An Act To An Act Regarding Certification and Authorization Fees for School Personnel
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0410
Committee Amendment CA_B_H260 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §13007, 20-A MRSA §13023, 20-A MRSA §13024, 20-A MRSA §13025

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,B" to H.P. 326, L.D. 410, Bill, 
Repeal the Certification and Authorization Fees for School Personnel" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
"An Act To 
'An Act Regarding Certification and Authorization Fees for School 
Personnel' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §13007, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. Repeal. This section is repealed July 1, 2008. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §13023, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. FF, §2, 
is amended to read: 
6. Fees. The commissioner shall assess fees for authorization under this section. 
The fee for each initial educational technician authorization and for renewal of an 
educational technician authorization is $25. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §13024, suh-§3, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. FF, §3, 
is amended to read: 
3. Fees. The commissioner shall assess fees for approvals under subsection 1. The 
fee is $15 for the initial approval and for renewal. This subsection is repealed July 1, 
2008. 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §13025 is enacted to read: 
§13025. Certification, Authorization and Approval Fund; fees; dedicated revenue 
1. Fund established. The Certification, Authorization and Approval Fund, referred 
to in this section as "the fund," is established as an Other Special Revenue Funds account 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
r. 
, ;' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,B .. to H.P. 326, L.D. 410 
within the department for the deposit of any fees collected for the certification, 
authorization and approval of educational personnel pursuant to this chapter. 
The 
purpose of the fund is to provide dedicated revenues to support the operating costs 
associated with the duties of the certification office. The commissioner may use this fund 
for the efficient administration of the certification, authorization and approval of 
educational personnel and for any other purpose determined necessary by the 
commissioner to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 
2. Fees. The commissioner shall assess fees for the administration and evaluation 
activities related to certification as follows: 
A. An initial fee and a renewal fee for teacher, education specialist and administrator 
certificates. 
The fees established by the commissioner apply for the initial 
certification process for those teachers, education specialists and administrators found 
eligible for certification and those found ineligible for certification; 
B. A renewal fee for each active and inactive administrator; 
C. A fee for each additional evaluation of teacher endorsements beyond the initial 
endorsement; 
D. A fee for duplicate certificates; and 
E. A fee for evaluation of administrative portfolios. 
3. Dedicated revenues. All fees received pursuant to this chapter must be paid to 
the Treasurer of State to be placed in a separate, dedicated account and credited to the 
fund to be used solely by the department for carrying out the purposes of this chapter. 
The fund may not lapse, but must be carried forward to carry out the purposes of this 
chapter. 
4. Budget development. On or before September 1 st of even-numbered years, 
beginning September 1, 2008, the commissioner shall prepare estimates of the annual 
operating budget associated with the duties of the certification office for each fiscal year 
of the following biennium and shall establish a fee structure for the certification, 
authorization and approval of school personnel that is sufficient to provide an amount of 
dedicated revenues necessary to finance the operating budget associated with the duties of 
the certification office for each fiscal year of the following biennium. 
Sec. 5. Adequacy of staffing; digital records. The estimated operating budget 
developed by the Commissioner of Education for the certification office pursuant to the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 13025 for the 2010-2011 biennium must also 
include funding for the following initiatives. 
1. It must include sufficient dedicated revenues to support the hiring of 2 additional 
Office Associate II positions in the certification office as compared to the staffing levels 
of Office Associate II positions in the certification office in fiscal year 2006-07. 
2. It must include sufficient dedicated revenues to support the conversion of paper 
records and files within the certification office to digital records. 
This section takes effect July 1, 2008. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
#' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT • ..t;, to H.P. 326, L.D. 410 
~ 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Certification, Authorization and Approval Fund N022 
Initiative: Allocates funds for one Education Team Coordinator position, 2 Education 
Specialist III positions, one Office Assistant II position, 3 Office Associate II positions 
and one Secretary position and related All Other, including funding for the capability of 
electronic scanning and digital document management for the Certification Office. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
2007-08 
2008-09 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
0.000 
8.000 
Personal Services 
$0 
$535,109 
All Other 
$0 
$109,424 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
$0 
$644,533 
Support Systems 0837 
Initiative: 
Deappropriates funding for one Education Team Coordinator position, 2 
Education Specialist III positions, one Office Assistant II position, one Office Associate 
II position and one Secretary position and related All Other to be funded with dedicated 
funds in the Certification, Authorization and Approval Fund collected from certification 
fees. 
GENERAL FUND 
2007-08 
2008-09 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
0.000 
(6.000) 
Personal Services 
$0 
($428,139) 
All Other 
$0 
($84,006) 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$0 
($512,145) 
Support Systems 0837 
Initiative: Deappropriates funds for 2 Office Associate II positions proposed in the 
Governor's recommended budget for the 2008-2009 biennium to provide additional 
support in the Certification Office. 
GENERAL FUND 
2007-08 
2008-09 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
0.000 
(2.000) 
Personal Services 
$0 
($106,970) 
All Other 
$0 
($5,418) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ':b" to H.P. 326, L.D. 410 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$0 
($1l2,388) 
Support Systems 0837 
Initiative: Deappropriates funds proposed in the Governor's recommended budget for the 
2008-2009 biennium to provide the capability of electronic scanning and digital 
document management for the Certification Office. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
($20,000) 
($20,000) 
2008-09 
($644,533) 
$644,533 
$0 
Sec. 7. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 20-A, section 13023, subsection 6 and that enact Title 20-A, section 13025 
take effect July 1, 2008.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs. The amendment strikes and replaces the bill to establish an Other 
Special Revenue Funds account to provide dedicated revenues for the certification office 
within the Department of Education from the fees collected for the certification, 
authorization and approval of educational personnel. The purpose of the fund is to 
provide a sufficient amount of dedicated revenues to support the efficient administration 
of the certification office within the Department of Education beginning in fiscal year 
2009-10. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/08/07 
~ac:.. 
LD410 
LR 1861(03) 
An Act To Repeal the Certification and Authorization Fees for School Personnel 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,S " 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections 
2007-08 
2008-09 
2009-10 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
$0 
$500,355 
$483,873 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
$0 
($644,533) 
($661,015) 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$644,533 
$661,015 
Revenue 
Projections 
2010-11 
$466,884 
($678,004) 
$678,004 
General Fund 
$0 
($1,144,888) 
($1,144,888) 
($1,144,888) 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$644,533 
$661,015 
$678,004 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This legislation results in a net cost to the General Fund of $500,355 in fiscal year 2008-09. 
The bill includes General Fund deappropriations totaling $644,533 in fiscal year 2008-09 and corresponding Other 
Special Revenue Funds allocations to reflect the transfer of positions in the Certification Office within the 
Department of Education from the General Fund to the Certification, Authorization and Approval Fund established as 
a dedicated fund within the department. Of that amount, $512,145 reflects the transfer of 6 existing positions 
including 1 Education Team Coordinator position, 2 Education Specialist III positions, 1 Office Assistant II position, 
Office Associate II position and 1 Secretary position and related all other. The balance of$132,388 reflects the 
transfer of the additional 2 Office Associate positions and related all other, including funds to provide the capability 
of electronic scanning and digital document management, that is included in the Governor's recommended budget for 
the 2008-2009 biennium to provide additional support to the Certification Office. 
This bill also reflects the reduction in General Fund revenue from certification fees totaling $1,144,888 in fiscal year 
2008-09. Of this amount, $1,032,500 reflects the amount currently included in the revenue projections developed by 
the Revenue Forecasting Committee. The balance of$112,388 reflects additional revenue included in the Governor's 
recommended budget for the 2008-2009 biennium that is expected to be generated above what is reflected in the 
current revenue projections. 
LR1861(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of2 
It is important to note that this fiscal note assumes that the proposals put forth in the Governor's recommended budget 
for the 2008-2009 biennium that are related to the Certification Office within the Department of Education are 
approved by the Legislature. Ifthese proposals are not approved, this fiscal note will need to be amended. 
LRI861(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 2 of2