An Act To Amend the Legislative Expense Reimbursement
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1427
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, EVANGELOS, CHENETTE, CLAXTON, CYRWAY, LAWRENCE, BRYANT, DODGE, HANINGTON
Amends: 3 MRSA §2

Legislative Document
No. 1427
S.P. 439
In Senate, March 28, 2019
An Act To Amend the Legislative Expense Reimbursement
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative EVANGELOS of Friendship and
Senators: CHENETTE of York, CLAXTON of Androscoggin, CYRWAY of Kennebec, 
LAWRENCE of York, Representatives: BRYANT of Windham, DODGE of Belfast, 
HANINGTON of Lincoln.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  3 MRSA §2, 4th ¶, as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §1, is amended to 
read:
Except Until the 130th Legislature, except as provided in this section, each member 
of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to a meal allowance in the amount 
of $32 and a housing allowance in the amount of $38 for each day in attendance at 
sessions of the Legislature and for each day the member occupies overnight 
accommodations away from home either immediately preceding or immediately 
following attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature.  Beginning with the 130th 
Legislature, each member of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to a 
meal allowance of $32 and a housing allowance in an amount determined annually by the 
Legislative Council, which must be no less than the average nightly rate of lodging in the 
Augusta area, for each day in attendance at sessions of the Legislature and for each day 
the member occupies overnight accommodations away from home either immediately 
preceding or immediately following attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature.  The 
presiding officers may establish reasonable policies regarding allowances for meals and 
overnight accommodations for the day immediately preceding the session, which may 
include policies regarding whether an allowance is paid, whether the full amount or a 
portion of the statutory allowance is paid and whether receipts are required.  In lieu of the 
meal and housing allowance, each member is entitled to a daily meal allowance in the 
amount of $32 and actual daily mileage allowances in an amount up to but not exceeding 
$38 per day.  Each member of the Senate also receives an annual allowance for 
constituent services in the amount of $2,000, $1,300 in January and $700 in the month 
following adjournment of the regular session.  Each member of the House of 
Representatives also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the amount 
of $1,500, $1,005 in January and $495 in the month following adjournment of the regular 
session.  Notwithstanding this section, during the first regular session of each legislative 
biennium, a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives may elect to receive 
the first payment of the annual allowance for constituent services in December following 
convening of the Legislature by notifying the Executive Director of the Legislative 
Council in the manner prescribed by the executive director.  The Executive Director of 
the Legislative Council shall inform Legislators of the choice available for payment of 
the allowance for constituent services in the first year of the legislative biennium and of 
any tax implications associated with exercising that choice.
SUMMARY
This bill changes, beginning with the 130th Legislature, the per diem housing 
allowance from a set amount of $38 per day to an amount that is established annually by 
the Legislative Council based on the average rate of lodging in the Augusta area.