An Act To Improve Laws Governing Financial Disclosure by Legislators and Certain Public Employees and Public Access to Information Disclosed
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1001
Committee Amendment CA_A_S166 (Senate)
Amends: 1 MRSA §1016-G, 5 MRSA §19

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A" to S.P. 346, L.D. 1001, Bill, "An Act To 
Improve Laws Governing Financial Disclosure by Legislators and Certain Public 
Employees and Public Access to Information Disclosed" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. 1 MRSA §1016-G, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 634, §11, is 
amended to read: 
5. 
Public record. 
Statements filed under this section are public records. The 
commission shall publish provide a means for Legislators to file statements in an 
electronic format that must immediately place the statements on a publicly accessible 
website the eompleted forms of Legislators filed uader this seetion. Legislators shall file 
statements required by this section using the electronic format prescribed by the 
commission. If a Legislator can attest to an inability to access or use the electronic filing 
format, the commission may provide assistance to the Legislator to ensure proper and 
timely placement of the required statements on the publicly accessible website.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 4 and 5 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 4. 5 MRSA §19, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2007, c. 704, §9, is further 
amended to read: 
6. 
Public record. 
Statements filed under this section are public records. The 
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall peblish provide a 
means for executive employees to file statements in an electronic format that must 
immediately place the statements on a publicly accessible website the eompleted forms of 
exeeutive employees filed ender this seetion. Executive employees shall file statements 
required by this section using the electronic format prescribed by the commission. If an 
executive employee can attest to an inability to access or use the electronic filing format, 
the commission may provide assistance to the employee to ensure proper and timely 
placement of the required statements on the publicly accessible website. 
Sec. 5. Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to 
recommend method for discllosing income in ranges. By February 1, 2014, the 
COMMIT'TEE AMENDMENT 
~i~ 
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I 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'An to S.P. 346, L.D. 1001 
staff of the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall recommend 
to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs a method for providing 
disclosure of income received by Legislators and certain employees of the executive 
branch as ranges of income reported. The cOmInittee shall consider the recommendations 
of the commission and seek input from Legislators and members of the executive branch 
subject to disclosure requirements. The committee is authorized to report out a bill to the 
substantive rules, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A, to require that income disclosures, required by Title 1, section 10 16-G 
and Title 5, section 19, be submitted in ranges. 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ETHICS AND ELECTION PRACTICES, COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENTAL 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices - Commission on 0414 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to develop and implement a new electronic filing 
system. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2013-14 
$50,000 
$50,000 
2014-15 
$0 
$0 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment clarifies language in the bill regarding the requirement that financial 
disclosure statements required to be filed by Legislators and certain executive branch 
employees be filed electronically and immediately placed on a publicly accessible 
website. It also allows the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to 
assist with the electronic filing if necessary. The amendment removes the requirement 
that the commission adopt routine technical rules to provide for income disclosures to be 
sorted in ranges based on amount. Instead, the amendment directs the commission to 
make recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs, 
which may then submit a bill directing the commission to adopt major substantive rules to 
provide for income disclosures to be reported in ranges based on income amount. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
• 
Approved: OS/27/13 hac 
LD 1001 
LR2005(02) 
An Act To Improve Laws Governing Financial Disclosure by Legislators and Certain Public 
Employees and Public Access to Information Disclosed 
Fiscal Note for Bill as: Amended by Committee Amendment '~"'5'- f 19lQ '\ 
Committt!e: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
'"'{ (. 
':/ 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
Projections 
FY 2015-16 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$50,000 
$50,000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
The bill includes a one-time General Fund appropriation of $50,000 in fiscal year 2013-14 to the Commission on 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to develop and implement a new electronic filing system. 
LR2005(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of 1 
$0 
$0