An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1208
Committee Amendment CA_A_H140 (House)
Amends: 37-B MRSA §505

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "f} " to H.P. 844, L.D. 1208, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Veterans Service Laws" 
Amend the bill by inse1iing after the title and before the enacting clause the 
following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, under current law, veterans in the State experiencing crises are eligible to 
receive financial assistance, distributed by the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' 
Services; and 
Whereas, the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services currently has no 
authority to administer emergency funds; and 
Whereas, funds recently appropriated for the purpose of providing veterans with 
this financial assistance must be placed in a fund to be administered by the director; and 
Whereas, veterans are experiencing crises now, for which financial assistance is 
immediately necessmy; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessmy for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 and inse1iing the following: 
'Sec. 4. 37-B MRSA §505, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B. Veterans Temporary Emergency Assistance Fund. The Veterans Temporary 
Emergency Assistance Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a 
dedicated, nonlapsing Other Special Revenue Funds account in the bureau. The fund is 
administered and used by the director for the purposes of offering financial assistance to 
veterans as prescribed by subsection 1-A, paragraphs A and B. ' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT" It" to H.P. 844, L.D. 1208 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the following: 
'Sec. 6. Maine Revised Statutes amended; revision clause. Wherever in the 
Maine Revised Statutes the words "Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services" appear, they are 
amended to read "Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services" and the Revisor of Statutes shall 
implement this revision when updating, publishing or republishing the statutes. 
Sec. 7. 
Transfer from General Fund unappropriated surplus; 
Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Veterans 
Temporary Emergency Assistance Fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, the State Controller shall transfer $375,000 from the General Fund unappropriated 
surplus to the Veterans Temporary Emergency Assistance Fund, Other Special Revenue 
Funds account within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management 
no later than June 30, 2017. 
Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT 
OF 
Veterans Services 0110 
Initiative: Reduces funding previously appropriated in Public Law 2017, chapter 2, Part 
A. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Veterans Services 0110 
2016-17 
($375,000) 
($375,000) 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
$0 
$0 
Initiative: Establishes the Veterans Temporaty Emergency Assistance Fund and provides 
an allocation to provide financial assistance to veterans. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE 
FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE 
FUNDS TOTAL 
2016-17 
$375,000 
$375,000 
2017-18 
$500 
$500 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2018-19 
$500 
$500 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "4" to H.P. 844, L.D. 1208 
DEFENSE, VETERANS AND 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2016-17 
GENERAL FUND 
($375,000) 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE 
$375,000 
FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL 
$0 
FUNDS 
2017-18 
2018-19 
$0 
$0 
$500 
$500 
$500 
$500 . 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Patt letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause to the bill. The 
bill repeals current law governing how the Depmtment of Defense, Veterans and 
Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services issues temporary financial 
assistance to veterans in financial crises and in its place authorizes the bureau to provide 
grants to private organizations for the purpose of providing financial assistance to 
veterans. The amendment strikes that provision and establishes an account within the 
bureau for the purpose of issuing temporary emergency financial assistance to veterans 
and provides for a transfer of $375,000 from the administrative account of the bureau to 
the Other Special Revenue Funds account established by the amendment. 
The 
amendment adds a revision clause to change the name of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' 
Services to the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services throughout the Maine Revised 
Statutes. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/23/17 .::wac. 
LD 1208 
LR 778(02) 
An Act To Amend the Veterans Service Laws 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,A{ /-/-If~ 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2016-17 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
Projections 
FY2019-20 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
($375,000) 
$375,000 
$0 
$500 
$0 
$500 
$0 
$500 
$0 
$500 
Transfers 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
($375,000) 
$375,000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
The bill includes a General Fund deappropriation of $375,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 to the Department of Defense, 
Veterans and Emergency Management. It also includes a transfer from the unappropriated surplus of the General 
Fund of $375,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 to the newly created Veteran Temporary Emergency Assistance Fund. 
The bill establishes the Veteran Temporary Emergency Assistance Fund and provides an Other Special Revenue 
Funds allocation of $375,000 in fiscal year 2016-17 and $500 amrnally beginning in fiscal year 2017-18 to provide 
financial assistance to veterans. 
LR0778(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
$0 
$0