An Act To Authorize Fuel Cost Stabilization Funds To Be Established in School Administrative Units
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0806
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: ALFOND, SCRA TZ, GOODALL, HOBBINS, SHERMAN, MILLETT, PIEH, STRANG BURGESS, TARDY

Legislative Document 
No. 806 
S.P.314 
In Senate, March 3,2009 
An Act To Authorize Fuel Cost Stabilization Funds To Be 
Established in School Administrative Units 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator ALFOND of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative SCRA TZ of Blue Hill and 
9t9(J-~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senator~: DAMON of Hancock, GOODALL of Sagadahoc, HOBBINS of York, SHERMAN 
of Aroostook, Representatives: MILLETT of Waterford, PIEH of Bremen, STRANG 
BURGESS of Cumberland, TARDY of Newport. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MR.SA §15008 is enacted to read: 
§15008.Fuel cost stabilization fund 
A school administrative unit may establish and expend a fuel cost stabilization fund 
as provided in this section. 
1. Establishment and funding. The voters or other legislative body of a school 
. administrative unit may establish a· fuel cost stabilization fund· and may raise and 
appropriate funds for that purpose in addition to the school operating budget. A separate 
warrant article for that purpose must be approved at the budget meeting and at the budget 
validation referendum. If a school administrative ·linit has discontinued the budget 
validation referendum process, the article must be approved by the voters or other 
legislative body using the same process as for approval of the school budget. If a school 
administrative unit has available fund balances at the end of a fiscal year, the transfer of 
those funds to the fuel cost stabilization fund may be authorized at a budget meeting or 
other meeting of the voters or other legislative body. 
An article authorizing an 
appropriation or transfer to the fuel cost stabilization fund must be accompanied by a 
statement that includes the balance in the fuel cost stabilization fund before and after the 
proposed appropriation or. transfer; the amounts expended from the fund in each of the 2 
prior fiscal years and, in the case of a transfer, the amount expended from the fulld in the 
current fiscal year. 
2. Fund limit. An appropriation or transfer may not cause the aggregate amount in 
the fuel cost stabilization fund to exceed the school administrative unit's highest annual 
total cost for heating and transportation fuel in the 3 completed fiscal years prior to the 
authorization 6fthat proposed funding amount. In the case of a regional school unit's first 
years, the fuel costs of the original school administrative units before reorganization 
may be aggregated for purposes of determining the total amount that may not be 
exceeded due to an appropriation or transfer. 
3. Expenditures. In addition to its approved operating budget, a school board may 
expend funds in the fuel cost stabilization fund to offset fuel· costs for heating and 
transportation that exceed budgeted amounts. A school board may transfer funds from 
the fuel cost stabilization fund for another purpose only when authorized to do so at a 
budget meeting or other meeting of the voters or other legislative body. 
4. Investment. The money in the fuel cost stabilization fund may be invested as 
provided by law for school reserve funds pursuant to sections n12, 1491 and 1706 with 
the earnings to be credited to that fund.· 
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5. Fund not to lapse. A balance in the fuel cost stabilization fund at the end of a 
fiscal year does not lapse. 
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SUMMARY 
This bill permits aschool administrative unit to establish a fuel cost stabilization fund 
for unexpected heating and transportation fuel costs. The appropriations and transfers 
into the fund may not exceed the highest annual cost for fuel that the school 
administrative unit has experienced in its 3 most recent fiscal years.