An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1021
Committee Amendment CA_B-SA_G_S660 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §1534

SENATE 
AMENDMENT "G" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H. P . 
706,L.D. 
1021, 
Bill, 
"An 
Act 
To 
Implement 
Task 
Force 
Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits 
for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters" 
Amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M in 
subsection 3 by striking out all of the first paragraph (page 4, 
lines 32 to 34 in amendment) 
and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'3. 
Eligibility for program coverage. A person must make 
contributions pursuant to subsection 8 for 
months or the 
payment reguired pursuant to subsection 9 in order to be eligible 
for coverage under 
the program. 
In addition, 
a 
person must 
satisfy the eligibility criteria specified in this subsection as 
follows: ' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 3 in paragraph A by inserting before subparagraph 
(1) the following: 
'(1) 
Be at least 50 years of age;' 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
in subsection 3 in paragraph A by renumbering the subparagraphs 
to read consecutively 
Further amend the amendment in Part A in section 3 in §286-M 
by inserting after subsection 8 the following: 
'9. 
Retirees without 5 years of contributions to fund. 
A 
person who retires without making 60 months of contributions to 
the 
fund 
but 
who 
meets 
the 
other eligibility criteria of 
Page l-LR0263(21) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT "6-" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H.P. 
706, 
L.D. 1021 
subsection 3, referred to in this subsection as "the retiree," is 
eligible to participate pursuant to this subsection. 
A. 
The retiree is eligible for coverage under the program 
upon ~nrollment. 
B. 
The retiree shall pay the dollar equivalent of the 
retiree' s scheduled contributions based upon the following 
schedule; 
(1) 
A retiree who is at least 50 years of age and 
under 55 years of age shall pay 
2~ of that retiree's 
average final monthly compensation multiplied by 60; 
(2) 
A retiree who is at least 55 years of age and 
under 60 years of age shall pay 1.75~ of that retiree's 
average final monthly compensation multiplied by 60; and 
(3) 
A retiree who is at least 60 years of age shall 
pay 
1.5~ of 
that retiree's 
average 
final 
monthly 
compensation multiplied by 60. 
AS 
used 
in 
this 
paragraph, 
"average 
final 
monthly 
compensation" 
means 
the average annual 
rate of earnable 
compensation, divided by 12, of a retiree during the 3 years 
of 
creditable 
service 
as 
a 
county 
or 
municipal 
law 
enforcement 
officer 
or 
municipal 
firefighter, 
not 
necessarily consecutive, in which the average annual rate of 
earnable compensation is highest or during the retiree's 
entire period of creditable service as a county or municipal 
law enforcement officer or municipal firefighter, if the 
period is less than 3 years. 
C. 
If the retiree has made contributions to the fund while 
employed as a county or municipal law enforcement officer or 
municipal firefighter, the retiree shall pay the difference 
between; 
D. 
(1) The total of the retiree's employee contributions 
required pursuant to paragraph Bbased on the retiree's 
age as of the date of retirement; and 
(2) 
The dollar equivalent of the retiree's scheduled 
contributions for 60 months pursuant to subsection 8. 
Tb~ 
r~tj,r~~ 
§hg,ll 
mgk~ 
tb~ 
pg:lID~nt12 
r~q1!.ired 
by 
12ar agr apb B 
Qr 
C 
tQ 
the divi§ign within 
months 
of 
~nrQllm~nt in th~ progrgm. 
A 
r~tir~~ whg fails to make thg 
r~gJ.!,ir~g pgymgnt within 12 mgnths 
Qf enrollment must be 
gi§~nrQll~g frQm tb~ 12r Qgrgm. , 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
, 
SENATE AMENDMENT "G" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT "B" to H.P. 
706, 
L.D. 1021 
Further amend 
the 
amendment 
in section 3 
in §286-M by 
renumbering the subsections to read consecutively. 
Further amend the amendment in Part A by inserting after 
section 3 the following: 
'Sec. A-4. 5 MRSA §1534, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2005, c. 
621, §3, is further amended to read: 
1. 
Estab1ishlllent of Genera1 Fund appropriation 1imitation. 
As of December 1st of each even-numbered year, there must be 
established a 
General 
Fund 
appropriation limitation for 
the 
ensuing biennium. 
The 
General 
Fund 
appropriation limitation 
applies to all General 
Fund appropriations, 
except that the 
additional 
cost 
for 
essential 
programs 
and 
services 
for 
kindergarten to grade 12 education under Title 20-A, 
chapter 
606-B over the fiscal year 2004-05 appropriation for general 
purpose aid for local schools is excluded from the General Fund 
appropriation limitation until the state share of that cost 
reaches 55% of the total state and local cost and except that the 
additional state costs for the Retired County and Municipal Law 
Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters aealth Insurance 
Program. established pursuant to chapter 13. is excluded from the 
General Fund appropriation limitation. 
A. 
For the first fiscal year of the biennium, the General 
Fund appropriation limitation is equal to the biennial base 
year 
appropriation 
multiplied 
by 
one 
plus 
the 
growth 
limitation factor in subsection 2. 
B. 
For the 2nd year of the biennium, the General Fund 
appropriation limitation is the General Fund appropriation 
limitation of the first year of the biennium biennial base 
year 
appropriation 
multiplied 
by 
one 
plus 
the 
growth 
limitation factor in subsection 2.' 
Further amend the amendment by 
any 
nonconsecutive 
Part 
letter 
or 
consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment does the following: 
relettering or renumbering 
section 
number 
to 
read 
1. 
It 
exempts 
from 
the 
General 
Fund 
appropriation 
limitation the state costs of the Retired County and Municipal 
Law 
Enforcement 
Officers 
and 
Municipal 
Firefighters 
Health 
Insurance Program: 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
SENATE 
AMENDMENT "G-" to COMMITTEE 
AMENDMENT 
"B" to H.P. 
706, 
L.D. 1021 
2. 
It establishes a minimum age for participation of 50 
years; and 
3. 
It requires a person to pay into the fund for at least 
months before becoming eligible, upon retirement, to obtain a 
subsidy. 
A person who 
retires without making 
months 
of 
contributions may participate in the program by making a payment 
to the fund. 
The amount of the payment is based on the person's 
age at the date of enrollment in the program, 
the person's 
average monthly final compensation and any payments made by the 
person to the fund prior to retirement. 
The 
percentage of 
average monthly final compensation payment ranges from 
2°" for 
retirees who are at least 50 years of age to 1. 5'1-0 for retirees 
who are at least 60 years of age. 
A retiree is allowed to 
participate upon enrollment but must make the required payment 
within 12 months of enrollment or be disenrolled. 
SPONSORED BY: 
(Senator 
COUNTY: 
FISCAL :\OTE REQVIRED 
(See. at!~ched) 
. 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05121/06 hac::.. 
LD 1021 
LR 0263(21) 
An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for 
Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment .G-. to Committee Amendment "B" 
Sponsor: Sen. Martin 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations! Allocations 
General Fund 
Revenue 
Other Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2005-06 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2006-07 
$0 
$0 
Projections 
2007-08 
($2,092,719) 
($2,092,719) 
$1,990,221 
Projections 
2008-09 
($693,743) 
($693,743) 
$580,995 
This fiscal note reflects the incremental difference between this amendment and Committee Amendment B. 
The amendment establishes age 50 as the minimum age for eligibility for subsidies under the program. The 
amendment establishes a new retiree contribution based on a percentage of each retirees average monthly fmal 
compensation ranging from 2.0% for retirees at least 50 years of age to 1.5% for retirees at least 60 year of age. 
Retirees will be required to pay 60 months of contributions into the fund withiri 12 months of enrollment in the 
program. The fiscal note assumes an estimated 60 month contribution of approximately $2,800 to $4,700 per retiree 
depending on age and average monthly final compensation. Because of the amendment's requirement that these 
contributions be made within twelve months of enrollment, it is assumed most of the estimated $2.6 million in retiree 
contributions would be paid in the flrst year of the program. Active employees who retire before making 60 months of 
employee contributions would need to make up the difference upon retirement in order to be eligible for the program. 
The amendment also exempts the state costs of this bill from the General Fund appropriations limitation established 
under 5 MRSA § 1534. 
LR0263(21) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 2 
Total Estimated Subsidy 
Estimated Administrative Costs 
Total Estimated Costs 
Estimated Contributions from Actives Employees 
Estimated Contributions from Retirees 
General Fund Subsidy Net of Contributions 
Less General Fund Subsidy already in Committee Amendment liB" 
Incremental change to General Fund cost in this amendment 
LR0263(21) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 of 2 
Projections 
2007-08 
$4,432,240 
$109,392 
$4,541,632 
($1,230,876) 
($1,990,221) 
$1,320,536 
($3,413,255) 
($2,092,719) 
Projections 
2008-09 
$4,875,464 
$111 
$4,987,j..Jo 
($1,289,958) 
($580,995) 
$3,116,405 
($3,810,148) 
($693,743)