An Act To Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan To Include Civilian Employees Who Work for the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab and Computer Crimes Unit
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1355
Committee Amendment CA_A_S201 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §17851-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A-" to S.P. 423, L.D. 1355, Bill, "An Act To 
Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan To Include Civilian Employees Who Work for 
the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab and Computer Crimes Unit" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §17851-A, sub-§1, ~ 
is enacted to read: 
N. Civilian employees whose job responsibilities include the handling, examination 
or analysis of digital or physical evidence in the employment of the Department of 
Public Safety, Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit on July 
1, 2020 who elect to participate in the 1998 Special Plan or hired thereafter.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 9 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 9. Transition. If a civilian employee in the employment of the Department 
of Public Safety, Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit on July 1, 
2020 elects to participate in the 1998 Special Plan of the Maine Public Employees 
Retirement System, as provided in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 17851-A, 
subsection 1, that employee must make that election not later than September 30, 2020 
and that employee's participation in the 1998 Special Plan becomes effective October 1, 
2020. 
Sec. 10. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Computer Crimes 0048 
Initiative: Provides funds for civilian employees employed in the Maine State Police 
Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit within the Department of Public Safety on 
July 1, 2020 to participate in the 1998 Special Plan on a prospective basis. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" /\"to S.P. 423, L.D. 1355 
-){ -1 \ 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
State Police 0291 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
2020-21 
$8,596 
$8,596 
Initiative: Provides funds for the additional cost for civilian employees employed in the 
Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit within the Department of 
Public Safety on July 1, 2020 to participate in the 1998 Special Plan on a prospective 
basis. 
GENERAL FUND 
Personal Services 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
State Police 0291 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
2020-21 
$28,883 
$28,883 
Initiative: Allocates funds for the additional cost for civilian employees employed in the 
Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit within the Department of 
Public Safety on July 1, 2020 to participate in the 1998 Special Plan on a prospective 
basis. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
Personal Services 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL 
PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
HIGHWAY FUND 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2020-21 
$5,097 
$5,097 
2020-21 
$5,306 
$5,306 
2020-21 
$37,479 
$5,097 
$5,306 
$47,882 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" j'.\ "to S.P. 423, L.D. 1355 (S · JC\) 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section munber to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment clarifies the type of civilian employees in the employment of the 
Department of Public Safety, Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes 
unit that can elect to participate in the 1998 Special Plan of the Maine Public Employees 
Retirement System. It also clarifies the date by which an employee must elect to 
participate in the 1998 Special Plan and specifies when that employee's participation in 
the 1998 Special Plan becomes effective. The amendment also adds an appropriations 
and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/30/19 feac.. 
LD 1355 
LR 1445(02) 
An Act To Expand the 1998 Special Retirement Plan To Include Civilian Employees Who Work for 
the Department of Public Safety Crime Lab and Computer Crimes Unit 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'h"( ,: 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Federal Expenditures Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Committee: Labor and Housing 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2019-20 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
FY 2020-21 
$37,479 
$5,097 
$37,479 
$5,097 
$5,306 
Projections 
FY 2021-22 
$38,791 
$5,275 
$38,791 
$5,275 
$5,491 
-lei\ 
" 
I 
Projections 
FY 2022-23 
$40,148 
$5,460 
$40,148 
$5,460 
$5,684 
Allowing civilian employees employed in the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory or computer crimes unit within 
the Department of Public Safety on or after July 1, 2020 to patticipate in the 1998 Special Plan of the Maine Public 
Employees Retirement System will increase both the nonnal cost and unfunded actuarial liability components of the 
employer retirement rate, resulting in increased employer contributions to the Maine Public Employees Retirement 
System (MainePERS) on behalf of civilian employees beginning in fiscal year 2020-21. 
This legislation includes a transition provision for those eligible civilian employees hired by the Depaitment of Public 
Safety prior to July 1, 2020 which allows them to elect to participate in the 1998 Special Plan by September 30, 2020. 
An analysis provided by MainePERS identified 17 eligible civilian employees that may elect to participate in the 1998 
Special Plan as soon as the option becomes available. Given this analysis, this bill includes a General Fund 
appropriation of $28,883, a Highway Fund allocation of $5,097 and a Federal Expenditures Fund allocation of $5,306 
in fiscal year 2020-21 to the State Police program for the cost associated with moving the positions to the 1998 
Special Plan. Additionally, this bill includes a General Fund appropriation of $8,596 in fiscal year 2020-21 to the 
Computer Crimes program. 
If any of the eligible civilian employees hired by the Department of Public Safety prior to July 1, 2020 who choose to 
remain in the State Regular Plan eventually retire or otherwise vacate their positions, any newly hired employees will 
be placed in the 1998 Special Plan. The additional cost to the department to fill these positions at the higher employer 
contribution rate is estimated to be between $2,000 and $3,000 per position annually. When this additional cost will 
be incun-ed and which fund will be impacted cannot be detennined at this time. 
LR1445(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1