An Act To Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for Legislators
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0398
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: CHENETTE
Amends: 3 MRSA §2, 3 MRSA §2-B

Legislative Document 
No. 398 
H.P. 273 
House of Representatives, February 12, 2013 
An Act To Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for 
Legislators 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CHENETTE of Saco. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  3 MRSA §2, 3rd ¶, as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §1, 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 $1,500, $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 Senate or the House of Representatives may elect to receive 
the first payment of the annual allowance for 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. 
Sec. 2.  3 MRSA §2, 8th ¶, as amended by PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. A, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
The member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, the member of the Passamaquoddy 
Indian Tribe and, beginning with the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature, 
the member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians elected to represent their tribes at 
the Legislature are entitled to receive a salary equal to the salary of members of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives, including a cost-of-living adjustment, for each 
regular session and allowance for meals, constituent service, housing and travel expenses 
to the same extent as members of the House of Representatives for attendance at each 
legislative session or authorized committee meeting. For the duration of any special 
session of the Legislature, they are entitled to receive the same per diem payment and 
allowances, including housing, meal and travel expenses, as any member of the Senate 
and House of Representatives. 
Sec. 3.  3 MRSA §2-B, sub-§2, ¶B, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 506, §1, is 
amended to read: 
B.  The recommendations of the commission for all regular and special sessions of 
the next Legislature concerning: 
(1)  Compensation of Legislators and representatives of Indian tribes, including, 
but not limited to, all payments for: salaries, meals, housing, travel, mileage and 
all other expenses and allowances; and additional service as President of the 
Senate, as Speaker of the House or as a member of leadership; and for constituent 
services; and 
(2)  Compensation for the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Treasurer 
of State and the State Auditor; 
SUMMARY 
This bill eliminates the constituent services allowance for Legislators.