An Act To Further Facilitate the Regionalization of Emergency Communications Dispatching Services
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0998
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: MITCHELL
Amends: 5 MRSA §17656

Legislative Document 
S.P.315 
An Act To Further Facilitate the Regionalization of Emergency 
Communications Dispatching Services 
(EMERGENCY) 
Submitted by the Department of Public Safety pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed. 
No. 998 
March 2, 2007 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts of the Legislature do not become effective 
until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the consolidation of local public safety communications dispatching 
services with the Department of Public Safety is and will be occurring; and 
Whereas, the continuity of operations of public safety communications dispatching 
services during the consolidation is critical to ensuring public safety; and 
Whereas, the transition in employment of emergency communications dispatchers 
from local public safety communications services agencies to the Department of Public 
Safety would be facilitated by permitting such dispatchers' retirement benefits to be 
transferred as part of the transition of employment process; and 
Whereas, such a facilitated transition would better ensure the continuity of 
operations of public safety communications dispatching services, which is in the public 
interest; 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. 5 MRSA §17656, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 668, § 1, is amended 
to read: 
2. Reemployment of public safety communications dispatchers with Department 
of Public Safety. Notwithstanding subsection 1, a member of the retirement system 
whose previous membership was based upon employment as a public safety 
communications dispatcher with a participating local district and whose employment with 
the participating local district was terminated as a result of the consolidation of the 
participating local district's public safety dispatching services with the Department of 
Public Safety and who then becomes employed as a public safety communications 
dispatcher or emergency communications technician for the department may elect to 
include that previously earned creditable service with service earned as a state employee 
if that member: 
A. 
Makes a one-time, irrevocable election no later than 30 days after commencing 
employment as a public safety communications dispatcher or emergency 
communications technician for the Department of Public Safety; and 
B. 
Has not previously withdrawn all of the member's accumulated contributions. 
If a member makes the election provided in this subsection, the State shall make whatever 
contribution is necessary to provide the benefits under the retirement system for the 
member as though the previous employment had been as a state employee, and all funds 
in the retirement system contributed by the member's former employer on account of the 
member's previous employment must be transferred to the account of the State and must 
be used to liquidate the liability incurred by reason of the previous employment. 
Upon notification by the Department of Public Safety to the retirement system that an 
employee has made an election under this subsection, the retirement system shall 
calculate and provide to the Department of Public Safety the amount of the employer 
contribution required under this subsection. 
A member who makes the election provided in this subsection and for whom applicable 
additional employer contributions have been paid is entitled to include the creditable 
service and earnable compensation with the previous employer with the creditable service 
and earnable compensation with the State for the purposes of benefit qualification under 
section 17851 and computation of benefits under section 17852. 
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes 
effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
The bill provides that a member of the Maine State Retirement System whose 
previous membership was based upon employment as a public safety emergency 
communications dispatcher with a participating local district and whose employment with 
the participating local district was terminated as a result of the consolidation of the 
participating local district's public safety dispatching services with the Department of 
Public Safety and who then becomes employed as a public safety emergency 
communications technician for the department may elect to include that previously 
earned creditable service with service earned as a state employee under certain 
conditions. 
!'age: - 123LR0500(OJ)-1