An Act To Protect Earned Pay
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0675
Committee Amendment CA_A_H215 (House)
Amends: 26 MRSA §1

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 456, L.D. 675, Bill, "An Act To 
Protect Earned Pay" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1l93, sub-§5, ~A-l, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 645, §8, is 
amended to read: 
A-I. Any vacation pay in an amount exceeding the equivalent of -4- 12 weeks' wages 
for that individual; or 
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Employment Security Services 0245 
Initiative: Allocates one-time funds to update the unemployment consortium system and 
revise current publications. 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL 
2015-16 
$96,943 
$96,943 
2016-17 
$0 
$0 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on 
Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development, retains the offset eliminated in 
the bill for unemployment compensation benefits for holiday pay and vacation pay as 
specified in current law, but limits the offset for vacation pay to vacation pay in excess of 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROFS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "Pr' to H.P. 456, L.D. 675 
weeks instead of 4 weeks as under current law. 
The amendment also adds an 
appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05118/15 
wa~ 
.. 127th MAINE LEGISLATURE 
LD 675 
LR 1302(02) 
An Act To Protect Earned Pay 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment !/:t' (H -~ lS) 
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund 
Future biennium revenue increase - Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund 
Current biennium cost increase - All Funds 
FY 2015-16 
FY 2016-17 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Federal Expenditures Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$96,943 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Increasing the amount of vacation time that is exempt from being included as deductible income when calculating a 
claimant's unemployment compensation benefit amount from the equivalent of 4 weeks to the equivalent of 12 weeks 
will increase costs to the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 due to an 
increase in benefit payments. According to information provided by the Department of Labor, had this provision been 
in place in 2014, the estimated increase in benefit costs would have been between $120,000 and $200,000. 
This expansion of benefits may potentially affect the contribution rate schedule in future biennia. The impact to all 
employers and the timing of the impact can not be determined at this time and will depend on the level of benefits 
paid, contributions received and the balance of the trust fund when the contribution schedule is calculated. 
This bill may increase unemployment costs for executive branch departments and agencies that are in direct 
reimbursement status. Although the amount will depend on actual experience, the Department of Labor estimates 
that, had this provision been in place in 2014, the additional cost to the State would have been approximately $5,858. 
An analysis of the State's unemployment benefit expenditures for fiscal year 2013-14 indicates that approximately 
49.8% were from the General Fund, 21.1 % were from Other Special Revenue Funds and 13.9% were from the 
Highway Fund. 
This bill includes a one-time Federal Expenditures Fund allocation of $96,943 in fiscal year 2015-16 to the 
Employment Security Services program within the Department of Labor for the costs associated with updating its 
unemployment consortium system and for revising its publications. 
LR1302(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1