An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide Weatherization Rebates for Veterans and Persons Eligible for Social Security
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0295
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: RUSSELL, BERRY, CHAPMAN, HOBBINS
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10119

Legislative Document 
No. 295 
H.P. 204 
House of Representatives, February 7, 2013 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide 
Weatherization Rebates for Veterans and Persons Eligible for Social 
Security 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative RUSSELL of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, CHAPMAN of Brooksville, 
HOBBINS of Saco. 
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, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under 
the direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $75,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 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. 
Sec. A-2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of 
State shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number 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. 
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 of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of 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 Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation 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. 
Sec. A-5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds 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 under the direction and supervision of the agencies 
and entities set forth in this section. 
Provides funding for a weatherization rebate program for veterans and persons 
receiving social security retirement benefits. 
EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST 
Total 
$75,000,000
Sec. A-6.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
forth in this Part. 
Sec. A-7.  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 after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds. 
Sec. A-8.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but 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-year period, 
extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of 
time not to exceed 5 years. 
Sec. A-9.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Part must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November 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 prescribed 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 $75,000,000 bond issue for the Efficiency Maine Trust 
to provide a weatherization rebate program for veterans and persons 
receiving social security retirement benefits?" 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on 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 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum. 
PART B 
Sec. B-1.  35-A MRSA §10119, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 372, Pt. B, §3, 
is amended to read: 
2.  Program.  All Except as provided in subsection 2-A, all funds deposited in the 
fund must be administered by the trust in accordance with the following. 
A.  All funds deposited in the fund must be administered by the trust to reduce 
heating fuel consumption consistent with the purpose and targets of the trust and the 
triennial plan to achieve the following goal: 
(1) By 2030, to provide cost-effective energy efficiency and weatherization 
measures to substantially all homes and businesses whose owners wish to 
participate in programs established by the trust under this section. 
B.  Funds from the fund may be used only for programs that provide cost-effective 
energy efficiency and weatherization measures for the benefit of heating fuel 
customers or to efficiency service providers serving those customers and in 
accordance with the following. 
(1) Program categories must include low-income, single-family and 2-family 
residential units, multifamily residential units, small business, commercial and 
institutional and such other categories as the trust determines appropriate; 
(2) Within program categories, the trust may differentiate between programs for 
new construction and existing buildings; and 
(3) Cost-effective energy efficiency measures must include measures that 
improve the energy efficiency of energy-using systems, such as heating and 
cooling systems, through system upgrades or conversions, including conversions 
to energy-efficient systems that rely on renewable energy sources or systems that 
rely on effective energy efficiency technologies. 
C.  Program designs approved by the trust must contain: 
(1) Incentives to consumers to purchase and install cost-effective efficiency and 
weatherization products and services identified by a certified energy auditor, 
except in the case of programs to deliver education, training or certifications; 
(2) A schedule of customer copayments and loan options for prescribed products 
and services. Programs for low-income consumers may provide exemptions from 
the copayment and schedule; 
(3) A plan for integrating delivery of heating fuel efficiency and weatherization 
measures with electric efficiency measures; and 
(4) A system for the equitable allocation of costs among the contributing funds or 
subaccounts administered by the trust when more than one efficiency opportunity 
is identified. 
D.  Other eligible program measures may include, but are not limited to, training or 
certification of energy auditors, insulation installers, mechanical heating system 
installers and maintenance technicians and building energy inspectors. 
Sec. B-2.  35-A MRSA §10119, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A.  Weatherization rebate program for certain persons.  The trust by rule shall 
establish a program that provides rebates to persons eligible under this subsection for 
costs incurred when installing cost-effective weatherization measures.  To be eligible for 
a rebate under this subsection, a person must: 
A.  Be receiving social security retirement benefits under the United States Social 
Security Act of 1935, as amended; 
B.  Have served in the United States Armed Forces and received an honorable 
discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions if the discharge was not 
upgraded through a program of general amnesty; 
C.  Have served in the Maine National Guard; 
D.  Have served in the Reserve Components of the United States Armed Forces and 
be entitled to retired pay under 10 United States Code, Chapter 1223 or be entitled to 
retired pay under Chapter 1223 when the person reaches 60 years of age; 
E.  Have served in the Active Guard Reserve; or 
F.  Be the spouse, surviving spouse, unmarried minor child, unmarried dependent 
child enrolled in secondary school or unmarried adult child who became incapable of 
self-support before reaching 18 years of age on account of mental or physical 
disabilities of a person eligible under paragraphs B to E. 
The trust by rule may establish the amount of the rebate and additional eligibility criteria. 
The trust shall provide a separate accounting of the total deposits into and expenditures 
from the fund for this program in its report pursuant to section 10104, subsection 5, 
paragraph B, subparagraph (3). 
Sec. B-3.  Contingent on bond issue.  This Part takes effect only if the bond 
issue authorized under Part A is approved by the voters of this State. 
SUMMARY 
This bill directs the Efficiency Maine Trust to establish a weatherization rebate 
program for persons who receive social security retirement benefits or are veterans or 
dependents of veterans if a $75,000,000 general obligation bond to fund the program is 
approved by referendum.