An Act To Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for Legislators
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0398
Committee Amendment CA_A_H426 (House)
Amends: 3 MRSA §2

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 273, L.D. 398, Bill, "An Act To 
Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for Legislators" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Allow Legislators To Opt Out of the Constituent Services Allowance and 
Require Those Who Receive the Allowance To Submit Expense Records' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §2, 3rd " as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, § I, is amended 
to read: 
Except as provided in this section, each member of the Senate and House of 
Representatives is entitled to a meal allowance in the amount of $32 and a housing 
allowance in the amount of $38 for each day in attendance at sessions of the Legislature 
and for each day the member occupies overnight accommodations away from home either 
immediately preceding or immediately following attendance at daily sessions of the 
Legislature. 
The presiding officers may establish reasonable policies regarding 
allowances for meals and overnight accommodations for the day immediately preceding 
the session, which may include policies regarding whether an allowance is paid, whether 
the full amount or a portion of the statutory allowance is paid and whether receipts are 
required. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member is entitled to a daily 
meal allowance in the amount of $32 and actual daily mileage allowances in an amount 
up to but not exceeding $38 per day. Each member of the Senate also receives an annual 
allowance for constituent services in the amount of $2,000, $1,300 in January and $700 in 
the month following adjournment of the regular session. Each member of the House of 
Representatives also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the amount 
of$I,500, $1,005 in January and $495 in the month following adjournment of the regular 
session. Notwithstanding this section, during the first regular session of each legislative 
biennium, a member of the SI~nate or the House of Representatives may elect to opt out of 
the annual allowance for constituent services prior to the automatic disbursement of the 
first payment in January or elect to receive the first payment of the annual allowance for 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
v..o~r 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·A" to H.P. 273, L.D. 398 
constituent services in December following convening of the Legislature by notifying the 
Executive Director of the Legislative Council in the manner prescribed by the executive 
director. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall inform Legislators of 
the choice available for payment of the allowance for constituent services in the first year 
of the legislative biennium and of any tax implications associated with exercising that 
choice. A member of the Senate or the House of Representatives who elects to receive 
the allowances for constituent services shall keep records of all financial transactions 
made using the allowances from the date of receipt of the first allowance through April 
st of the 2nd year of the legislative biennium and submit by April 15th of that year an 
electronic record of those transactions to the Executive Director of the Legislative 
Council. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall make available upon 
request and free of charge records of all financial transactions made with the annual 
allowance for constituent services by a member of the Senate or the House of 
Representatives.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the minority report of the committee. It changes the title and 
strikes and replaces the bill and provides that a Legislator may opt out of receiving the 
constituent services allowance. The amendment also provides that a Legislator who 
elects to receive the constituent services allowance must keep a record of expenses paid 
for with the allowance through April 1 st of the 2nd year of the legislative biennium. The 
record must be submitted by April 15th of that year to the Executive Director of the 
Legislative Council, and the executive director must make the records available upon 
request and free of charge. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
• 
Approved: 06/02/13 
;t?aC*-
LD398 
LR 914(02) 
An Act To Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for Legislators 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A' t.. tl- y.. d. &; ) 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium savings - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
If Legislators choose to opt out of receiving the annual allowance for constituent services, the Legislature would 
realize General Fund savings of $3,000 for each representative and $4,000 for each senator who opts out. 
The Legislature can absorb the costs associated with processing records submitted by legislators detailing their 
expenditures and making the records available to the public free of charge utilizing existing budgeted resources. 
LR0914(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1