An Act To Conserve Energy in Maine Homes
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1905
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: BISHOP, CUMMINGS, CROSTHWAITE, DUPREY, KAELIN, MILLETT, PINGREE, SNOWE-MEllO, WOODCOCK
Amends: 36 MRSA §4641-B

Legislative Document 
No. 1905 
H.P.1346 
House of Representatives, January 4,2006 
An Act To Conserve Energy in Maine Homes 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representati ve FLETCHER of Winslow. 
!J'l~m.7Jl~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
• 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BISHOP of Boothbay, CUMMINGS of Portland and 
Representatives: CROSTHWAITE of Ellsworth, DUPREY of Hampden, KAELIN of 
Winterport, MILLETT of Waterford, PINGREE of North Haven, Senators: SNOWE-MEllO 
of Androscoggin, WOODCOCK of Franklin. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the 5tate of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 3O-A MRSA c. 201, sub-c. II-B is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER Il-B 
WEATflERIZAUCIt ASSISTANCE 
§4965. Weatherization Assistance Program 
1. 
Definitions. 
As 
used in this subchapter, unless the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
following meanings. 
A. 
"Authority" 
means 
the 
Maine 
State 
Housing 
Authority 
established pursuant to section 4722. 
B. "Eligible household" means a household that is eligible 
to receive fuel assistance through the authority pursuant to 
section 4722. 
subsection 
1, 
paragraph 
Wj 
section 4741, 
subsection 15: and subchapter 13 and rules adopted pursuant 
to these 
laws. 
"Eligible household" 
does 
not 
include 
a 
tenant who resides in subsidized housing and receives 
a 
utility allowance or a tenant whose utilities are included 
in the rent. 
C. 
"Fund" means the Weatherization Assistance Program Fund 
established in section 4966. 
D. 
"Program" 
means 
the Weatherization Assistance 
Program 
established in subsection 2. 
E. 
"Weatherization 
assistance" 
means 
assistance 
as 
established by the authority pursuant to this subchapter, 
based on an eligible household's income level. 
2. 
Program established. 
The 
Weatherization 
Assistance 
Program is established to provide funds or materials to eligible 
households to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of those 
eligible households. 
3. 
Progr_ ...,.jnistration. The authority shall administer 
the program directly or through regional contract agents. 
The 
program may be administered in conjunction with other programs of 
the autho ri ty. 
4. 
leportiag regpirc nts. 
The 
authority 
shall 
report 
annually to 
the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters information 
to determine the amount of funding necessary for the program, 
Page l-LR2724(1) 
• 
including the amount of weatherization assistance provided on 
behalf 
of 
each 
eligible 
household, 
the 
total 
amount 
of 
weatherization assistance paid on behalf of eligible households, 
the number of eligible households served and other reasonably 
necessary information required by the committee in connection 
with the program. 
.5. 
Rulnating. The authority may adopt rules to implement 
this subchapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are 
routine 
technical 
rules 
pursuant 
to 
Title 
5, 
chapter 
375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
54966. Weatherization Assistance Program Fund 
1. 
Established. 
The 
fund 
is 
established 
under 
the 
jurisdiction of the authority. 
2. 
Sources of fund. The fund consists of: 
A. 
Funds collected pursuant to Title 36, section 4641-B, 
sl112section 4; 
B. 
Federal funds collected by the authority on behalf of 
the State for weatherization pursuant to the Weatherization 
Assistance 
for 
Low-income 
Persons 
Program 
administered 
through the United States Department of Energy; 
c. All money appropriated by the State for inclusion in the 
~ 
D. SUbject to any pledge, contract or other obligation, all 
interest, dividends and pecuniary gains from the investment 
of money in the fund: and 
E. All other money deposited in the fund to implement the 
provisions of this subchapter. 
3. 
Application of fund. The authority shall apply money in 
the fund to provide weatherization assistance for the benefit of 
eligible households and for other purposes authorized by this 
subchapter. Money in the fund not currently needed for purposes 
of this subchapter may be deposited with the authority to the 
credit of the fund and may be invested as provided by law. The 
fund may be used by the authority to pay for the administrative 
expenses of the fund and operation of the program. 
4. 
Accounts withjn fund. The authority may divide the fund 
into separate accounts as it determines necessary or convenient 
to accomplish the purposes of this subchapter. 
5. 
Reyolying fund. 
The 
fund is a 
revolving fund. 
The 
authority shall continuously apply the money in the 
fund to 
accomplish the purposes of this subchapter. 
Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §4641-B, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 12, 
Pt. H, §1, is further amended to read: 
4. 
Distribution of State's share of proceeds. 
The State 
Tax Assessor shall pay all net receipts received pursuant to this 
section to the Treasurer of State, and shall at the same time 
provide the Treasurer of State with documentation showing the 
amount 
of 
revenues derived 
from 
the tax 
imposed by section 
4641-A, subsection 1 and the amount of revenues derived from the 
tax imposed by section 4641-A, subsection 2. 
The Treasurer of 
State shall credit 112 of the revenues derived from the tax 
imposed by section 4641-A, subsection I to the General Fund and 
shall monthly pay the remaining 1/2 of such revenues to the Maine 
State Housing Authority, which shall deposit the funds in the 
Housing Opportunities 
for 
Maine 
Fund created in Title 
30-A, 
section 4853, except that in fiscal year 2003-04, fiscal year 
2004-05 T 
~ fiscal 
year 
2005-06 
aRe--fisea~--year--~QQg-Q+, 
$7,500,000 
of 
the 
remaining 
1/2 
of 
those 
revenues 
must 
be 
transferred to the General Fund before any payments are made to 
the Maine State Housing Authority and, beginning in fiscal year 
2006-07, $7,500,000 of the remaining 112 of those revenues must 
be 
deposited 
in 
the 
Weatherization 
Assistance 
Program 
Fund 
established in Title 30-A, section 4966. 
The Treasurer of State 
shall credit to the General Fund all of the revenues derived from 
the tax imposed by section 4641-A, subsection 2. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Weatherization Assistance Program 
to provide funds or materials to eligible households to improve 
the energy efficiency of the homes of those eligible households. 
The 
program 
is 
administered 
by 
the 
Maine 
State 
Housing 
Authority. 
The program is funded by an annual allocation of 
$7,500,000 of the funds from the real estate transfer tax that 
are transferred to the Maine State Housing Authority. 
This bill 
str ikes current law that requires the $7,500,000 to go to the 
General Fund in fiscal year 2006-07.