An Act To Conserve Energy in Maine Households
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0428
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: FLETCHER, BARTLETT, BERUBE, BLISS, BRAUTIGAM, CAMPBELL, CANAVAN, MUSE, RINES, DOW

Legislative Document 
No. 428 
H.P.344 
House of Representatives, January 29,2007 
An Act To Conserve Energy in Maine Households 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FLETCHER of Winslow. 
Cosponsored by Senator BARTLETT of Cumberland and 
'77/~/J7.~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BERUBE of Lisbon, BLISS of South Portland, BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, 
CAMPBELL of Newfield, CANAVAN of Waterville, MUSE of Fryeburg, RINES of 
Wiscasset, Senator: DOW of Lincoln. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA c. 201, sub-c. ll-B is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER ll-B 
WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE 
§4965. Weatherization Assistance Program 
1. Definitions. As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, 
the following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Authority" means the Maine State Housing Authority established pursuant to 
section 4722. 
B. "Eligible household" means a household that is eligible to receive fuel assistance 
through the authority pursuant to section 4722, subsection 1, paragraph W; section 
4741, subsection 15; and subchapter 13 and rules adopted pursuant to these laws. 
"Eligible household" does not include a tenant who resides in subsidized housing and 
receives a utility allowance or a tenant whose utilities are included in the rent. 
C. "Fund" means the Weatherization Assistance Program Fund established in section 
4966. 
D. 
"Program" means the Weatherization Assistance Program established in 
subsection 2. 
E. 
"Weatherization assistance" means assistance as established by the authority 
pursuant to this subchapter, based on an eligible household's income level. 
2. Program established. The Weatherization Assistance Program is established to 
provide funds or materials to eligible households to improve the energy efficiency of the 
homes of those eligible households. 
3. Program administration. The authority shall administer the program directly or 
through regional contract agents. The program may be administered in conjunction with 
other programs of the authority. 
4. Reporting requirements. The authority shall report annually to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters 
information to determine the amount of funding necessary for the program, including the 
amount of weatherization assistance provided on behalf of each eligible household, the 
total amount of weatherization assistance paid on behalf of eligible households, the 
number of eligible households served and other reasonably necessary information 
required by the committee in connection with the program. 
5. Rulemaking. The authority may adopt rules to implement this subchapter. Rules 
adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A. 
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§4966. Weatherization Assistance Program Fund 
1. Established. The Weatherization Assistance Program Fund is established under 
the jurisdiction of the authority. 
2. Sources of fund. The fund consists of: 
A. Funds collected pursuant to Title 36, section 4641-B, subsection 4; 
B. Federal funds collected by the authority on behalf of the State for weatherization 
pursuant to the Weatherization Assistance for Low-income Persons Program 
administered through the United States Department of Energy; 
C. All money appropriated by the State for inclusion in the fund; 
D. Subject to any pledge, contract or other obligation, all interest, dividends and 
pecuniary gains from the investment of money in the fund; and 
E. 
All other money deposited in the fund to implement the provisions of this 
subchapter. 
3. Application of fund. The authority shall apply money in the fund to provide 
weatherization assistance for the benefit of eligible households and for other purposes 
authorized by this subchapter. Money in the fund not currently needed for purposes of 
this subchapter may be deposited with the authority to the credit of the fund and may be 
invested as provided by law. The fund may be used by the authority to pay for the 
administrative expenses of the fund and operation ofthe program. 
4. Accounts within fund. The authority may divide the fund into separate accounts 
as it determines necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of this subchapter. 
5. Revolving fund. The fund is a revolving fund. The authority shall continuously 
apply the money in the fund to accomplish the purposes ofthis subchapter. 
Sec. 2. 36 MRS A §4641-B, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 644, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
4. Distribution of State's share of proceeds. The State Tax Assessor shall pay all 
net receipts received pursuant to this section to the Treasurer of State, and shall at the 
same time provide the Treasurer of State with documentation showing the amount of 
revenues derived from the tax imposed by section 4641-A, subsection 1 and the amount 
of revenues derived from the tax imposed by section 4641-A, subsection 2. 
The 
Treasurer of State shall credit 112 of the revenues derived from the tax imposed by 
section 4641-A, subsection 1 to the General Fund and shall monthly pay the remaining 
of such revenues to the Maine State Housing Authority, which shall deposit the funds 
in the Housing Opportunities for Maine Fund created in Title 30-A, section 4853, except 
that in fiscal year 2003-04, fiscal year 2004-05 and fiscal year 2005-06, $7,500,000 of the 
remaining 1/2 of those revenues must be transferred to the General Fund before any 
payments are made to the Maine State Housing Authority tmd~ in fiscal year 2006-07, 
$7,687,067 of the remaining 112 of those revenues must be transferred to the General 
Fund before any payments are made to the Maine State Housing Authority and in fiscal 
year 2007-08 and annually thereafter, $7,500,000 of the remaining 112 of those revenues 
must be deposited in the Weatherization Assistance Program Fund established in Title 30-
A, section 4966. The Treasurer of State shall credit to the General Fund all of the 
revenues derived from the tax imposed by section 4641-A, subsection 2. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Weatherization Assistance Program to provide funds or 
materials to eligible households to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of those 
eligible households. The program is administered by the Maine State Housing Authority. 
The program is funded by an annual allocation of $7,500,000 of the funds from the real 
estate transfer tax that are transferred to the Maine State Housing Authority. 
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