An Act To Create the Marine Research Matching Fund
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0463
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: TURNER, RECTOR, DOW, STRIMLING, CUMMINGS, PINGREE

Legislative Document 
No. 463 
S.P.150 
February 1, 2007 
An Act To Create the Marine Research Matching Fund 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator TURNER of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative RECTOR of Thomaston and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: DOW of Lincoln, STRIMLING of Cumberland, Representatives: Speaker 
CUMMINGS of Portland, PINGREE of North Haven. 
Prllltt'u 1m recydetl paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 5 MRS A §15312 is enacted to read: 
§15312. Marine Research Matching Fund 
The Marine Research Matching Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is 
established within the institute to provide a competitive grant process by which funds can 
be awarded to match grants provided by federal research funding agencies. The fund may 
be used only to match federal grants that are provided for marine research purposes. 
1. 
Organization. The institute has all the powers and authority not explicitly 
prohibited by law necessary or convenient to carry out the functions, duties and 
responsibilities of the fund, including, but not limited to: 
A. Soliciting, accepting and receiving money from any public or private source to 
augment state contributions to the fund; 
B. Approving an annual budget for the fund and investing and expending money 
from the fund; 
C. 
Contracting with public entities as necessary to further the purposes of this 
section; 
D. 
Carrying forward any unexpended state appropriations into succeeding fiscal 
years; and 
E. Providing an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature by December 15th 
of each year within the annual report of the institute under section 15302, subsection 
9, setting forth: 
(1) The operations and accomplishments of the fund during the fiscal year; and 
(2) The assets and liabilities ofthe fund at the end of its most recent fiscal year. 
2. Authorized activities. The institute may receive and accept from any source 
allocations, appropriations, grants or contributions of money to be held, used or applied to 
carry out this section, subject to the conditions upon which the grants and contributions 
may be made, including, but not limited to, appropriations, allocations, grants or gifts 
from any federal agency or governmental subdivision or the State and its agencies. The 
amounts of the revenues generated by the investment of money contained in the fund may 
be used to pay the institute's operating expenses associated with the operation ofthe fund. 
3. Guidelines. The institute shall establish guidelines for: 
A. The amounts of the revenues generated by the investment of money in the fund 
that may be used to pay the institute's operating expenses associated with the 
operation of the fund; and 
B. Cash and in-kind match requirements based on the activities to be supported by 
the fund. The institute shall strive to achieve a minimum match of 1: 1, on an annual 
basis, for matching grant activities supported by the fund. 
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of Innovation 0995 
Initiative: Appropriates ongoing funding to be used by the Maine Technology Institute to 
fund the Marine Research Matching Fund as established by the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 5, section 15312. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2007-08 
$1,000,000 
$1,000,000 
2008-09 
$1,000,000 
$1,000,000 
This bill creates the Marine Research Matching Fund, to be administered by the 
Maine Technology Institute, for the purpose of providing matching funds for marine 
research grants provided by federal research funding agencies. The bill also appropriates 
ongoing funds from the General Fund to provide resources for the fund.