300,000) 
2006-07 
($8,300,000) 
DEPAR"l"MENT 'l'OTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
($7,800,000) 
($8,300,000) 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVEWPMENT, DEPAR'1"MENT OF 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds for a women's business center. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$152,344 
$152,344 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$162,100 
$162,100 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds for a tourism specialist. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$121,875 
$121,875 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$129,688 
$129,688 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
a 
market development 
center, which generates a 2-1 federal match. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$121,875 
$121,875 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$129,688 
$129,688 
Initiative: 
education. 
Provides ongoing funds 
for 
MaineBizWorks on-line 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$243,750 
$243,750 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$259,375 
$259,375 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds to establish a user-friendly 
on-line permitting process. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
2006-07 
$389,063 
$389,063 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds for a business ombudsman. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$121,875 
$121, 875 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$129,688 
$129,688 
Initiative: 
districts. 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
economic 
development 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$389,063 
$389,063 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for private sector 
small 
business grants. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-07 
$389,063 
$389,063 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
a 
community 
college 
entrepreneurship infrastructure. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$609,375 
$609,375 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
matching 
funds 
entrepreneurship chair at the University of Maine. 
2006-07 
$648,438 
$648,438 
for 
an 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$121,875 
$121,875 
2006-01 
$129,688 
$129,688 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds 
for internships for Maine 
students in entrepreneurships. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$1,218,750 
$1,218,750 
2006-01 
$1,296,876 
$1,296,876 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
Ini tiati ve: 
Provides ongoing funds for grants to students who 
start businesses in Maine after graduation. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
Administration -
Economic and Community Development 
0069 
2006-01 
$389,063 
$389,063 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds to establish an independent 
evaluation of the impact of funds distributed pursuant to this 
Act to be conducted annually. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Business Development 
0585 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
2006-01 
$389,063 
$389,063 
Initiative: 
Provides ongoing funds for business attraction. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$609,375 
$609,375 
2006-01 
$648,438 
$648,438 
4l' 
Maine Microenterprise Initiative Fund 
0441 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
microenterprise 
infrastructure. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Maine Small Business Commission 
0675 
2005-06 
$1,218,750 
$1,218,750 
2006-07 
$1,296,876 
$1,296,876 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
small 
business 
development centers. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2005-06 
$335,156 
$335,156 
Applied Technology Development Center System 
0929 
2006-07 
$356,641 
$356,641 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
for 
operation 
costs 
at 
applied technology development centers. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Office of Innovation 
0995 
Initiative: 
Provides 
ongoing 
funds 
business 
and 
technology 
development 
Technology Institute. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
ECONC»IIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVEWPMERT, DEPAR"l'MENT OF 
DEP AR'l"MENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPAR'l"MENT TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
LABOR, DEPAR'l"MENT OF 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
to contract 
specialist 
2005-06 
$365,625 
$365,625 
2005-06 
$7,434,375 
$7,434,375 
Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community 
0132 
2006-07 
$389,063 
$389,063 
for 
a 
at 
the 
small 
Maine 
2006-07 
$389,063 
$389,063 
2006-07 
$7,910,937 
$7,910,937 
Initiative: 
Provides funds for Maine Centers for Women, Work and 
Community. 
GENERAL FUND 
2005-06 
2006-07 
All Other 
$365,625 
$389,063 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$365,625 
$389,063 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPAR"l"MENT TOTALS 
2005-06 
2006-07 
General Fund 
$365,625 
$389,063 
DEPAR"l"MENT TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
$365,625 
$389,063 
SECTION TOTALS 
2005-06 
2006-07 
GENERAL FUND 
t!L 
t!L 
SECTION TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
$0 
$0 
SUMMARY 
This 
bill 
redirects 
10% 
of 
Business 
Equipment 
Tax 
Reimbursement program funds to be disbursed by the Department of 
Economic and Community Development and the Department of Labor to 
support 
an 
ongoing small business development infrastructure, 
including the followin9: 
1. 
A women's business center; 
2. 
A tourism specialist; 
3. 
A market development center; 
4. 
MaineBizWorks on-line education; 
5. 
User-friendly on-line business permitting; 
6. 
A business ombudsman; 
7. 
Funding for economic development districts; 
8. 
Funding for private sector small business grants; 
4G 
9. 
A community college entrepreneurship infrastructure; 
10. 
An entrepreneurship chair at the University of Maine; 
11. 
Funding for grants to Maine graduates for business 
start-ups; 
12. 
Funding for business attraction; 
13. 
Funding for microenterprise infrastructure; 
14. 
Funding for small business development centers; 
15. 
Funding 
for 
operation costs 
of 
applied 
technology 
development centers; 
16. 
A small business technology development specialist at 
the Maine Technology Institute; 
17. 
Funding for the centers for women, work and community; 
and 
18. 
Independent evaluation annually of the impact of these 
funds. 
The bill also allows the InforME program to accept funds 
from all sources, 
including General 
Fund appropriations, 
and 
authorizes the Department of Economic and Community Development 
and the Department of Labor to make rules to implement the bill's 
purposes.