An Act To Change the Voting Requirements for the Withdrawal of a Municipality from a Regional School Unit
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0783
Committee Amendment CA_A_H552 (House)
Amends: 20-A MRSA §1466

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " f+. to H.P. 534, L.D. 783, Bill, "An Act To 
Change the Voting Requirements for the Withdrawal of a Municipality from a Regional 
School Unit" 
Amend the bill by striking (Jut all of section 1. 
Amend the bill by striking cut all of section 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 20-A MRS A §1466, sub-§9-A, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 678, Pt. J, §2, 
is amended to read: 
9-A. Required vote; exception for a municipality of a school administrative 
district that was reformulated as a regional school unit. A 2/3 vote of those casting 
valid votes in the municipality is required before a municipality that is a member 
municipality of a school administrative district that was reformulated as a regional school 
unit pursuant to Public Law 2007, chapter 240, Part XXXX, section 36, subsection 12 
may withdraw from the regional school unit. 
This s\it:)seetioH is repealed Jam:lary 1, 2015.' 
Amend the bill by striking (Jut all of section 6 and inserting in its place the following: 
'Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §1466, sub-§13, as amended by PL 2013, c. 167, Pt. A, §2, 
is further amended to read: 
13. 
Determination of rt~sults; execution of agreement. 
Except for a school 
administrative district that was reformulated as a regional school unit pursuant to Public 
Law 2007, chapter 240, Part XXXX, section 36, subsection 12, if the commissioner finds 
that a majority of the voters voting on the article has voted in the affirmative aHa the total 
Hl::lfl'lber of votes cast for and agaiHst the article equal or e~(ceed 50% of the total Hl::lfl'lber 
of votes cast is the fRUsicipality for Governor at the last guaematorial electioH, the 
commissioner shall notify the municipal officers and the regional school unit board to 
take steps for the withdrawal in accordance with the terms of the agreement for 
withdrawal. For a municipality that is part of a school administrative district that was 
reformulated as a regional school unit pursuant to Public Law 2007, chapter 240, Part 
COMMI'TTEE AMENDMENT 
~ ". 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 534, LD. 783 
XXXX, section 36, subsection 12, if the commissioner finds that at least 2/3 of the votes 
validly cast in the municipality are in the affirmative, the commissioner shall notify the 
municipal officers and the regional school unit board to take steps for the withdrawal in 
accordance with the terms of the agreement for withdrawal. 
This stH3se6tisa is repealed JafR:lai)' 1, 2015.' 
Amend the bill by adding after section 7 the following: 
'Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCA TION, DEPARTMENT OF 
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308 
Initiative: Provides funds for the State's share of the increased cost of K-12 public 
education as a result of municipalities withdrawing from regional school units. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
School Finance and Operations Z078 
2013-14 
$0 
$0 
2014-15 
$643,500 
$643,500 
Initiative: Provides funds for one Education Specialist II position and one Education 
Specialist III position and related all other costs through June 30, 2016 to support the 
anticipated increase in workload associated with the withdrawal process of individual 
municipalities from regional school units. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2013-14 
2014-15 
2.000 
2.000 
$174,087 
$178,910 
$4,316 
$4,016 
$178,403 
$182,926 
2013-14 
2014-15 
$178,403 
$826,426 
$178,403 
$826,426 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~.~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT'~ "to H.P. 534, L.D. 783 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is~he majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs, strikes the provision in the bil1 that requires that a 
facilitator to oversee negotiations must be appointed if, after 90 days of its formation, the 
withdrawal committee that is selected by the municipality seeking to withdraw from the 
regional school unit fails to reach an agreement with the regional school unit. 
The 
amendment also updates a section of law that was amended in Public Law 2013, chapter 
167, Part A, section 2 to avoid a conflict. The amendment also adds an appropriations 
and allocations section. 
li'ISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMfrTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/17/13 P,a-c 
LD783 
LR 125(02) 
An Act To Change the Voting Requirements for the Withdrawal of a Municipality from a Regional 
School Unit 
) \ 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 11' (H- 5~ 
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations! Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY2013-14 
FY2014-15 
$178,403 
$826,426 
$178,403 
$826,426 
Projections 
FY 2015-16 
$1,474,882 
$1,474,882 
Projections 
FY2016-17 
$1,287,000 
$1,287,000 
This bill includes General Fund appropriations totaling $178,403 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $826,426 in fiscal year 
2014-15 for the costs associated with changes to the provisions in current law regarding municipalities withdrawing 
from regional school units (RSU's). 
The General Fund appropriations include $178,403 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $182,926 in fiscal year 2014-15 to the 
School Finance and Operations Program within the Department of Education for one Education Specialist II position 
and one Education Specialist III position and related all other costs to support the anticipated increase in workload 
associated with the process of municipalities withdrawing from regional school units. This fiscal note assumes that 
the increased workload will subside in fiscal year 2016-17 and these positions will end. 
The General Fund appropriations also include $643,500 to the General Purpose Aid to Local Schools program within 
the Department of Education for the State's share of the increased cost ofK-12 public education as a result of 
municipalities withdrawing from regional school units. This fiscal note assumes that voters in 25% of municipalities 
that are part of regional school units will vote to withdraw from an RSU in fiscal year 2014-15 and an additional 25% 
will vote to withdraw in fiscal year 2015-16, resulting in additional administrative costs to these local school 
administrative units. 
LROI25(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1