An Act To Assist Seniors and Certain Persons with Disabilities in Paying Property Taxes
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1196
Committee Amendment CA_A_H236 (House)
Amends: 36 MRSA §6250, 36 MRSA §6252, 36 MRSA §6271

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 833, L.D. 1196, Bill, "An Act To 
Assist Seniors and Certain Persons with Disabilities in Paying Property Taxes" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following: 
'Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §6250, sub-§3-A is enacted to read: 
3-A. 
Liquid asset. 
"Liquid asset" means something of value available to an 
individual that can be converted to cash in 3 months or less and includes: 
A. Bank accounts; 
B. Certificates of deposit; 
C. Money market and mutual funds; 
D. Life insurance policies; 
E. Stocks and bonds; 
F. Lump-sum payments and inheritances; and 
G. 
Funds from a home equity conversion mortgage that are in the individual's 
possession whether they are cash or have been converted to another form.' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 1 in paragraph A in the last line (page 1, 
line 21 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "and" and inserting the following: 'aoo' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 1 in paragraph B in the last line (page 1, line 
in L.D.) by striking out the following: 
•
and inserting the following: '~; and' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 1 by inserting after paragraph B the 
following: 
'C. The individual has liquid assets of less than $50,000 or, in the case of 2 or more 
individuals filing a claim jointly, all the individuals together have liquid assets of less 
than $75,000.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 4 the following: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "'4" to H.P. 833, L.D. 1196 
'Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §6252, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
4. No duplicate deferral. The propetty is not receiving a deferral of taxes under 
chapter 908-A.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 6 and 7. 
Amend the bill in section 8 in §6255 by striking out all of subsection 3 (page 3, lines 
and 37 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'3. Interest. Interest shall aoorue accrues annually on the actual amount of taxes 
advanced to the municipality for the tax-defened property at the rate of 6% per ailllum 
that equals the highest prime rate as published in the Wall Street Journal on the first day 
O 
of September of the preceding calendar year or, if the first day of September falls on a 
weekend or holiday, on the next succeeding business day, rounded up to the next whole 
percent and reduced by one percentage point.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 9 to 13 and 16 to 19. 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 20 the following: 
'Sec. 21. 36 MRSA §6271, sub-§2, 1,iB and C, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 489, 
§5, are amended to read: 
B. The taxpayer is an owner of the eligible homestead, is at least 70 years of age on 
April 1st of the first year of eligibility and occupies the eligible homestead; afl:d 
C. The household income of the taxpayer does not exceed 300% of the federal 
poverty level,.; and 
Sec. 22. 36 MRSA §6271, sub-§2, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
D. The propetty is not receiving a deferral of taxes under chapter 908.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 21 the following: 
'Sec. 22. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Elderly Tax Deferral Program 0650 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to develop and implement a computer application 
for a property tax deferral program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Elderly Tax Deferral Program 0650 
2017-18 
$100,000 
$100,000 
2018-19 
$0 
$0 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding to reimburse municipalities for property taxes 
defened under a property tax defenal program. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 833, L.D. I 196 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
$1,600,000 
$1,600,000 
Elderly Tax Deferral Program 0650 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding for one Property Appraiser I position and related 
costs to implement and administer a property tax deferral program. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL 
SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2017-18 
2018-19 
1.000 
1.000 
$40,589 
$82,322 
$12,663 
$11,583 
$53,252 
$93,905 
2017-18 
2018-19 
$153,252 
$1,693,905 
$153,252 
$1,693,905 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes the provisions of the bill that eliminate the requirement that 
interest accrues on deferred propetiy taxes and provides that interest accmes on deferred 
propetiy taxes at the prime rate published in the Wall Street Joumal minus one percentage 
point. The amendment adds a maximum asset standard for eligibility of property owners 
and provides that prope1iy may not be subject to deferral under both the state deferral 
program and a municipal deferral program. 
The amendment also provides an 
appropriation to cover the cost of state administration of the program and the initial cost 
of making payments to municipalities for deferred taxes. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/06/17 feac. 
LD 1196 
LR 1279(02) 
An Act To Assist Seniors and Certain Persons with Disabilities in Paying Property Taxes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment,{-},( N-JJb) 
Committee: Taxation 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
$153,252 
$1,693,905 
$153,252 
$1,693,905 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$2,796,375 
$2,796,375 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$3,698,918 
$3,698,918 
The bill implements a property tax defenal program. The bill includes General Fund approp1iations to the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services of $153,252 in fiscal year 2017-18 and $1,693,905 in fiscal year 
2018-19 for one Property Appraiser I position and related costs to implement and administer the property tax defenal 
program, computer programming costs and funding to reimburse municipalities for property taxes defened under the 
program. 
LR1279(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1