An Act To Impose a Modified Hiring Freeze in State Government
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1147
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: TURNER, McDONOUGH, MILLS, ROBINSON, NUTTING

Legislative Document 
No. 1147 
H.P.840 
House of Representatives, March 7, 2007 
An Act To Impose a Modified Hiring Freeze in State Government 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve MILLETT of Waterford. 
Cosponsored by Senator TURNER of Cumberland and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: McDONOUGH of Scarborough, MILLS of Farmington, ROBINSON of 
Raymond, Senator: NUTTING of Androscoggin. 
Primed on recycled paper 
I 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the fiscal health of the State requires a streamlining of the state 
bureaucracy and immediate savings; and 
Whereas, identifying savings from the hiring freeze must take place by May 2007; 
and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. Hiring freeze. All permanent, limited-period and project positions, funded 
completely or partly by the General Fund or the Highway Fund, that are vacant on the 
effective date of this Act or become vacant after that date within all executive, legislative 
and judicial branches must remain vacant except that up to 5% of the vacancies may be 
filled for each branch if authorization is received. Five percent of vacancies may be filled 
in the executive branch if authorized by the Governor, in the Legislature if authorized by 
the Legislative Council and in the judiciary if authorized by the Chief Justice of the 
Supreme Judicial Court. Any positions filled by appointment that require confirmation 
by the Legislature are excluded from the hiring freeze. 
The State Budget Officer shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs by May 15, 2007 specifying the savings in the 
General Fund and the Highway Fund that have resulted from the hiring freeze and 
proposing legislation for a modified extension of the hiring freeze for the 2008-2009 
biennium allowing for a maximum of 50% of all vacancies to be filled. 
The Joint 
Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs may submit legislation to 
achieve this purpose. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited 10 the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires any positions, funded wholly or partly by the General Fund or the 
Highway Fund, that are vacant on the effective date of this bill or become vacant after 
that date within the executive, legislative and judicial branches must remain unfilled. The 
only exceptions are any positions that require confirmation by the Legislature and up to 
5% of vacancies within each branch of government that are approved to be filled by the 
head of that branch. The State Budget Officer must submit a report to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs by May 15, 2007 detailing the 
savings achieved from the General Fund and the Highway Fund for 2007 and include 
proposed legislation that extends the hiring freeze through the 2008-2009 biennium but 
allowing for a maximum of 50% of all vacancies to be filled. 
The Joint Standing 
Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs may submit legislation to achieve 
this purpose.