An Act To Generate Savings by Changing Public Notice Requirements
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1878
Committee Amendment CA_A_H531 (House)
Amends: 1 MRSA §603

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1310, L.D. 1878, Bill, "An Act To 
Generate Savings by Changing Public Notice Requirements" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency preamble (page 1, lines 1 to 12 in 
L.D.) 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 (page 1, lines 14 to 35 and page 2, lines 
to 23 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §603 is enacted to read: 
§603. Legal and public notice publication requirements 
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, this section applies to the placing of legal or 
public notices in a newspaper by a unit of State Government. 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. 
"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial 
Services. 
B. "Department" means the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. 
C. 
"Unit of State Government" means a department in the executive branch, an 
independent or quasi-independent agency, the Legislature or the judicial branch. 
2. Legal and public notices until June 30, 2008. Until June 30, 2008, a legal or 
public notice placed in a newspaper by a unit of State Government must include a brief 
explanatory statement to alert readers that all state legal or public notices will be available 
only in electronic form after June 30, 2008. The statement must also inform readers how 
to obtain more information about the website for posting notices created pursuant to 
subsection 5. 
3. Legal and public notices from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. Beginning July 1, 
2008 and ending June 30,2009, the department shall place in the newspaper in which a 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .-A, to H.P. 1310, L.D. 1878 
legal notice would be required to be placed prior to June 30. 2008. in place of legal or 
public notices, a brief explanatory statement to alert readers that all state legal or public 
notices are available only in electronic fonn. 
This statement must also contain 
infonnation on how readers may obtain more infonnation about the website for posting 
notices created pursuant to subsection 5. 
4. Legal and public notices after July 1, 2009. Beginning July 1, 2009. a unit of 
State Government may not place a legal or public notice in a newspaper unless authorized 
to do so in writing by the appropriate authority under this subsection. For all departments 
in the executive branch. independent agencies and quasi-independent agencies. 
authorization is given by the commissioner. For the Legislature. authorization is given by 
the Executive Director of the Legislative Council. For the judicial branch. authorization 
is given by the State Court Administrator. 
S. Website. The department shall maintain. or cause to be maintained. a publicly 
accessible website on which units of State Government shall post all legal and public 
notices required to be made by them or on which the department shall provide direct links 
to the web sites of other branches or units of State Government where such legal and 
public notices must be posted. The address for this website must be included in the 
statements published pursuant to subsections 2 and 3. 
6. Applicability. The commissioner shall resolve any issues. questions or disputes 
regarding the applicability of this section. including whether an entity meets the 
definition of "unit of State Government. II 
7. Waiver. The requirements of this section may be waived in part or in whole if the 
appropriate authority detennines that doing so is in the best interest of the State. The 
commissioner may waive the requirements of this section for all departments in the 
executive branch. independent agencies and quasi-independent agencies. The Executive 
Director of the Legislative Council may waive the requirements of this section for the 
Legislature. The State Court Administrator may waive the requirements of this section 
for the judicial branch. 
This section may not be construed to limit lawful advertisements that are not legal notices 
or public notices. but are intended for marketing, promotional or infonnational purposes. 
8. Report. The commissioner, the Executive Director of the Legislative Council and 
the State Court Administrator shall report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters by January 15th 
of each year regarding the implementation of these provisions and any waivers granted 
under them. 
This subsection is repealed January 16.2010.' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in the 4th and 5th lines (page 3, lines 6 and 7 in L.D.) by 
striking out the following: "and the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. 
Calculation and transfer; General Fund and Highway Fund 
savings; legal advertising. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State 
Budget Officer shall calculate the amount of savings in section 5 that applies against each 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .A" to H.P. 1310, L.D. 1878 
General Fund and Highway Fund account for all departments and agencies from posting 
legal advertisements and public notices on the Internet and shall transfer the amounts by 
financial order upon the approval of the Governor. These transfers are considered 
adjustments to appropriations in fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09. The State Budget 
Officer shall provide the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over appropriations and financial affairs with a report of the transferred amounts no later 
than November 1,2008. 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Departments and Agencies - Statewide 0016 
Initiative: Deappropriates savings resulting from the phasing out of publishing legal and 
public notices in the newspaper. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
HIGHWAY FUND 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
($190,000) 
($190,000) 
2008-09 
($25,000) 
($25,000) 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of the Commissioner - Administrative and Financial Services 0718 
Initiative: Provides funds for start-up and transitional advertisement costs. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$150,000 
$150,000 
Office of the Commissioner - Administrative and Financial Services 0718 
2008-09 
$50,000 
$50,000 
Initiative: Provides funds for Internet system development and maintenance costs. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A" to H.P.1310, L.D. 1878 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL 
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
LEGISLATURE 
Legislature 0081 
2007-08 
$25,000 
$25,000 
2007-08 
$175,000 
$175,000 
2008-09 
$25,000 
$25,000 
2008-09 
$75,000 
$75,000 
Initiative: Deappropriates savings resulting from the phasing out of publishing legal and 
public notices in the newspaper. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
LEGISLATURE 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENTTOTAL-ALLFUNDS 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
($89,000) 
($89,000) 
2008-09 
($89,000) 
($89,000) 
PROGRAM 
EVALUATION 
AND 
GOVERNMENT 
ACCOUNTABILITY, 
OFFICE OF 
Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability 0976 
Initiative: Deappropriates savings resulting from the phasing out of publishing legal and 
public notices in the newspaper. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
If 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1310, L.D. 1878 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
PROGRAM EVALUATION AND 
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY, OFFICE 
OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$175,000 
$175,000 
2008-09 
($3,000) 
($3,000) 
2008-09 
($3,000) 
($3,000) 
2008-09 
($17,000) 
($17,000) 
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency clause (page 3, lines 11 and 12 in 
L.D.) 
SUMMARY 
This amendment delays and extends the phasing out of publishing legal or public 
notices in newspapers. The first phase, lasting from the effective date of this legislation 
until June 30, 2008, requires that legal and public notices be published in newspapers 
along with a notice informing readers that notices will be published only electronically 
after July 1, 2009. The second phase, lasting from July 1, 2008 until June 30, 2009, 
requires that only a notice informing readers where notices can be found electronically 
may be published in newspapers. After July 1,2009, all public and legal notices are to be 
published electronically. 
The amendment removes the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission from the 
requirement to have notices published only in an electronic form. It removes the specific 
language of the notices from the bill and removes the requirement for a toll-free number 
to be included in the notice. 
The amendment also gives the Commissioner of 
Administrative and Financial Services the duty to resolve disputes. 
It allows the 
commissioner to waive the requirement for executive departments in the interests of the 
State. The same authority is granted to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council 
for the Legislature and to the State Court Administrator for the judicial branch. It also 
requires the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, the Executive 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "tt" to H.P. 1310, L.D. 1878 
Director of the Legislative Council and the State Court Administrator to provide annual 
reports to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state 
and local government matters until January 15,2010. Finally, it removes the emergency 
preamble and emergency clause from the bill and adds an appropriations and allocations 
section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/08/07 hac 
LD 1878 
LR 2601(02) 
An Act To Generate Savings by Changing Public Notice Requirements 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2007-08 
$175,000 
$0 
$175,000 
$0 
2008-09 
($207,000) 
($25,000) 
($207,000) 
($25,000) 
Projections 
2009-10 
($356,000) 
($25,000) 
($356,000) 
($25,000) 
Projections 
2010-11 
($277,000) 
($25,000) 
($277,000) 
($25,000) 
This bill changes the legal public notice requirements from a newspaper notification system to an electronic 
notification system using the internet. The new electronic system will involve start-up and transitional costs but will 
eventually generate savings across state government from reduced advertising costs as summarized below: 
Start-up and transitional advertisement costs 
Internet system maintenance costs 
Statewide General Fund savings 
Legislature's General Fund savings 
OPEGA's savings 
Statewide Highway Fund savings 
2007-08 
$150,000 
$25,000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$175,000 
$0 
LR2601(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
2008-09 
$50,000 
$25,000 
($190,000) 
($89,000) 
($3,000) 
($207,000) 
($25,000) 
Projections 
Projections 
2009-10 
2010-11 
$0 
$0 
$25,000 
$25,000 
($190,000) 
($190,000) 
($188,000) 
($109,000) 
($3,000) 
($3,000) 
($356,000) 
($277,000) 
($25,000) 
($25,000)