An Act To Authorize Multiple General Fund Bond Issues To Improve Highways, Bridges and Multimodal Facilities
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1552
Committee Amendment CA_A_S333 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A" to S.P. 543, L.D. 1552, Bill, "An Act To 
Authorize Multiple General Fund Bond Issues To Improve Highways, Bridges and 
Multimodal Facilities" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Improve Highways, Bridges 
and Multimodal Facilities and Upgrade Municipal Culverts' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the 
direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $105,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Act. 
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State. The bonds may not run for 
a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds. 
Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State 
shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the 
name of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of 
sale and the date when payable. 
Sec. 3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated. The Treasurer of State 
may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be 
loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State. The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon wa1rants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Act. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds. 
Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
"" .... 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 543, L.D. 1552 
Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue. 
The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as 
designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies 
and entities set forth in this section. 
TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT 
OF 
Provides funds to construct, reconstruct or rehabilitate Priority 1, Priority 2 and 
Priority 3 state highways under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 73, 
subsection 7 and for associated improvements, for the department's municipal 
partnership initiative and to replace and rehabilitate bridges. 
Total 
$80,000,000 
Provides funds for facilities or equipment, including property acquisition, related to 
ports, harbors, marine transportation, aviation, freight and passenger railroads, transit 
and bicycle and pedestrian trails that preserve public safety or otherwise have 
demonstrated high economic value. 
Total 
$20,000,000 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
Provides funds for a competitive grant program that matches local funding for the 
upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings in order to improve fish and 
wildlife habitats and increase community safety. Eligible project sponsors include 
local governments, municipal conservation commissions, soil and water conservation 
districts and private nonprofit organizations. A proposal for funding from an eligible 
project sponsor must include a map and summary of the proposed project, describing 
how it meets the following criteria: 
1. 
Contribution to competitive grant program goals. 
The extent to which the 
proposed project allows communities to more effectively prepare for storm and flood 
events and advances the goals of restoring habitat for fish, including sea-run fish and 
native brook trout, and wildlife, including: 
A. The priority status of the culvert to be upgraded or replaced for native brook trout 
and sea-run fish restoration, based on available stream survey data, statewide 
prioritization for aquatic connectivity and presence in priority watersheds of salmon, 
alewives and other diadromous fishes; 
B. 
Confirmation that the culvert proposed for upgrade or replacement is on a 
municipal road, not a state road or private road; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
"'ct.\. 
COMMIITEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 543, L.D. 1552 
C. The extent to which the proposed project meets the Department of Environmental 
Protection's design standard of at least 1.2 times the stream's bankfull width, with a 
natural stream bottom or embedded structure, and meets or exceeds the Department 
of Transportation's 100-year flood standard; 
D. The degree of urgency of the proposed project, including whether a culvert is at 
high risk of failure due to age, location within a watershed or reach with high flood 
risk or severe flood history; and 
E. The expected contribution to reducing the frequency or severity of flooding to 
upstream and downstream communities and improving storm water management 
within the proposed project area; and 
2. 
Cost-effectiveness. 
The extent to which the proposed project represents an 
efficient and cost-effective investment, including the proportion of total project funding 
that will be provided from other sources and the potential avoided costs associated with 
the proposed project. Funds may not be used to cover all of the costs associated with a 
proposed project. 
Total 
$5,000,000 
Sec. 6. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set 
f mth in this Act. 
Sec. 7. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, all 
unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward. 
Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the 
bonds lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds. 
Sec. 8. Bonds authorized but not issued. Any bonds authorized but not issued 
within 5 years of ratification of this Act are deauthorized and may not be issued, except 
that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend 
the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not 
to exceed 5 years. 
Sec. 9. 
Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November 2017. The municipal officers of this 
State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, 
in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to vote on the 
acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question: 
"Do you favor a $105,000,000 bond issue for construction, reconstruction 
and rehabilitation of highways and bridges and for facilities or equipment 
related to ports, harbors, marine transportation, freight and passenger 
railroads, aviation, transit and bicycle and pedestrian trails, to be used to 
match an estimated $137,000,000 in federal and other funds, and for the 
upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings?" 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
t,..4'i'-
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 543, L.D. 1552 
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a cotTesponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No." 
The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and 
declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of 
State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall 
review the returns. If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the 
Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days 
after the date of the proclamation. 
The Secretaty of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment changes the amount of funds provided by the bond issue to 
$105,000,000 in fiscal year 2017 and adds funds for a competitive grant program that 
matches local funding for the upgrade of municipal culverts at stream crossings. The 
amendment removes Part B of the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 07/19/17 feac 
LD 1552 
LR 2251(02) 
An Act To Authorize Multiple General Fund Bond Issues To Improve Highways, Bridges and 
Multimodal Facilities 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment'/\' ( S - 5 3 ~ 
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs 
Bond Issues 
General Fund - Non-Taxable 
General Fund - Taxable 
Referendum Costs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Term (years) 
Principal 
Rate(%) 
$85,000,000 
4.25% 
$20,000,000 
4.75% 
MonthNear 
Election Type 
Nov-17 
General 
Interest 
Total Cost 
$19,868,750 
$104,868, 750 
$5,225,000 
$25,225,000 
Question 
Length 
Bond Issue 
Standard 
The Secretary of State's budget includes sufficient funds to accommodate one ballot of average length for the general 
election in November. If the number or size of the referendum questions requires production and delivery of a second 
ballot, an additional appropriation of$107,250 may be required. 
LR2251(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I