An Act To Create an Income Tax Return Checkoff To Fund Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1225
Committee: Taxation
Sponsors: STRANG BURGESS, RAYE, BEAUDOIN, BEAVERS, BECK, BELIVEAU, BERRY, BLACK, BLODGETT, BOLAND, BRIGGS, BURNS, CELLI, CHASE, CHIPMAN, CLARK, CLARKE, CURTIS, DAMON, DAVIS, DILL, DION, EDGECOMB, ESPLING, FITZPATRICK, FOSTER, GILBERT, GRAHAM, GUERIN, HANLEY, HARLOW, HARMON, HOGAN, HUNT, INNES, JOHNSON, KAENRATH, KESCHL, KUMIEGA, LAJOIE, LONGSTAFF, MAKER, MALABY, MARTIN, MORRISON, NELSON, O'CONNOR, OLSEN, PARKER, PARRY, PEOPLES, PETERSON, PICCHIOTTI, RANKIN, ROCHELO, ROSEN, RUSSELL, SOCTOMAH, STEVENS, THERIAULT, TIMBERLAKE, TUTTLE, VOLK, WAGNER, WILLETTE, WOOD, COLLINS, COURTNEY, GERZOFSKY, HASTINGS, HOBBINS, LANGLEY, RECTOR, SAVIELLO, SCHNEIDER
Amends: 22 MRSA §1407, 36 MRSA §5291

Legislative Document 
No. 1225 
H.P. 916 
House of Representatives, March 22, 2011 
An Act To Create an Income Tax Return Checkoff To Fund Cancer 
Screening, Detection and Prevention 
Reference to the Committee on Taxation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by President RAYE of Washington and 
Representatives: BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BEAVERS of South Berwick, BECK of 
Waterville, BELIVEAU of Kittery, BERRY of Bowdoinham, BLACK of Wilton, BLODGETT 
of Augusta, BOLAND of Sanford, BRIGGS of Mexico, BURNS of Whiting, CELLI of 
Brewer, CHASE of Wells, CHIPMAN of Portland, CLARK of Millinocket, CLARKE of Bath, 
CURTIS of Madison, DAMON of Bangor, DAVIS of Sangerville, DILL of Cape Elizabeth, 
DION of Portland, EDGECOMB of Caribou, ESPLING of New Gloucester, FITZPATRICK of 
Houlton, FOSTER of Augusta, GILBERT of Jay, GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, GUERIN of 
Glenburn, HANLEY of Gardiner, HARLOW of Portland, HARMON of Palermo, HOGAN of 
Old Orchard Beach, HUNT of Buxton, INNES of Yarmouth, JOHNSON of Eddington, 
KAENRATH of South Portland, KESCHL of Belgrade, KUMIEGA of Deer Isle, LAJOIE of 
Lewiston, LONGSTAFF of Waterville, MAKER of Calais, MALABY of Hancock, MARTIN 
of Eagle Lake, McCLELLAN of Raymond, McFADDEN of Dennysville, MORRISON of 
South Portland, NELSON of Falmouth, O'CONNOR of Berwick, OLSEN of Phippsburg, 
PARKER of Veazie, PARRY of Arundel, PEOPLES of Westbrook, PETERSON of Rumford, 
PICCHIOTTI of Fairfield, RANKIN of Hiram, ROCHELO of Biddeford, ROSEN of 
Bucksport, RUSSELL of Portland, SOCTOMAH of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, STEVENS of 
Bangor, THERIAULT of Madawaska, TIMBERLAKE of Turner, TUTTLE of Sanford, VOLK 
of Scarborough, WAGNER of Lewiston, WILLETTE of Mapleton, WOOD of Sabattus, 
Senators: COLLINS of York, COURTNEY of York, GERZOFSKY of Cumberland, 
HASTINGS of Oxford, HOBBINS of York, LANGLEY of Hancock, MARTIN of Kennebec, 
RECTOR of Knox, SAVIELLO of Franklin, SCHNEIDER of Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §1407, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 341, §1, is amended 
to read: 
4.  Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund; funding.  
The Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund is established 
within the department to fund or assist in funding the comprehensive cancer screening, 
detection and prevention program should it be established pursuant to subsection 1, 
paragraph E. Any balance in the fund does not lapse but is carried forward to be 
expended for the same purposes in succeeding fiscal years. The fund must be deposited 
with and maintained and administered by the department. The fund may receive funds 
from any non-General Fund source, including revenues from the income tax checkoff 
under Title 36, section 5291, grants or and contributions of money from the public or 
private sector, to carry out the purposes of subsection 1, paragraph E. 
Sec. 2.  36 MRSA §5291 is enacted to read: 
§5291.  Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund checkoff 
1.  Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund.  
Taxpayers who, when filing their returns, are entitled to a refund under this Part may 
designate that a portion of that refund be paid into the Comprehensive Cancer Screening, 
Detection and Prevention Fund established in Title 22, section 1407, subsection 4. A 
taxpayer who is not entitled to a refund under this Part may contribute to the 
Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund by including with that 
taxpayer's return sufficient funds to make the contribution. Each individual income tax 
return form must contain a designation in substantially the following form: "Contribution 
to Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund: ( ) $5, ( ) $10, ( ) 
$25 or ( ) Other $..." 
2.  Contributions credited to Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and 
Prevention Fund.  The State Tax Assessor shall determine annually the total amount 
contributed pursuant to subsection 1. Prior to the beginning of the next year, the assessor 
shall deduct the cost of administering the Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection 
and Prevention Fund checkoff, but not exceeding $5,000 annually, and report the 
remainder to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit that amount to the Comprehensive 
Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund established in Title 22, section 1407, 
subsection 4.  
SUMMARY 
This bill creates a checkoff on the income tax form to allow tax filers to donate to the 
Comprehensive Cancer Screening, Detection and Prevention Fund for funding the cancer 
prevention and control program.