An Act To Safeguard Federalism in Trade
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1135
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: HUTTON, STRIMLING, CLARK, JACKSON, PINEAU, SMITH, WATSON
Amends: 10 MRSA §12

Legislative Document 
No. 1135 
H.P.778 
House of Representatives, March 8, 2005 
An Act To Safeguard Federalism in Trade 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative HUTTON of Bowdoinham. 
Cosponsored by Senator STRIMLING of Cumberland and 
If/~ 
1J7. 7!/tJ£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CLARK of Millinocket, JACKSON of Fort Kent, PINEAU of Jay, SMITH of 
Van Buren, WATSON of Bath. 
Printed on recyc led paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §12 is enacted to read: 
S12. 
Safeguarding federalism in trade 
1. 
Legi§lative points 
of 
contact 
for 
trade 
agreement 
issues. 
Two legislative points of contact must be appointed at 
the beginning of each legislative session, one by the leader of 
the political party holding the largest number of seats in the 
Senate and the leader of the political party holding the 2nd 
largest number of seats in the Senate and one by the leader of 
the political party holding the largest number of seats in the 
House of Representatives and the leader of the political party 
holding 
the 
2nd 
largest 
number 
of 
seats 
in 
the 
House 
of 
Representatives. 
The duties of the legislative points of contact 
include: 
A. 
Serving 
as 
the 
State's official liaisons 
with 
the 
Federal Government and the Legislature's liaisons with the 
Governor on trade-related matters; 
B. 
Serving as the designated recipients of federal requests 
for 
consent 
or 
consultation 
regarding 
investment, 
procurem~t, services or othgr provisions of international 
trade agreements that impinge on State law or regulatory 
authority reserved to the State; 
C. 
Transmitting information regarding federal requests for 
consent to the Office of the Governor, the Attorney General 
and all appropriate legislative committees; 
D. 
Informing all members of the Legislature on a regular 
basis 
about 
ongoing 
trade 
negotiations 
and 
dispute 
settlements proceedings with implications for the State more 
generally; 
E. 
Communicating 
the 
interegs 
and 
concerns 
of 
the 
Legislature 
to 
the 
United 
States 
Trade 
Representative 
regarding ongoing and proposed trade negotiations; and 
F. 
Notifying the United States Trade Representative of the 
outcome of any Legislative action. 
2. 
Consent. 
Consent of the State to 
sign on 
to 
any 
provision of a trade agreement may only occur through an act of 
the Legislature authorizing the State to sign on to specifically 
listed provisions of an agreement. 
Page l-LR0967 (1) 
• 
• 
• 
Sec. 2. Notice to United States Trade Representative. 
The Attorney 
General shall notify the United States Trade Representative of 
the policies set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, 
section 12 in writing no later than December 7, 2005 and provide 
copies of the notice required in this section to the President of 
the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Governor 
and the State's congressional delegation. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates the requirement for legislative points of 
contact for federal trade agreements to be appointed at the 
beginning 
of 
each 
legislative 
session, 
requires 
legislative 
approval before the State signs on to any trade agreement and 
requires the Attorney General to notify the United States Trade 
Representative of the provisions of this bill along with the 
leadership 
of 
the 
Legislature 
and 
the 
State's 
congressional 
delegation.