An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers”
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1947
Committee Amendment CA_A_H820 (House)
Amends: 4 MRSA §1603, 4 MRSA §1604, 4 MRSA §1610-M

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1391, L.D. 1947, Bill, “An Act To 
Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers”
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers 
and Regions' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following:
'Sec. 1.  4 MRSA §1603, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
3-A.  Career and technical education center.  "Career and technical education 
center" has the same meaning as "center" in Title 20-A, section 8301-A, subsection 3.
Sec. 2.  4 MRSA §1603, sub-§3-B is enacted to read:
3-B.  Career and technical education region.  "Career and technical education 
region" has the same meaning as "region" in Title 20-A, section 8301-A, subsection 6.
Sec. 3.  4 MRSA §1603, sub-§7, as amended by PL 1997, c. 788, §1, is further 
amended to read:
7.  Project, projects or part of any project.  "Project, projects or part of any 
project" means the acquisition, construction, improvement, reconstruction or equipping 
of, or construction of an addition or additions to, any structure designed for use as a court 
facility, state office or state activity space and intended to be used primarily by the State, 
any agency, instrumentality or department of the State or by any branch of State 
Government.  The structure may include facilities for the use of related agencies of state, 
county or local government.  "Project, projects or part of any project" includes all real and 
personal property, lands, improvements, driveways, roads, approaches, pedestrian access 
roads, parking lots, parking facilities, rights-of-way, utilities, easements and other 
interests in land, machinery and equipment and all fixtures, appurtenances and facilities 
either on, above or under the ground that are used or usable in connection with the 
structure, and also includes landscaping, site preparation, furniture, machinery, equipment 
Date: 
(Filing No. H-          )
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1391, L.D. 1947
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
and other similar items necessary or convenient for the operation of a particular facility or 
structure in the manner for which its use is intended.  "Project, projects or part of any 
project" also includes the acquisition, construction, improvement, reconstruction or repair 
of any equipment, device, technology, software or other personal property intended to be 
used primarily by the State, any agency, instrumentality or department of the State or by 
any branch of State Government or any related agency of state, county or local 
government.  For the purpose of implementing section 1610-M, "project, projects or part 
of any project" also includes capital improvements and equipment purchases for career 
and technical education centers and career and technical education regions.  The exact 
scope of each project, projects or part of any project, other than those for the Judicial 
Branch and the Legislative Branch, must be set forth in a written designation by the 
Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services to the authority and the exact 
scope of each project, projects or part of any project for the Judicial Branch must be set 
forth in a written designation by the State Court Administrator to the authority.  The 
scope of each project for the Legislative Branch must receive a majority vote of the 
Legislative Council and be set forth in a written designation by the Executive Director of 
the Legislative Council to the authority.  "Project, projects or part of any project" does not 
include such items as fuel, supplies or other items that are customarily considered as a 
current operating charge.
Sec. 4.  4 MRSA §1604, sub-§18, as amended by PL 1997, c. 523, §9, is further 
amended to read:
18.  Lease or rent any land, buildings, structures, facilities or equipment.  To 
lease or rent any land, buildings, structures, facilities or equipment comprising all or a 
portion of a project, projects or part of any project for such amounts as the authority 
determines to the State or any agency, instrumentality or department of the State or a 
career and technical education center or career and technical education region or by any 
branch of State Government or any related agency of state, county or local government or 
a career and technical education center or career and technical education region, to further 
the purposes of the Act, provided that the obligation of the State or of any such agency, 
instrumentality, department or branch or of a career and technical education center or 
career and technical education region to make any rental or other payments is considered 
executory only to the extent of money made available by the Legislature, and that no 
liability on account of the state agency, instrumentality, department or branch or career 
and technical education center or career and technical education region may be incurred 
by the State or any such agency, instrumentality, department or branch or career and 
technical education center or career and technical education region beyond the money 
available for that purpose;
Sec. 5.  4 MRSA §1610-M is enacted to read:
§1610-M.  Additional securities; career and technical education centers and regions
1.  Additional securities.  Notwithstanding any limitation on the amount of securities 
that may be issued pursuant to section 1606, subsection 2, the authority may issue 
additional securities in an aggregate amount not to exceed $20,000,000 for capital 
improvements and equipment purchases to career and technical education centers and 
career and technical education regions in accordance with this section, and the additional 
securities must be used for those purposes.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1391, L.D. 1947
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
2.  Delegation.  The authority may delegate those powers that may be delegated to 
the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services 
pursuant to section 1604, subsection 26 to the career and technical education region 
cooperative board, as defined in Title 20-A, section 1, subsection 6, or the school 
administrative unit that governs a career and technical education center subject to the 
same terms and conditions.
3.  Issuance.  The authority may not issue any additional securities pursuant to this 
section after June 30, 2022.
4.  Report.  The authority shall report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs upon the allocation of 
all bond proceeds pursuant to this section. The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs may report out a bill to 
repeal this section and any related provisions of law upon receipt of that report.
5.  Department of Education national industry standards evaluation.  A career 
and technical education center or career and technical education region may submit an 
application for a project, projects, or part of any project to the Department of Education. 
The Department of Education shall review each application and shall evaluate each 
application pursuant to Title 20-A, section 15688-A, subsection 6. The Department of 
Education shall notify the authority of any approved project, projects or part of any 
project under this subsection.
6.  Debt service.  Debt service costs for bonds issued by the authority to career and 
technical education centers and career and technical education regions for capital 
improvements and equipment purchases pursuant to this section must be paid by the 
State.  On or before September 1st of each year, the authority shall prepare and submit to 
the Department of Education estimates of the appropriation requirements necessary to 
pay the debt service for each fiscal year of the ensuing biennium for bonds issued by the 
authority to career and technical education centers and career and technical education 
regions for capital improvements and equipment purchases.
Debt service costs must be paid by the commissioner to the authority according to each 
career and technical education center's or career and technical education region's debt 
retirement schedule developed by the authority.
All debt service costs must be paid by the commissioner to the authority one business day 
prior to the date of the center's or region's next debt service cost payment as outlined in 
the career and technical education center's or career and technical education region's debt 
retirement schedule.  If the payment date falls on a Monday, payment must be made to 
the authority on the preceding Friday.
Sec. 6.  Maine Governmental Facilities Authority report.  The executive 
director of the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority shall report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs no 
later than January 15, 2021 if the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority determines 
that additional legislation is necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act, including but 
not limited to any legislation necessary to ensure that securities issued pursuant to this 
Act are tax-exempt. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1391, L.D. 1947
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
over education and cultural affairs may report out legislation on the subject matter of the 
report to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, adds capital 
improvements and equipment purchases of career and technical education centers and 
regions to the definition of "project, projects or part of any project" in the Maine 
Governmental Facilities Authority Act and to the authority to lease or rent any land, 
buildings, structures, facilities or equipment. The amendment also adds equipment 
purchases as a purpose for issuing additional securities, allows the Maine Governmental 
Facilities Authority to delegate certain powers to the cooperative board or school 
administrative unit that governs a career and technical education region or center, 
respectively, and provides that the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority may not 
issue any additional securities pursuant to this provision after June 30, 2022. The 
amendment also authorizes the Department of Education to allocate the funds pursuant to 
the national industry standards for career and technical education. The amendment 
requires the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority to report to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs upon 
the allocation of all bond proceeds. The joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs may report out a bill to repeal the 
provision regarding the issuance of additional securities and any other provision of law 
relating to that provision. The amendment also provides that the executive director of the 
Maine Governmental Facilities Authority must report to the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs no later than 
January 15, 2021 if the authority determines that additional legislation is necessary to 
carry out the purposes of this legislation, including but not limited to any legislation 
necessary to ensure that securities issued pursuant to this legislation are tax-exempt.
Career and technical education centers and regions are without sufficient funds to 
provide for capital improvements and equipment purchases and as such require additional 
mechanisms to raise funds for this purpose.  It is the intent of this legislation to provide a 
limited alternative mechanism for career and technical education centers and regions to 
fund capital improvements and equipment purchases at career and technical education 
centers and regions to better serve the State's students.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
Approved: 07/28/20
LD 1947
LR 2959(02)
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Any additional costs to the Maine Governmental Facilities Authority to review applications and set up debt service 
payment schedules are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
The Department of Education has indicated that, depending on the number of applications submitted and approved, it 
may require additional staff to adminster the application process and the debt service payment schedule.  If additional 
resources are needed, the department will submit a request through the biennial or supplemental budget process.
Requiring the State to pay the debt service costs for up to $20 million in bonds issued by the Maine Governmental 
Facilities Authority to career and technical education centers and career and technical education regions for capital 
improvements and equipment purchases will result in increased costs to the General Fund.  The total cost to the State 
will depend on the number of projects approved and the principal and interest cost for each project.  Given the amount 
of time it may take for an application to be submitted and approved and for bonds to be issued, this fiscal note 
assumes that the debt service costs will not impact the State until the 2022-2023 biennium.  
Future biennium cost increase - General Fund
An Act To Fund Capital Improvements to Career and Technical Education Centers
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
LR2959(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1