An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Assist the University of Maine System in the Conversion of the Educational Broadband Spectrum from Analog to Digital
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0203
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: DILL, HOBBINS, GILES, THERIAULT

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
The following document is provided by the 
LAW AND LEGISLATIVE DIGITAL LIBRARY 
at the Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library 
http://legislature.maine.gov/lawlib 
Reproduced from scanned originals with text recognition applied 
(searchable text may contain some errors and/or omissions) 
n 
(J 
u 
@J"f'A"i'e;, l''1f1" I' " , 
~1j 11i"!t: lJi II If i f[.7!J. ,F r:::"", 
. 
. 
~,>i"'-~I' "'(f I, . 
/1 D t:;J\.~~ 1 t.°ne!:" .. 'l 
.. " • 
'['/, ~,~,,! ~"i r 
i~ 
R~ jl : Ii, rr.'" 
'" "" --"L ""i: ,~';ii!;:I,,~\fe 
124th MAINE LEGISLA URE 
FIRST REGULAR SESSIOr-~-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 203 
H.P.168 
House of Representatives, January 21,2009 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Assist the 
University of Maine System in the Conversion of the Educational 
Broadband Spectrum from Analog to Digital 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
7Y/~ 
/J?1l!tI£~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative DILL of Cape Elizabeth. 
Cosponsored by Senator HOBBINS of York and 
Representatives: GILES of Belfast, THERIAULT of Madawaska. 
Primcd un recycleu pnpcr 
Preamble. Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the 
issuance of bonds on behalf of th~ St~te of Maine to provide funds as described in this 
Act, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the 
direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $2,000,000 for the purposes described in section 6 of this Act. The 
bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State. The bonds may not run for a 
period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. At the 
discretion of the Treasurer of State, with the approval of the Governor, any issuance of 
bonds may contain a call feature. 
Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued kept by Treasurer of State. The Treasurer 
14. 
of State shall keep an account of each bond showing the number of the bond, the name of 
the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale and 
the date when payable. 
Sec. 3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds ap.propriated. The Treasurer of State 
may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be 
loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State. The. proceeds of the. sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Act. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Act lapse to the debt service account established for the retirement of these bonds. 
Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity. 
Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds. The proceeds of the bonds must be 
expended as set out in this Act under the direction and supervision of the University of 
Maine System. 
Sec. 6. Allocations from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the sale 
of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated in the following 
schedule. 
CONNECT ME AUTHORITY 
Provides funds to assist the UniversitY of . 
Maine System to convert current analog 
. 
educational broadband spectrum to digital. 
$2,000,000 
) 
) 
) 
() 
\ 
~~) 
Sec. 7. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. Sections 1 to 6 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in this Act. 
Sec. 8. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, alI 
unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward. 
Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to General Fund debt service. 
Sec. 9. Bonds authorized but not issued. Any bonds authorized but not issued, 
or for which bond anticipation notes are not issued within 5 years of ratification of this 
Act, are deauthorized and may not be issued, except that the Legislature may, within 2 
years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend the period for issuing any 
remaining unissued bonds or bond anticipation notes for an additional amount of time not 
to exceed 5 years. 
Sec. 10. 
Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November folIowing passage of this Act. The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $2,000,000 bond issue to provide funds for the 
University of Maine to conveli current analog broadband channels to 
digital broadband channels?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No." 
The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall 
review the returns. 
If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shalI prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
SUMMARY 
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $2,000,000, will be used to 
provide funds for the University of Maine System to convert current analog educational 
broadband spectrum to digital in order to comply with the FCC mandate and not lose the 
opportunity to lease excess broadband capacity.