An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30,2008 and June 30, 2009
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2289
House Amendment HA_E_H881 (House)

HOUSE AMENDMENT "£,, to H.P. 1651, L.D. 2289, Bill, "An Act Making 
Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government 
and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of 
State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30,2008 and June 30, 2009" 
Amend the biIl by inserting after Part PPPP the following: 
'PARTQQQQ 
Sec. QQQQ-l. 
Commission created. The Maine Government Efficiency 
Commission, referred to in this Part as "the commission," is created to identify 
government expenditures that may be eliminated or reduced by consolidating 
governmental entities, increasing efficiency in the provision of services and eliminating 
duplication. 
Sec. QQQQ-2. Membership; chair. The commission consists of 9 members: 
1. Two members of the general public, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
2. Two members of the general public, appointed by the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives; 
3. Two members of the general public, appointed by the minority leader of the 
Senate; 
4. Two members of the general public, appointed by the minority leader of the House 
of Representatives; and 
5. One member, appointed jointly by the other 8 members, who shall serve as chair 
and who may vote only in the event of a tie. 
The appointing authorities shall make all reasonable efforts to select members who 
are generally considered experts in the fields of business, finance or government 
operations and who are supported by the other appointing authorities, the general public 
and other interested parties. 
Members may not have any vested interest in State 
Government such as being recipients of state funds or beneficiaries of state programs and 
may not be representatives of labor unions. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT "C.O H.P. 1651, L.D. 2289 
Sec. QQQQ-3. Appointments; convening of commission. All appointments 
must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this Part. The chair 
shall call the first meeting of the commission within 20 days of the completion of 
appointments. 
Sec. QQQQ-4. Duties. The commission shall: 
1. Analyze state and national reports, including background papers prepared for the 
Brookings Institution, that identify areas of state and local spending in which Maine's 
costs are high relative to comparable states; 
2. Identify areas of spending in state and local government, especially spending on 
administration, that could be reduced by consolidation, elimination of duplication, 
increases in efficiency or other means, excluding reduction in services or programs, with 
the goal of identifYing at least $75,000,000 in spending reductions that are projected to be 
continuing annual savings; and 
3. Develop a plan for restructuring government at all levels so that Maine's overall tax 
burden will within 10 years fall into the middle of the range of other rural states with 
similar geographic and demographic characteristics. 
Sec. QQQQ-S. Staffing. The commission may enter into a contract with a private 
organization or consultant to provide administrative and research assistance in carrying 
out the duties of the commission if outside funds to support such assistance are received 
pursuant to section 8. The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, 
the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, the Department of Education 
and the policy institutes of the University of Maine System shall provide assistance 
requested by the commission to the extent possible within available resources. 
Sec. QQQQ-6. Compensation. The members of the commission are entitled to 
receive reimbursement of necessary expenses for their attendance at authorized meetings 
of the commission. 
Sec. QQQQ-7. Report; implementing legislation. No later than January 2, 
2009, the commission shall submit a final report that includes its findings and 
recommendations, including suggested legislation and an estimate of the reduction in 
spending that would result from adoption of each recommendation, for presentation to the 
related to its report to the First Regular Session of the 124th Legislature at the time of 
submission of its report. It is the intent of the Legislature that any legislation submitted 
to another Legislature by the commission be considered without amendment, except for 
revenue-neutral amendments. 
Sec. QQQQ-8. Funding sources. The commission shall seek outside funds to 
fully fund all costs of the commission. Contributions to support the work of the 
commission may not be accepted from any party having pecuniary or other vested interest 
in the outcome of the matters being studied. Any person, other than a state agency, 
desiring to make a financial or in-kind contribution must certifY to the commission that it 
has no pecuniary or other vested interest in the outcome of the study. Such a certification 
must be made in the manner prescribed by the commission. All contributions are subject 
to approval by the commission. All funds accepted must be forwarded to the commission 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT ,,{. to H.P. 1651, L.D. 2289 
along with an accounting record that includes the amount of funds, the date the funds 
were received, from whom the funds were received and the purpose of and any limitation 
on the use of those funds. 
PARTRRRR 
Sec. RRRR-I. 5 MRS A §1518-A, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §4 and 
affected by § 14, is amended to read: 
§1518-A. Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents 
1. Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents. There is created the Tax Relief Fund for 
Maine Residents, referred to in this section as "the fund, " which must be used to provide 
tax relief to residents of the State. The fund consists of all resources transferred to the 
fund under this section and section 1536; all savings identified by the State Controller 
from legislation enacted based on recommendations of a government efficiency 
commission established during the Second Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature; and 
other resources made available to the fund. 
2. Nonlapsing fund. Any unexpended balance in the Ta]( Relief FI:IRd for MaiRe 
ResideRts may fund does not lapse but ml:lst be !§. carried forward to be used pursuant to 
subsection 1. 
3. 
Transfer from revenue growth. 
Notwithstanding Title 5, section 1535, 
beginning with fiscal year 2009-10, at the close of each fiscal year, the State Controller 
shall transfer to the fund any revenue received by the State for the fiscal year being closed 
that exceeds the amount of revenue received for the previous fiscal year adjusted by the 
growth limitation factor calculated under Title 5, section 1534, subsection 2. 
4. Income tax reduction. Amounts contained in the fund must be used to reduce 
individual income taxes. The State Tax Assessor shall present legislation annually to 
reduce income tax burden pursuant to this subsection. This legislation must use any 
amounts contained in the fund to reduce income taxes until a top rate of 4.5% is reached. 
PARTSSSS 
Sec. SSSS-I. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations 
and allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Maine Government Efficiency Commission N040 
Initiative: Establishes a base allocation for the Maine Government Efficiency 
Commission for outside contributions to support the work of the commission. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
2008-09 
$500 
$500 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT" {.O H.P. 1651, L.D. 2289 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
Part QQQQ of this amendment establishes the Maine Government Efficiency 
Commission recommended in the report of the Brookings Institution entitled "Charting 
Maine's Future: An Action Plan for Promoting Sustainable Prosperity and Quality Places" 
and directs the commission to identifY at least $75,000,000 in government expenditures 
that can be eliminated or reduced annually by consolidating governmental entities, 
increasing efficiency in the provision of services and eliminating duplication. The 
commission is also directed to develop a long-term plan for restructuring government at 
all levels in order to reduce the State's overall tax burden relative to similar states. The 
commission must submit its report to the 124th Legislature by January 2, 2009. It is 
intended that legislation to implement the commission's recommendations be voted on 
without amendment, except for those amendments that are revenue neutral. 
Part RRRR requires the transfer to the Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents, 
beginning in fiscal year 2009-10, of any growth in revenues over the previous year 
adjusted by the growth limitation factor and any funds attributable to savings from the 
enactment of recommendations of the government efficiency commission. The State Tax 
Assessor is required to present legislation annually to use amounts in the Tax Relief Fund 
for Maine Residents to reduce the individual income tax burden until a top rate of 4.5% is 
reached. 
FISCAL NOTE REQIDRED 
SPONSORED 
TOWN: South Berwick 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/31/08 frac. 
LD 2289 
LR 3624(17) 
An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State 
Government and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of 
State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2~ and June 30, 2009 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment" ~" 
Sponsor: Rep. Gould of South Berwick 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2007-08 
2008-09 
Projections 
2009-10 
Projections 
2010-11 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$0 
$500 
$500 
This amendment will have no net effect on General Fund appropriations and revenue and a balanced budget is 
maintained for the 2008-2009 biennium. 
This amendment includes a base allocation of $500 in fiscal year 2008-09 for the Maine Government Efficiency 
Commission for contributions from outside sources to support the work of the Commission. 
LR3624( 17) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
$500