An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure, Economic Development, Workforce Development and Energy and Environment Investment
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1836
Committee Amendment CA_A_S354 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §6201, 5 MRSA §6203, 5 MRSA §6207

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "ft" to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836, Bill, "An Act To 
Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure, Economic Development, 
Workforce Development and Energy and Environment Investment" 
Amend the bill in Part B by striking out all of section 5 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. B-5. Disbursement of bond proceeds. The Department of Economic and 
Community Development, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry, the Department of Marine Resources and the Maine 
Technology Institute, shall oversee the disbursement of bond proceeds and matching 
funds authorized pursuant to this Part in accordance with this section, except as otherwise 
provided. Awards of bond proceeds and matching funds must be made on a competitive 
basis following a request for proposal process. 
1. Successful applicants may include the following entities: 
A. A marine-based research program at a private or public university or a nonprofit 
research institution; 
B. Commercial fishing or aquaculture interests; 
C. Community-based organizations committed to the growth of the local economy; 
D. Private sector businesses; and 
E. Biomedical research institutions. 
2. A successful application must also demonstrate potential for job creation and 
economic growth in one of the following areas: 
A. Traditional agricultural or commercial fishing interests; 
B. Marine-based or land-based aquaculture industry; 
C. Value-added processing of marine resources or agricultural products; 
D. Market development for Maine-based products; and 
E. Market development of life sciences products.' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
/I')!"<:.) 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" j\ "to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836 {<~ . ?6L;) 
Amend the amendment in Part D in section 5 in subsection 1 by striking out all of 
paragraph B (page 10, lines 14 to 22 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'B. Payment from bond proceeds for acquisitions of community conservation 
projects, as defined in Title 5, section 6201, subsection 1-B, may be made directly to 
cooperating entities as defined in Title 5, section 6201, subsection 2 for acquisition of 
land and interest in land by cooperating entities, subject to terms and conditions 
enforceable by the State to ensure its use for the purposes of this Part.' 
Amend the bill in Part D in section 5 in subsection 1 in paragraph C in the 2nd line 
(page 10, line 24 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "farmland" the following: ' 
community conservation projects' 
Amend the bill in Part D by striking out all of section 6 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. D-6. Allocations from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the 
sale of the bonds authorized under this Part must be expended as designated in the 
following schedule. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION 
AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Land for Maine's Future Board 
Provides funds in order to leverage $30,000,000 in matching contributions from 
public and private sources to be used for the acquisition of land and interest in land 
for conservation; water access; wildlife or fish habitat including deer wintering areas; 
outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing; and working farmland preservation 
and working waterfront preservation. No more than $10,000,000 may be issued in the 
first year by the Land for Maine's Future Board and no more than $10,000,000 may 
be issued by the Land for Maine's Future Board in each of the 2 subsequent years, 
except that any unused balance may be added to the specified amount in subsequent 
years. 
Total 
$30,000,000 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
Uncontrolled hazardous substance site 
pro grain 
Provides funds for state match on federal superfund sites, uncontrolled hazardous 
substance site investigation and remediation and response actions at sites 
contaminated with emerging pollutants like perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances, at dry-cleaner sites and at brownfield sites. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"(\ "to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836 ( '::). )5Ltj 
Total 
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
Wastewater treatment facility planning 
and construction grants 
$15,000,000 
Provides funds for wastewater treatment facility planning, construction grants and 
hydrographic modeling, prioritizing areas with high-value shellfish resources. 
Total 
$5,000,000 
EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST 
Municipal Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy Program 
Provides funds to purchase solar arrays, high-efficiency ductless heat pumps and 
high-efficiency modem wood heating systems for buildings and property owned by 
municipalities and school administrative units or funds for solar arrays providing 
energy only to municipalities and school administrative units pursuant to agreements. 
Total 
$10,000,000 
EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST 
Heating Fuels Efficiency and 
Weatherization Fund 
Provides funds to recapitalize the Heating Fuels Efficiency and Weatherization Fund. 
Total 
TOTAL 
$5,000,000 
$65,000,000 
Amend the bill in Part E in section 1 in §10124 in subsection 4 in the 4th line (page 
14, line 14 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "systems." the following: 'Grants 
may also be awarded for a solar array not directly owned by a municipality or school 
administrative unit if, pursuant to an agreement between the owner of the solar array and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"/-\ "to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836 ("";, 3'}\\ 
/ 
a municipality or school administrative unit, the sole user of the energy produced by the 
solar array is the municipality or school administrative unit that entered into the 
agreement.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after Part E the following: 
'PARTF 
Sec. F-1. Investment of bond proceeds for broadband. The ConnectME 
Authority, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-G, 
subsection 33-F, shall establish a process to ensure bond proceeds made available 
pursuant to Part B, section 6 are used to build broadband Internet service in areas of the 
State that do not meet the goals for broadband service described under Title 35-A, section 
9202-A. The authority shall allow adequate time for existing broadband providers to 
confirm whether an area is already served or to commit to deploying service. 
The 
authority shall: 
1. Require a letter of intent from an applicant or bidder that specifically outlines the 
area of the proposed project to build broadband Internet service by street. A letter of 
intent under this subsection is public information, and the authority shall publish the letter 
on its publicly accessible website. The authority shall allow up to 60 days for a provider 
to provide information certifying that the proposed project area does not meet the 
definition of an underserved area under the authority's rules or that the provider has a 
specific demonstrated plan to build the proposed project within 18 months; 
2. Require an applicant or bidder to certify that the applicant or bidder has made 
contact with any provider of record in the proposed project area to determine whether 
there is a plan to expand or upgrade the broadband service to meet the goals for 
broadband service described under Title 35-A, section 9202-A as of June 1, 2019. The 
authority shall provide to the applicant or bidder the contact information of all applicable 
providers; 
3. Require a matching funding component and incentivize private investment; and 
4. Create a tiered scoring model that prioritizes development in areas that are the 
least developed. 
The authority may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to 
this section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. F-2. Contingent effective date. This Part takes effect only if the General 
Fund bond issue proposed in Part Bis approved by the voters of this State. 
PARTG 
Sec. G-1. 5 MRSA §6201, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B. Community conservation project. "Community conservation project" means 
7 
a conservation proi ect of local or regional significance that promotes one or more of the 
following: 
public outdoor recreational access to land and waters, including for 
underserved populations: public health; connections between conserved lands and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" f+"to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836 (:;. ':3SL() 
population centers; local or regional agricultural production; conservation of cultural and 
historical resources on undeveloped lands; protection of lakes, rivers or streams; 
conservation of fish or wildlife habitat; protection of public drinking water supplies; 
conservation of community forests; local economic development; opportunities for 
environmental learning; or nonrnotorized transportation options. 
Sec. G-2. 5 MRSA §6201, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 506, §§1 and 4, is 
amended to read: 
2. 
Cooperating entities. "Cooperating entities
means those private nonprofit 
organizations, municipal conservation commissions, local governments, Maine Indian 
tribes, federal agencies or other bodies designated by the Land for Maine
1s Future Board 
pursuant to section 6203, as able to assist the State in the acquisition or management of 
conservation lands. 
Sec. G-3. 5 MRSA §6203, sub-§3, 1A, as amended by PL 1999, c. 769, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
A. Acquire property or an interest in property that is determined by the board to be 
of state significance or for a community conservation project under the guidelines of 
this chapter; 
Sec. G-4. 5 MRSA §6207, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2011, c. 381, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
3. Priorities. Whenever possible, the Land for Maine
1s Future Fund and the Public 
Access to Maine Waters Fund must be used for land acquisition projects when matching 
funds are available from cooperating entities, as long as the proposed acquisition meets 
all other criteria set forth in this chapter. For acquisitions funded by the Land for Maine
1s 
Future Fund, the board shall give priority to projects that conserve lands with multiple 
outstanding resource or recreation values or a single exceptional value, conserve and 
protect deer wintering areas, help the State
1s natural ecosystems, wildlife and natural 
resource-based economies adapt to a changing climate, provide geographic representation 
and build upon or connect existing holdings. 
When acquiring land or interest in land, the board shall examine public vehicular access 
rights to the land and, whenever possible and appropriate, acquire guaranteed public 
vehicular access as part of the acquisition. 
Sec. G-5. Contingent effective date. This Part takes effect only if the General 
Fund bond issue proposed in Part Dis approved by the voters of this State.
SUMMARY 
This amendment is the majority report of the committee. It amends Part B to allow 
biomedical research institutions to apply for bond proceeds and adds market development 
7 
of life sciences products as an area within which a successful application must 
demonstrate potential for job creation and economic growth. 
It amends Part D to reduce bond funds allocated to the Efficiency Maine Trust
1s 
Municipal Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program from $15,000,000 to 
$10,000,000 and allocates $5,000,000 to the trust
1s Heating Fuels Efficiency and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "ft" to S.P. 621, L.D. 1836 (° 
01.>Sl\) 
Weatherization Fund to recapitalize that fund. It also changes the language regarding 
disbursement of bond proceeds to provide that payment from bond proceeds for 
acquisitions to community conservation projects may be made directly to cooperating 
entities and removes the requirement that the Land for Maine's Future Board give 
preference to acquisitions that achieve benefits for multiple towns and address regional 
conservation needs. It also includes community conservation projects in the expenditures 
for which bond funds must be matched with at least $30,000,000 in public and private 
contributions. 
It amends Part E to allow the trust to award grant funding under the Municipal 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Program for a solar array that is not directly 
owned by a municipality or school administrative unit if, pursuant to an agreement 
between the owner of the solar array and a municipality or school administrative unit, the 
sole user of the energy produced by the solar array is the municipality or school 
administrative unit that entered into the agreement. 
It adds Part F, which requires the ConnectME Authority to establish a process to 
ensure state funds made available pursuant to the bond issue under Part B are used to 
build broadband Internet service in areas of the State that do not meet the goals for 
broadband service described under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 
9202-A. 
It also adds Part G, which allows proceeds of the Land for Maine's Future Fund to be 
spent on property that is determined by the Land for Maine's Future Board to be for a 
community conservation project, defines "community conservation project," includes 
Maine Indian tribes under the definition of "cooperative entities" and sets helping the 
State's natural ecosystems, wildlife and natural resource-based economies adapt to a 
changing climate as a priority of the board in making land acquisitions. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/19/19 feac 
LD 1836 
LR 2554(02) 
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for Infrastructure, Economic Development, 
Workforce Development and Energy and Environment Investment 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'W' (s- 3':::f\\ 
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs 
') 
Bond Issues 
General Fund- Non-Taxable 
General Fund - Taxable 
General Fund- Non-Taxable 
General Fund - Taxable 
General Fund - Non-Taxable 
General Fund - Taxable 
General Fund - Non-Taxable 
General Fund - Taxable 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Term (years) 
Principal 
Rate(%) 
$84,000,000 
4.25% 
$21,000,000 
4.75% 
$30,000,000 
4.25% 
$20,000,000 
4.75% 
$14,000,000 
4.25% 
$5,000,000 
4.75% 
$60,000,000 
4.25% 
$5,000,000 
4.75% 
Interest 
Total Cost 
$19,635,000 
$103,635,000 
$5,486,250 
$26,486,250 
$7,012,500 
$37,012,500 
$5,225,000 
$25,225,000 
$3,272,500 
$17,272,500 
$1,306,250 
$6,306,250 
$14,025,000 
$74,025,000 
$1,306,250 
$6,306,250 
Referendum Costs 
Month/Year 
Election Type 
Question 
Length 
Nov-19 
General 
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 $172,000 may be required. 
LR2554(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1