An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create a New Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1761
Committee Amendment CA_A_S445 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to S.P. 675, L.D. 1761, Bill, "An Act To 
Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create a New Electronic Medical Records 
Infrastructure" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create a New Electronic 
Medical Records Infrastructure and To Establish the Electronic Medical Records 
Infrastructure Program' 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'PART A' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in the 3rd line (page 1, line 8 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "Act" and inseliing the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in the 2nd line fi'om the end (page 1, line 22 in L.D.) by 
striking out the following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Pali' and in the last line 
(page 1, line 23 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Act" and inseliing the following: 
'Pati' 
Amend the bill in section 4 in the 2nd line (page 1, line 25 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 5 in the 2nd line (page 1, line 28 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Pali' and in the 2nd and 3rd lines (page 1, 
lines 28 and 29 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Department of Administrative 
and Financial Services" and inseliing the following: 'Finance Authority of Maine' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 6 (page I, lines 30 to 40 in L.D.) and 
inserting the following: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 675, L.D. 1761 
'Sec. 6. Allocations from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the sale 
of the bonds authorized under this Part must be expended as designated in the following 
schedule. 
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE 
Provides funds for grants and low-interest 
loans to health care providers for the 
plirchase of software and hardware 
necessary to exchange patients' health care 
records electronically and for technical 
assistance with the implementation of an 
electronic medical records infrastructure. 
$10,000,000 
Amend the bill in section 7 in the last line (page 2, line 3 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 9 in the 3rd line (page 2, line 10 in L.D.) by striking out the 
following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 10 in the 2nd line (page 2, line 15 in L.D.) by striking out 
the following: "Act" and inselting the following: 'PaIt' and in the last line (page 2, line 
in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 10 by striking out all of the question (page 2, lines 20 to 22 
in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
"'Do you favor a $10,000,000 bond issue to provide grants and low-
interest loans to health care providers for the purchase of software and 
hardware 
necessary 
to 
exchange 
patients' 
health 
care 
records 
electronically and for technical assistance with the implementation of an 
electronic medical records infrastructure?'" 
Amend the bill in section 10 in the 2nd indented paragraph in the 3rd line from the 
end (page 2, line 28 in L.D.) by striking out the following: 
"Act" and inserting the 
following: 'Part' and in the 2nd line from the end (page 2, line 29 in L.D.) by striking out 
the following: "Act" and inserting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill in section 10 in the last indented paragraph in the 2nd line (page 2, 
line 32 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Act" and inselting the following: 'Part' 
Amend the bill by inserting at the end before the summary the following: 
'PARTB 
Sec. B-1. 10 MRSA c. 1057 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 1057 
ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 675, L.D. 1761 
§9601. Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1. Fund. "Fund" means the Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure Program 
Fund established in section 9603. 
2. 
Primary health care provider. 
"Primary health care provider" means an 
individual or for-profit or nonprofit corporation or partnership within the State that 
provides health care services in the general practice of medicine, family practice of 
medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, general dentistry or obstetrics and 
gynecology, but does not include a hospital or a health care practice affiliated with a 
hospital. 
3. 
Program. 
"Program" means the· Electronic. Medical Records Infrastructure 
Program established in section 9602. 
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4. Qualified recipient. "Qualified recipient" means any individual or corporation or 
partnership within the State that meets criteria established by the State Coordinator under 
section 9604, subsection 3 and demonstrates a financial need for a" loan or grant to assist 
with the purchase of the software and hardware necessary to establish a medical records 
infrastructure to exchange patients' health care records electronically. 
5. 
Regional extension center. 
"Regional extension center" means the entity 
designated by the United States Depaliment of Health and Human Services, Office of the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Technology to provide technical assistance 
with the implementation of an electronic medical records infrastructure. 
6. State Coordinator. "State Coordinator" means the individual designated by the 
Governor to serve as the coordinator for health information technology in the State. 
§9602. Program established 
There is established the Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure Program to 
provide assistance in the form of loans to qualified recipients in order to implement an 
electronic medical records system in the State that allows health care providers to 
exchange patients' health care records electronically. Grants under the program must be 
used to provide technical assistance with the implementation of an electronic medical 
records infrastructure. 
§9603. Fund established 
1. 
Creation of fund. 
There is established the Electronic Medical Records 
Infrastructure Program Fund, which must be used to provide funding for loans and grants 
to qualified recipients within the State in order to purchase the software and hardware 
necessary to implement an electronic medical records infrastructure to exchange patients' 
health care records electronically and for other purposes as allowed under this chapter 
and for technical assistance to implement the electronic medical records infrastructure. 
The fund must be deposited with and maintained by the Finance Authority of Maine and 
administered by the State Coordinator. The fund must receive bond proceeds approved 
for that purpose, interest accrued on the fund balance, funds received in repayment of 
loans and other funds designated for the purposes of the fund, and may receive General 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 675, L.D. 1761 
Fund appropriations. The fund is a nonlapsing revolving fund. All money in the fund 
must be continuously applied to carry out the purposes of this chapter. 
2. Separate accounts. The Finance Authority of Maine may divide the fund into 
separate accounts that it determines. are necessary or convenient for carrying out the 
purposes of this chapter. 
3. Administrative expenses. The costs and expenses of maintaining, servicing and 
administering the fund may be paid out of the fund. 
§9604. Administration 
1. Receipt of money and property. The State Coordinator may accept and receive 
for deposit to the fund gifts, grants, bequests or devises from any source, including funds 
from the Federal Government or any of its political subdivisions. 
2. Administration of loans and grants. The State Coordinator shall administer 
loans and grants from the fund in accordance with criteria established under subsection 3 
in order to carlY out the purposes of this chapter. The State Coordinator shall establish an 
application process for the award of loans and grants, select qualified recipients and 
facilitate the provision of technical assistance to implement an electronic medical records 
infrastructure. The regional extension center may advise the State Coordinator in the 
administration of the progralTI. The State Coordinator may contract with the Finance 
Authority of Maine for administrative and underwriting services. 
3. 
Adopt criteria. 
The State Coordinator shall adopt criteria for determining 
qualified recipients and for loans and grants under the program. 
4. Rules. The State Coordinator may adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this 
chapter. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined 
by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
§9605. Loans and grants 
1. Purposes. Loans and grants from the fund may be made only: 
A. Regarding loans, for investment in an electronic medical records infrastructure; 
and 
B. 
Regarding grants, for technical assistance with the implementation of the 
electronic medical records infrastructure in paragraph A. 
2. Maximum amount ofloans and grants. The maximum amount of a loan or a 
grant from the fund is $100,000 for a primary health care provider and $500,000 for a 
hospital or a health care practice affiliated with a hospital. A qualified recipient may 
receive both a grant and a loan. 
3. Criteria. Loans and grants must be provided to qualified recipients based on 
criteria established under section 9604, subsection 3 and the applicant's financial need for 
the loan or grant. 
The individual, corporation or partnership must demonstrate 
creditworthiness and, for a loan, repayment abilities. 
The State Coordinator shall 
determine loan terms, conditions and interest rates. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"!r." to S.P. 675, L.D. 1761 
4. Grants for technical assistance. The State Coordinator shall contract with the 
regional extension center to provide technical assistance with the implementation of an 
electronic medical records infrastructure for all grants awarded under the program. 
Sec. B-2. Contingent effective date. This Pali takes effect only if the General 
Fund bond issue proposed in Part A is approved by the voters of the State.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment changes the wording of the bond issue to reflect its use for grants 
and loans. The amendment establishes the Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure 
Program and the Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure Program Fund. The fund will 
be deposited with and maintained by the Finance Authority of Maine and administered by 
a person designated by the Governor as the State Coordinator. The fund will provide 
loans to qualified recipients within the State to purchase the software and hardware 
necessary to establish an electronic medical records infrastructure that will allow health 
care providers to exchange patients' health care records electronically. The fund will 
provide grants to qualified recipients for technical assistance with the implementation of 
an electronic medical records infrastructure. The amendment makes the establishment of 
the Electronic Medical Records Infrastructure Program contingent upon passage of the 
bond issue. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/17/10 
fraC!. 
124tb MAINE LEGISLATURE 
LD 1761 
LR 2327(02) 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create a New Electronic Medical Records 
Infrastructure 
Bond Issues 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
General Fund - Taxable 
Term (years) 
Principal 
$10,000,000 
Rate (%) 
4.5% 
Interest 
$2,475,000 
Referendum Costs 
Month/Year 
Election Type 
Question 
Length 
Nov-l0 
General 
Bond Issue 
Standard 
Total Cost 
$12,475,000 
The Secretary of State's budget includes sufficient funds to accommodate one ballot of average length for the general 
election in November. If the number or size of the referendum questions requires production and del iv¥ry of a second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of $1 07,250 may be required . 
. Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Because this legislation allows for the costs and expenses of maintaining, servicing and administering the fund to be 
paid out of the fund, there is no net fiscal impact to the Finance Authority of Maine. 
LR2327(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
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