An Act To Provide Maine Tourism and Industry Collaborative Film Grants
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1069
Committee Amendment CA_A_H517 (House)
Amends: 10 MRSA §1023

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/1,, to H.P. 804, L.D. 1069, Bill, "An Act To 
Provide Maine Tourism and Industry Collaborative Film Grants" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Promote Visual and Digital Media Productions, Tourism and Job 
Creation in the State' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRS A § 13090-M is enacted to read: 
§13090-M. Visual and Digital Media Loan Program 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "B-roll" means scenic background film footage that does not include actors and is 
not used in the final visual media production. 
B. "Digital media project" has the same meaning as in section 13090-L, subsection 
2-A, paragraph A. 
C. "Fund" means the Visual and Digital Media Loan Fund, established pursuant to 
Title 10, section 1023-0. 
D. 
"Program" means the Visual and Digital Media Loan Program established in 
subsection 2. 
E. 
"Visual media production" has the same meaning as in section 13090-L, 
subsection 2-A, paragraph D. 
2. Administration. The Visual and Digital Media Loan Program is established to 
promote digital media projects and visual media productions in the State that will assist in 
job creation and promote tourism in the State. The commissioner shall administer the 
program in accordance with this section. 
Page I - 125LRI251(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 804, L.D. 1069 
3. Loan conditions. The commissioner may use the fund to provide loans for digital 
media projects or visual media productions of up to $500,000 per project or production, 
not to exceed 20% of the project's or production's proposed preproduction and production 
budget. A loan from the fund is subject to terms and conditions prescribed by rule by the 
commissioner and by the Finance Authority of Maine pursuant to Title 10, section 
1023-0. The rules may also provide a mechanism for reserving funds for, or giving 
priority to, projects or productions determined by the commissioner to most effectively 
promote tourism and job creation in the State. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection 
are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. When 
considering loans under this section, the commissioner shall consult with the Finance 
Authority of Maine. 
4. Loan forgiveness criteria. A borrower under a loan under subsection 3 may 
apply to the commissioner for loan forgiveness upon completion of the digital media 
project or visual media production. The borrower must demonstrate to the satisfaction of 
the commissioner that the following criteria have been met: 
A. The project or production has a total budget, including preproduction, production 
and postproduction costs and expenses, that exceeds $100,000; 
B. Seventy-five percent of the completed project or production has been filmed in 
the State; 
C. A marketing plan with respect to the project or production includes promotion and 
acknowledgment of the project's or production's filming in the State; 
D. A signed agreement with the department provides the department with access to a 
film trailer and all b-roll footage, if applicable, provided free of charge to the State 
for tourism promotion activities; and 
E. A signed agreement with the department provides that the project or production 
will not be the basis for a claim for an income tax credit under Title 36, section 
5219-Y or reimbursement under Title 36, chapter 9I9-A. 
5. Certification by commissioner. The commissioner must certify a digital media 
project's or visual media production's eligibility for a loan under subsection 3 to the 
Finance Authority of Maine prior to the disbursement of any funds by the authority 
pursuant to Title 10, section 1023-0. 
6. Administration. The commissioner may contract with the Finance Authority of 
Maine to assist in the administration of this section. 
7. Repeal. This section is repealed December 31, 2015. 
Sec.2. 10 MRSA §1023-0 is enacted to read: 
§1023-0. Visual and Digital Media Loan Fund 
1. Fund established. The Visual and Digital Media Loan Fund, referred to in this 
section as "the fund," is established. The fund must be deposited with and maintained by 
the authority. The fund must be administered by the Commissioner of Economic and 
Community Development in accordance with Title 5, section 13090-M. The authority 
and the Department of Economic and Community Development may receive money for 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ~"to H.P. 804, L.D. 1069 
deposit into the fund from the Treasurer of State and from any other gift, grant or other 
source of revenue for use pursuant to this section. All money received by the authority 
from any source for the development and implementation of the fund must be credited to 
the fund. Repayment of loans and interest on loans from the fund must be credited to the 
fund and may be used for the purposes stated in Title 5, section 13090-M. Interest earned 
on money in the fund and interest earned on loans made from the fund may be used to 
pay the administrative costs of processing loan applications. The authority may, in 
collaboration with the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, 
establish by rule prudent terms and conditions for loans, including requiring adequate 
collateral for the loans. 
2. Rulemaking. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as 
defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
3. Repeal. This section is repealed December 31, 2015. 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of Tourism 0577 
Initiative: Allocates one-time funds for the start-up costs of the Visual and Digital Media 
Loan Program. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2011-12 
$5,000 
$5,000 
2012-13 
$0 
$0 
This amendment replaces the bill. It establishes the Visual and Digital Media Loan 
Program within the Department of Economic and Community Development to promote 
tourism and job creation through loans to the producers of visual and digital media 
projects and productions. The Visual and Digital Media Loan Fund is established to 
provide loans for eligible digital media projects or visual media productions of up to 
$500,000 per eligible project or production, not to exceed 20% of its proposed 
preproduction and production budget. 
It establishes a loan forgiveness process for 
borrowers if they demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Commissioner of Economic and 
Community Development that the following criteria have been met upon completion of 
the project or production: 
1. 
The project or production has a total preproduction, production and 
postproduction budget that is above $100,000; 
2. Seventy-five percent of the project or production has been filmed in the State; 
3. A marketing plan includes promotion and acknowledgment of the project's or 
production's filming in the State; 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 804, L.D. \069 
4. A signed agreement provides the department with access to a film trailer and all b-
roIl footage, provided free of charge to the State for tourism promotion activities; and 
5. A signed agreement provides that the project or production will not be the basis 
for an income tax credit or tax reimbursement for visual media productions. 
It authorizes the commissioner to contract with the Finance Authority of Maine to 
administer the fund for the program. It also provides that the program is repealed 
December 31, 2015. 
It also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: OS/27/11 ft/ac 
LD 1069 
LR 1251(02) 
An Act To Provide Maine Tourism aud Industry Collaborative Film Grants 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "~,, 
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2011-12 
$5,000 
FY 2012-13 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2013-14 
$0 
Projections 
FY 2014-15 
$0 
This bill includes a one-time Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $5,000 in fiscal year 2011-12 to the Office of 
Tourism within the Department of Economic and Community Development for the start-up costs associated with 
establishing the Visual and Digital Media Program. The Office has sufficient funds within its existing budgeted 
resources to support the one-time cost. 
This legislation allows the Department of Economic and Community Development to contract with the Finance 
Authority of Maine (FAME) to administer the Visual and Digital Media Loan Fund. The Authority anticipates that 
the provisions in this legislation that allow for interest earned on money in the fund and on loans made from the fund 
to be used to pay for the costs of administering the Fund will be sufficient to cover the costs to the Authority. 
LRI2SI(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of 1