An Act To Establish the Maine Length of Service Award Program
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0164
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: EVANGELOS, DUTREMBLE, GINZLER, KRUGER, KUMIEGA, LAJOIE, MAKER, SHAW, STANLEY, MIRAMANT
Amends: 5 MRSA §3372, 5 MRSA §12004-G, 36 MRSA §1811

Legislative Document 
No. 164 
H.P. 122 
House of Representatives, January 27, 2015 
An Act To Establish the Maine Length of Service Award Program 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
ROBERT B. HUNT 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative EVANGELOS of Friendship. 
Cosponsored by Senator DUTREMBLE of York and 
Representatives: GINZLER of Bridgton, KRUGER of Thomaston, KUMIEGA of Deer Isle, 
LAJOIE of Lewiston, MAKER of Calais, SHAW of Standish, STANLEY of Medway, 
Senator: MIRAMANT of Knox. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §3372 is enacted to read: 
§3372.  Maine Length of Service Award Program 
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A.  "Accrued service award" means the total value, as of a given date, of a 
participant's program account. 
B.  "Board" means the Maine Length of Service Award Program Board of Trustees. 
C.  "Bona fide volunteer" has the same meaning as in the United States Internal 
Revenue Code, Section 457(e)(11). 
D.  "Eligible volunteer" means a bona fide volunteer performing qualified services in 
a municipal fire department if that bona fide volunteer is: 
(1)  A firefighter who is an active part-time or on-call member of a municipal fire 
department or a volunteer firefighter; or 
(2)  An emergency medical services person who provides on-call, part-time or 
volunteer emergency medical treatment under the direction of the chief of a 
municipal fire department and who is duly licensed under rules and protocols 
established by the Emergency Medical Services' Board pursuant to Title 32, 
section 88. 
E.  "Emergency medical services person" means any person who routinely provides 
emergency medical treatment to the sick or injured. 
F.  "Emergency medical treatment" has the same meaning as in Title 32, section 83, 
subsection 13. 
G.  "Municipal fire department" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 3151, 
subsection 1. 
H.  "Participant" means a person who participates in the program. 
I.  "Program" means the Maine Length of Service Award Program established in 
subsection 2. 
J.  "Program account" means a separate account maintained for each participant 
reflecting applicable contributions, applicable forfeitures, investment income or loss 
as well as administrative and investment expenses allocated to each participant and 
distributions paid from the account. 
K.  "Program trust fund" means a trust fund established by the board into which all 
contributions to the program are deposited. 
L.  "Qualified services" has the same meaning as in the United States Internal 
Revenue Code, Section 457(e)(11). 
M.  "Volunteer firefighter" has the same meaning as in Title 30-A, section 3151, 
subsection 4. 
2.  Program established.  The Maine Length of Service Award Program is 
established to provide paid length of service awards to eligible volunteers.  The program 
is administered by the board as set out in this section. 
3.  Board of trustees.  The following provisions govern the Maine Length of Service 
Award Program Board of Trustees, which is establish to oversee the program. 
A.  The board, as established in section 12004-G, subsection 30-E, is composed of 7 
trustees, as follows: 
(1)  Four persons who are eligible volunteers, appointed by the Governor.  Three 
of the persons appointed under this subparagraph must be selected from a list of 6 
nominees submitted by a statewide federation of firefighters; 
(2)  A chief of a municipal fire department, appointed by the Governor and 
selected from a list of 3 nominees submitted by a statewide association of fire 
chiefs; 
(3)  A person who is qualified through training or experience in the field of 
investments, accounting, banking or insurance or who is an actuary, appointed by 
the Governor; and 
(4)  A person designated by a statewide municipal association. 
B.  The board shall elect from its membership a chair. 
C.  The terms of the trustees are determined as follows. 
(1)  Each trustee serves a term of 3 years. 
(2)  A trustee continues to serve after the expiration of that trustee's term until a 
successor is appointed and qualified, but the trustee's continuation as a trustee 
does not change the expiration date of the trustee's term. 
(3)  The term of a trustee appointed to succeed a trustee whose term has expired 
begins on the day after the expiration date of the 3-year term of the previous 
trustee, regardless of the effective date of the new appointment. 
(4)  An appointment to any vacancy caused by death, resignation or ineligibility 
is for the unexpired portion of the term. 
D.  The necessary expenses incurred by the board in the operation of the program 
must be paid according to the purpose for which they are incurred from the assets of 
the program trust fund. 
E.  The Attorney General or an assistant designated by the Attorney General is legal 
advisor to the board. 
F.  The board shall keep a record of all its proceedings, which: 
(1)  Must comply with the requirements of section 8056, subsection 5 and 
sections 9059 and 9061, to the extent those laws are applicable; and 
(2)  Must be open to public inspection. 
4.  Program administration.  The program is administered by the board.  The board 
shall contract with firms to provide administration, investment, custodial, trustee and 
auditing services for the program. 
5.  Participation eligibility.  An eligible volunteer may participate in the program. 
6.  Participation commencement.  Unless an eligible volunteer waives the right of 
participation pursuant to subsection 7, the eligible volunteer becomes a participant on the 
last day of the first calendar year during which the eligible volunteer meets the service 
credit requirements set forth in subsection 8 during a calendar year beginning after 
December 31, 2015. 
7.  Waiver of participation.  An eligible volunteer may waive the right to participate 
in the program by filing with the board a written, signed and irrevocable waiver of 
participation that is signed by the fire chief, as described in Title 30-A, section 3153, of a 
municipal fire department of which the eligible volunteer is a member. 
8.  Service credit.  Service credit may be allowed in the program only for volunteer 
emergency service rendered as an eligible volunteer.  The requirements to be met by an 
eligible volunteer to earn one year of service credit must be set forth in rules adopted by 
the board pursuant to subsection 21 and may be amended from time to time at the 
discretion of the board. 
9.  Procedure for reporting service credit.  A municipal fire department shall 
submit a list of all persons who were eligible volunteers during a calendar year to the 
board for review and approval by May 1st following the end of that calendar year.  The 
list must indicate which eligible volunteers earned service credit during the calendar year 
and must be prepared, certified under oath by the fire chief of the municipal fire 
department, posted in the fire department for at least 30 days and then submitted to and 
received by the board by May 1st.  During the 30-day posting period, an eligible 
volunteer must be given the opportunity to dispute the service credit shown for the 
eligible volunteer in accordance with law.  The fire chief shall indicate in writing to the 
board that the list was posted for at least 30 days and that all disputes regarding the 
service credit shown on the list as having been earned during the year have been resolved.  
The board, at its sole discretion, may audit a list prepared by a municipal fire department 
under this subsection.  If the list is not received by the board by May 1st, a contribution 
may not be credited to the program account of any eligible volunteer whose name was or 
should have been reported on the list as having earned one year of service credit during 
the calendar year, except as provided in subsection 12. 
10.  Contributions to the program.  For each calendar year beginning after 
December 31, 2015, the program trust fund must accept contributions, if any, from the 
following: 
A.  The State; 
B.  A municipality; 
C.  A municipal fire department or a fire company or volunteer organization 
associated with a municipal fire department; 
D.  The Federal Government; and 
E.  A participant, after the United States Internal Revenue Code is amended and any 
required rules and regulations are issued by the United States Internal Revenue 
Service to allow defined contribution length of service award programs to be treated 
as deferred compensation plans under the United States Internal Revenue Code, 
Section 457.  Until the United States Internal Revenue Code is so amended, the board 
shall contract with a firm to offer individual retirement accounts to participants. 
The annual contributions, if any, for a given calendar year must be deposited into the 
program trust fund before the following July 1st. 
The portion of the annual contributions credited to a program account of a participant 
who has attained the entitlement age as described in subsection 14 and has been paid the 
participant's accrued service award must be determined in the same manner as the portion 
of the annual contributions credited to a program account of a participant who has not 
attained the entitlement age. 
Except for the limit on the amount of the annual contributions credited to a participant's 
program account set forth in the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 457, there 
is no other limit or restriction on the amount credited to a participant's program account 
for any calendar year. 
Beginning October 1, 2016 and every October 1st thereafter, the State Controller shall 
transfer to the program trust fund an amount, as certified by the State Tax Assessor, that 
is equivalent to 1/2 of the sales tax imposed on the sale of consumer fireworks pursuant to 
Title 36, section 1811 in the prior fiscal year starting on the effective date of this 
subsection. 
11.  Subaccounts.  A participant's program account consists of the following 
subaccounts: 
A.  A state subaccount, which is an account of a participant reflecting applicable state 
contributions, forfeitures, investment income or loss as well as administrative and 
investment expenses allocated to the subaccount and distributions paid from the 
subaccount.  A participant's state subaccount is subject to the vesting schedule set 
forth in subsection 12. 
(1)  For a given calendar year, the total state contribution, if any, must be 
allocated equally to the state subaccounts of the participants who earned one year 
of service credit during that calendar year. 
(2)  Forfeitures from a participant's state subaccount must be added to and 
allocated as state contributions as designated by the State in the calendar year in 
which the forfeitures are determined to occur pursuant to subsection 13; 
B.  A municipal subaccount, which is an account of a participant derived from 
contributions from a specific municipality to the program.  A participant's municipal 
subaccount must reflect the respective contributions from that municipality along 
with forfeitures, investment income or loss as well as administrative and investment 
expenses allocated to the subaccount and distributions paid from the subaccount.  A 
participant's municipal subaccount is subject to the vesting schedule set forth in 
subsection 12. 
(1)  For a given calendar year, the total contribution from a specific municipality, 
if any, must be allocated equally to the municipal subaccounts of the participants 
who are eligible volunteers of that municipality and who earned one year of 
service credit during that calendar year. 
(2)  Forfeitures from a participant's municipal subaccount must be added to and 
allocated as municipal contributions as designated by the municipality in the 
calendar year in which the forfeitures are determined to occur pursuant to 
subsection 13; 
C.  A municipal fire department subaccount, which is an account of a participant 
derived from contributions from a specific municipal fire department or a fire 
company or volunteer organization associated with a municipal fire department to the 
program.  A participant's municipal fire department subaccount must reflect the 
respective contributions from that municipal fire department or fire company or 
volunteer organization associated with a municipal fire department along with 
forfeitures, investment income or loss as well as administrative and investment 
expenses allocated to the subaccount and distributions paid from the subaccount.  A 
participant's municipal fire department subaccount is subject to the vesting schedule 
set forth in subsection 12. 
(1)  For a given calendar year, the total contribution from a specific municipal 
fire department or a fire company or volunteer organization associated with a 
municipal fire department, if any, must be allocated equally to the municipal fire 
department subaccounts of the participants who are eligible volunteers of that 
municipal fire department or fire company or volunteer organization associated 
with a municipal fire department and who earned one year of service credit 
during that calendar year. 
(2)  Forfeitures from a participant's municipal fire department subaccount must 
be added to and allocated as municipal fire department contributions as 
designated by the municipal fire department or fire company or volunteer 
organization associated with a municipal fire department in the calendar year in 
which the forfeitures are determined to occur pursuant to subsection 13; 
D.  A Federal Government subaccount, which is an account of a participant reflecting 
applicable Federal Government contributions, forfeitures, investment income or loss 
as well as administrative and investment expenses allocated to the subaccount and 
distributions from the subaccount.  Unless otherwise specified in federal law, a 
participant's Federal Government subaccount is subject to the vesting schedule set 
forth in subsection 12. 
(1)  Unless otherwise specified in federal law, for a given calendar year, the total 
contribution from the Federal Government, if any, must be allocated equally to 
the Federal Government subaccounts of the participants who earned one year of 
service credit during that calendar year. 
(2)  Unless otherwise specified in federal law, forfeitures from a participant's 
Federal Government subaccount must be added to and allocated as Federal 
Government contributions as designated by the Federal Government in the 
calendar year in which the forfeitures are determined to occur pursuant to 
subsection 13; and 
E.  A participant contribution subaccount.  If the United States Internal Revenue 
Code is amended and any required rules and regulations are issued by the United 
States Internal Revenue Service to allow defined contribution length of service award 
programs to be treated as deferred compensation plans under the United States 
Internal Revenue Code, Section 457, a participant may elect to make participant 
contributions to the program.  A participant contribution subaccount must reflect the 
respective contributions from a participant along with investment income or loss as 
well as administrative and investment expenses allocated to the subaccount and 
distributions paid from the subaccount.  A participant contribution subaccount must 
be 100% vested at all times. 
12.  Vesting schedule for a participant's accrued service award.  A participant's 
accrued service award becomes vested as set out in this subsection. 
A.  If the participant has less than 5 years of service credit, the vested percentage is 
0%. 
B.  If the participant has 5 or more years of service credit, the vested percentage is 
100%. 
In determining an individual participant's years of service credit for the purpose of 
vesting, all years of service credit earned as a participant in the program must be counted.  
Failure to submit the annual eligible volunteer listing to the board under subsection 9 by 
the required date for any calendar year does not result in the forfeiture of the certified 
service credit reported to the board for an eligible volunteer. 
All calendar years, up to 5 years, ending before January 1, 2016 during which the 
participant was an eligible volunteer for the entire calendar year count for vesting service 
credit. 
13.  Forfeiture of a participant's accrued service award.  The nonvested portion of 
a participant's accrued service award is permanently forfeited effective as of December 
31st of the calendar year during which the participant has not been an eligible volunteer 
for 36 consecutive months.  Service credit earned by a participant is never forfeited. 
14.  Entitlement age.  The entitlement age for a participant is the earlier of: 
A.  Sixty-five years of age or the person's age on the next January 1st after becoming 
a participant in the program if the person is 65 years of age or older; and 
B.  The age of a participant as of the end of the calendar year after earning 20 years 
of service credit. 
15.  Payment to participant of accrued service award.  The following provisions 
govern the payment to a participant of an accrued service award. 
A.  Upon the attainment of the entitlement age as described in subsection 14, a 
participant must be paid the vested portion of the participant's accrued service award.  
A participant who attains the entitlement age while an eligible volunteer and before 
attaining a 100% vested status must be paid the participant's accrued service award as 
of December 31st of the calendar year during which the participant achieved a 100% 
vested status.  A participant who attains the entitlement age before 65 years of age 
may on or before attaining the entitlement age file a written election with the board to 
defer payment of the participant's accrued service award until attainment of 65 years 
of age. 
B.  As of the last day of the first calendar year during which a participant has no 
longer been an eligible volunteer for at least 36 consecutive months, the vested 
portion of the participant's accrued service award must be paid to the participant. 
C.  A participant who has been determined to be totally and permanently disabled by 
the United States Social Security Administration, any workers' compensation board, 
any insurance company, any state retirement system, any pension plan administrator 
or any other entity approved by the board must be paid that participant's accrued 
service award as soon as administratively feasible after all documentation required by 
the board to verify and determine total and permanent disablement is submitted to the 
board and the disability payment is awarded by the board. 
D.  Should a participant die before attaining the entitlement age, the participant's 
designated beneficiary or estate if no acceptable beneficiary designation form has 
been filed with the board by the participant must upon application to the board be 
paid the participant's accrued service award as soon as administratively feasible after 
all required documentation is submitted to the board. 
E.  The portion of the annual contribution credited to the program account of a post-
entitlement age participant must be immediately paid to the participant if the 
participant has achieved a 100% vested status in the program.  If the post-entitlement 
age participant has not achieved a 100% vested status in the program, that 
participant's accrued service award must be paid to the participant as soon as 
administratively feasible after December 31st of the calendar year during which the 
participant achieved a 100% vested status. 
16.  Investment of program funds.  The board shall establish a program trust fund 
within which the funds paid into the program must be deposited.  A participant shall 
select investments for the amounts credited to the participant's program account from a 
menu of investment options.  Distributions of accrued service awards must be made from 
the program trust fund in accordance with the program provisions.  The program trust 
fund must be established and maintained in accordance with applicable sections of the 
United States Internal Revenue Code.  Subject to review and approval by the Treasurer of 
State, the program trust fund investment options made available to participants must be 
selected by the board. 
17.  Program audits.  At the discretion of the State, either a state agency or a firm 
retained by the State shall audit the program at least once every 5 years. 
18.  Notice of changes to laws governing the program.  Within 180 days after the 
effective date of legislation that changes the laws governing the program, a written notice 
and explanation of these changes must be distributed by the board to all persons who 
participate or are eligible to participate in the program.  Copies of this written notice and 
explanation must be available upon request to the board to all other persons. 
19.  Program termination.  Within 360 days after the effective date of legislation 
terminating the program, each program participant must be paid the participant's entire 
accrued service award to the date of payment in a single lump sum.  Beneficiaries of 
deceased participants must be paid any amount owed to them under the program in the 
same manner within the same 360-day period. 
20.  Program trust fund governed by certain provisions.  Until the United States 
Internal Revenue Code is amended to treat defined contribution length of service award 
programs as deferred compensation plans under the United States Internal Revenue Code, 
Section 457, the program trust fund must be governed by all required provisions to ensure 
that a participating eligible volunteer or the eligible volunteer's beneficiary is not subject 
to federal income taxation on an accrued service award until actual receipt of payment by 
the participant or the beneficiary.  After the United States Internal Revenue Code is so 
amended, the State and the board shall take all required actions to ensure the program 
complies with the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 457 and the related 
United States Internal Revenue Service regulations. 
21.  Rules.  The board shall adopt rules, which are routine technical rules pursuant to 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, pertaining to the administration of the program. 
Sec. 2.  5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§30-E is enacted to read: 
30-E.   
Sec. 3.  36 MRSA §1811, first ¶, as repealed and replaced by PL 2013, c. 588, Pt. 
E, §11, is amended to read: 
A tax is imposed on the value of all tangible personal property, products transferred 
electronically and taxable services sold at retail in this State.  The rate of tax is 7% on the 
value of liquor sold in licensed establishments as defined in Title 28-A, section 2, 
subsection 15, in accordance with Title 28-A, chapter 43; 7% on the value of rental of 
living quarters in any hotel, rooming house or tourist or trailer camp; 10% on the value of 
rental for a period of less than one year of an automobile, of a pickup truck or van with a 
gross vehicle weight of less than 26,000 pounds rented from a person primarily engaged 
in the business of renting automobiles or of a loaner vehicle that is provided other than to 
a motor vehicle dealer's service customers pursuant to a manufacturer’s or dealer’s 
warranty; 10% on the value of consumer fireworks, as defined in Title 8, section 221-A, 
subsection 1-A; 7% on the value of prepared food; and 5% on the value of all other 
Public Safety 
Maine Length of 
Service Award 
Program Board of 
Trustees 
Expenses Only 
MRSA §3372 
tangible personal property and taxable services and products transferred electronically.  
Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, from October 1, 2013 to June 30, 
2015, the rate of tax is 8% on the value of rental of living quarters in any hotel, rooming 
house or tourist or trailer camp; 8% on the value of prepared food; 8% on the value of 
liquor sold in licensed establishments as defined in Title 28-A, section 2, subsection 15, 
in accordance with Title 28-A, chapter 43; and 5.5% on the value of all other tangible 
personal property and taxable services and products transferred electronically.  Value is 
measured by the sale price, except as otherwise provided. The value of rental for a period 
of less than one year of an automobile or of a pickup truck or van with a gross vehicle 
weight of less than 26,000 pounds rented from a person primarily engaged in the business 
of renting automobiles is the total rental charged to the lessee and includes, but is not 
limited to, maintenance and service contracts, drop-off or pick-up fees, airport 
surcharges, mileage fees and any separately itemized charges on the rental agreement to 
recover the owner’s estimated costs of the charges imposed by government authority for 
title fees, inspection fees, local excise tax and agent fees on all vehicles in its rental fleet 
registered in the State.  All fees must be disclosed when an estimated quote is provided to 
the lessee. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the framework for a statewide pension-type program under 
which "bona fide volunteers" as defined in the United States Internal Revenue Code are 
paid length of service awards for performing qualified services.  "Qualified services" is 
defined under the United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 457(e)(11) to mean "fire 
fighting and prevention services, emergency medical services, and ambulance services."  
Under the program, volunteers have a program account that would be credited with an 
annual contribution deposited no later than the following July 1st for each year during 
which the volunteer participated in a minimum required level of volunteer activities set 
forth by the Maine Length of Service Award Program Board of Trustees established in 
this bill.  Upon the attainment of 65 years of age or after having earned 20 years of 
service credit before 65 years of age, a volunteer who had attained a vested status in the 
program by having earned 5 years of service credit would be paid the contributions 
credited to that volunteer's program account plus the net investment income earned on 
those contributions.  The vested portion of the program account award of a participating 
volunteer must be paid before the volunteer reaches 65 years of age if the volunteer 
ceases to perform qualified services for 36 consecutive months.  The program account 
balance of a participating volunteer is also payable before 65 years of age upon death or 
total and permanent disablement. 
This bill authorizes the State, political subdivisions and emergency services providers 
within the State as well as emergency services volunteers to participate in the funding of 
this program.  Participation in the program funding is optional for any prospective 
contributor, and the amount contributed may vary from year to year by a contributor 
based on available funds.  If federal funds become available for the program, the program 
must accept those funds as well. 
This bill raises the sales tax on consumer fireworks to 10% and dedicates the revenue 
from the increase to the program. 
Under this bill, the Maine Length of Service Award Program Board of Trustees 
contracts with private sector firms to provide administration, investment, custodial, 
trustee and auditing services for the program. 
Until the United States Internal Revenue Code is amended to provide that programs 
under which length of service awards are paid to emergency services volunteers may be 
treated as United States Internal Revenue Code, Section 457 plans of deferred 
compensation, the program in this bill must comply with the current applicable sections 
of the Internal Revenue Code.