An Act To Authorize a Bond Issue for Ratification by the Voters for the June 2010 Election To Create Jobs in the State (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1816
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: MITCHELL, PINGREE, CRAVEN, JACKSON, CAIN, MARTIN, ROTUNDO, WEBSTER

Legislative Document 
No. 1816 
S.P.724 
In Senate, March 9,2010 
An Act To Authorize a Bond Issue for Ratification by the Voters for 
the June 2010 Election To Create Jobs in the State 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
.205. 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by President MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Speaker PINGREE of North Haven and 
9r9(J~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: CRAVEN of Androscoggin, JACKSON of Aroostook, Representatives: CAIN of 
Orono, CONNORofKennebunk, MARTIN of Eagle Lake, MILLER of,Somerville, 
ROTUNDO of Lewiston, WEBSTER of Freeport. 
Printed on recycled p3per 
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 the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this 
Act, 
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Be it enacted by the People ofthe State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1. Authorization o'fbonds. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under 
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the directioTi of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an-
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amount not exceeding $99,170,000 for the purposes described in section 6 of this Part. 
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 approvafof the Governor, any issuance of 
bonds may contain a call feature. _ 
Sec. A-2. 
Records of bonds issued -kept by Treasurer of State~ The 
Treasurer of State shall keep an_ account ~f each bond showing the nUnilJer 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. 
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Sec. A-3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated .. 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 ofthe State. The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer C?f State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Part. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Part lapse to the debt service account established for the retirement of these bonds. 
Sec. A-4. Interest and debt retirement. 
The Treasurer of State shall pay 
interest due or accruing on any bonds ,issued under this Part and all sums coming due for 
payment of bonds at maturity, -
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Sec. A-S. Disbursement of bond proceeds. The proceeds of the bonds must be 
expended as set out in this Part under the direction and supervision of the Department of 
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Health and Human Services, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Public 
Utilities Commission and the Department of Transportation. 
Sec. A-6. AHocations from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the 
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sale of the bonds authorized under this Part must be expended as designated in the 
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following schedule. 
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 
HUMAN SERVICES 
Provides funds for a drinking water 
$2,120,000 
revolving loan fund in the department to be 
matched by federal funds. 
DEPARTMENT OF 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 
II 
Provides funds for a wastewater program 
$3,050,000 
state revolving loan fund to be matched by 
federal funds. 
Provides funds for an overboard discharge 
$500,000 
assistance program fund. 
Provides funds for an underground oil tank 
$500,000 
remediation fund. 
Provides funds for culvert replacement for 
$500,000 
fish passage. 
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION 
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Provides funds for the Efficiency Maine 
$20,000,000 
' Trust energy program. 
DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORT ATION" 
Provides funds to purchase and upgrade 
$20,000,000 
miles of track of the Montreal, Maine 
and Atlantic Railway to maintain service to 
towns in the northern part of the State to 
prevent closure of this trackage. 
Provides funds for a passenger rail 
$5,000,000 
connector between Topsham and the 
Lewiston-Auburn multimodal facility. 
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Pag\! 2 - 124LR2610(OI)-1 
Provides funds for the highway 
maintenance .program for reconstruction 
and preservation of pavement. 
$47,500,000 
Sec .. A-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 Part. 
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Sec. A-S. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, 
all unencumbered appropriation balances representing'state money carry forward. Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years aftet the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to Highway Fund or General Fund debt service.' 
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Sec. A-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 Part, are deauthorized and may not be issued, except that the Legislature may, within 
. 2 years after the expiration of that 5-yeiu 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. A-tO. Referendu.m for ratification; submission at election; form of 
qu.estion; effective date. This Part must be submitted to the 'Iegal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of June following 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 pres<;:ribed .by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Part by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $99,170,000 bond issue to create jobs in the. State by 
improving our roads and bridges, to support clean water programs, 
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wastewater programs arid repairs, to perform railroad improvements .and 
to provide funds for energy efficiency grants for schools and higher 
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education?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by bailot 01; 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 Part, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Part becomes effective 30 days 
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after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
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ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
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PARTB 
Sec. B-1. Disbursement of Efficiency Maine Trust bond proceeds. The 
proceeds of the bond issued for the EfficienGY Maine Trust energy program under the 
authority of the Public Utilities Commission must be expended as set out in this Part 
under the direction and supervision of the Efficiency Maine Trust for energy efficiency 
retrofits and related work to reduce energy costs for public school buildings in the State. 
The use of the proceeds of this bond must be consistent with the goals of the Efficiency 
Maine Trust established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, chapter 97 and 
must also adhere to the following requirements. 
1. The funding must be awarded on a competitive basis and the award criteria must 
include the expected amount of energy saved or greenhouse gases reduced, an analysis of 
,the costs and benefits of a project, the ability of the applicant to leverage additional 
funding, the likelihood that the project can be implemented promptly and whether the 
project is supported by technical information, including an audit by a certified energy 
auditor, professional engineer or qualified commercial energy auditor. 
2. For each project, the Efficiency Maine Trust shall coordinate with the Department 
of Education to leverage funding, loans, credits or other resources provided through the 
federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to maximize the opportunities 
to provide energy savings for the school. ' 
3. The amount of funding from bond proceeds to be awarded to any single school in 
the State may not exceed $2,000,000. 
Sec. B-2. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. This Part does not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratifY the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in Part A of this Act. 
SUMMARY 
Part A of this bill creates jobs in Maine by authorizing a June 2010 referendum on a 
$99,170,000 bond issue to support drinking water programs and to support' the 
constructipn of wastewater treatmerit facilities; to support overboard discharge assistance 
progi'ams; to support underground oil tank remediation programs; to support culvert 
replacement for fish passage; to support the Efficiency Maine Trust; to purchase and 
upgrade 241 miles of track in the northern part of Maine; to construct a rail connector 
, between Topsham and Lewiston-Auburn; to suppOJ1 the highway maintenance program; 
and tole.verage other matching funds. 
Part B of this bill describes specific requirements for the awarding of bond funds by 
the Efficiency Maine Trust.