An Act To Amend the Economic Development Statutes
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1503
Committee Amendment CA_A_H683 (House)
Amends: 5 MRSA §13058, 5 MRSA §13109

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A" to H.P. 1055, L.D. 1503, Bill, "An 
Act To Amend the Economic Development Statutes" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §13058, sub-§l, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 534, 
Pt. A, §§17 and 19, is amended to read: 
1. 
Employ and remove staff. 
The commissioner shall employ 
and remove staff of the department. 
Persons employed in major 
pOlicy-influencing positions, as defined in section 934-A, 
and 
professional staff whose positions were formerly located in the 
State Development Office shall serve at the pleasure of the 
commissioner. 
The office directors serve at the pleasure of the 
commissioner. 
A. 
All professional positions whieh that are unclassified 
positions 
and 
members 
of 
bargaining 
units 
and 
are 
transferred to the department from units of State Government 
other than the State Development Office shall retain their 
current 
status, 
including 
their 
rights 
as 
members 
of 
bargaining units. 
GlassiEieEl The position responsible for 
the 
administration 
of 
the 
tax 
incentive 
programs 
and 
classified, clerical and other nonprofessional staff shall 
must 
be 
hired 
pursuant 
to 
the 
Civil 
Service 
Law 
for 
classified state employees. 
Page l-LR0415(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A .. to H.P. 1055, L.D. 1503 
B. 
The 
commissioner 
may 
employ or 
engage 
such outside 
technical or professional consultants as may be necessary or 
appropriate 
to 
assist 
the 
office 
in 
carrying 
out 
its 
functions and may enter into contracts with other boards, 
commissions, departments and divisions of the State, with 
the University of Maine System or with private entities to 
assist 
him 
the 
commissioner 
in 
carrying 
out 
his 
the 
commissioner's duties under this chapter.' 
Further amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the 
following: 
'Sec. 6. 5 MRSA §13109, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 673, 
Pt. M, §8, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
4. Paynaents to fund. 
Notwithstanding section 1585 or any 
other provision of law, agencies or private entities that receive 
General 
Fund 
or 
general 
obligation 
bondS 
for 
research 
and 
development shall contribute to the fund an amount not to exceed 
0.8% 
of 
General 
Fund appropriations 
received by 
and general 
obligation bonds issued to an agency or entity for research and 
development efforts. 
Private entities that receive funds from 
general obligation bonds for 
research and development efforts 
shall pay to the Treasurer of State in the fiscal year in which 
the general obligation bond was issued an amount not to exceed 
0.8°1> of the proceeds from the bond issue in any fiscal year, 
which payment must be made from available resources other than 
bond proceeds. 
Only those programs that receive $500,000 or more 
in research and development appropriations in any fiscal year, or 
those entities that receive funds from a general obligation bond 
issue of $500,000 or more for research and development efforts in 
any fiscal year, as identified and certified by the Office of 
Innovation and the Office of Fiscal and Program Review, may be 
assessed. 
The Office of Innovation shall provide to each agency 
or private entity an annual budget for the fund and a detailed 
account 
of 
each 
institution's 
reguired 
assessment. 
Total 
payments made pursuant to this section may not exceed $120,000 in 
any fiscal year. 
Sec. 7. 5 MRS A §13109, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 673, 
Pt. M, §8, is repealed.' 
Further amend the bill 
nonconsecutive 
consecutively. 
Part 
letter 
by relettering 
or 
section 
or renumbering any 
number 
to 
read 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
. to H.P. 1055, L.D. 1503 
SUMMARY 
This amendment specifies that the office directors within 
the Department of Economic and Community Development serve at the 
pleasure of the 
commissioner. 
It also establishes that the 
position responsible for the administration of the tax incentive 
programs is a classified state employee position. 
It repeals the 
sunset provision on the Maine Research and Development Evaluation 
Fund and removes the involvement of the State Budget Officer from 
the process for assessing the contributing organizations. 
It 
requires that the Office of Innovation provide to agencies the 
annual budget for the fund, as well as a detailed account of each 
institution's required assessment. 
It also removes the previous 
requirement that transfers to the Maine Research and Development 
Evaluation Fund must be implemented by financial order contingent 
upon the recommendation of the State Budget Officer and approval 
of 
the 
Governor 
and 
the 
joint 
standing 
committee 
of 
the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial 
affairs. 
FISCAL :\OTE REQURED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 06/10/05 ~ae. 
LD 1503 
LR 0415(02) 
An Act To Amend the Economic Development Statutes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment AI 
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Current biennium revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Repealing the June 30, 2006 sunset of the Maine Research and Development Evaluation Fund will increase the 
dedicated revenue to the Fund from the 0.8% assessment applied to those agencies or private entities that receive 
$500,000 or more in General Fund appropriations or general obligation bond proceeds for research and development 
in a fiscal year. The amount collected can not exceed $120,000 in any fiscal year and is expected to be at the limit. 
The assessment diverts money from the original purposes for which the appropriations and bond proceeds were 
originally intended. 
Additional costs to the Finance Authority of Maine can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LR0415(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1