An Act To Meet the State's Obligation To Pay 55 Percent of Education Costs
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0914
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: TUTTLE
Amends: 8 MRSA §387, 20-A MRSA §15671, 28-A MRSA §1651

Legislative Document
No. 914
H.P. 670
House of Representatives, March 8, 2021
An Act To Meet the State's Obligation To Pay 55 Percent of 
Education Costs
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative TUTTLE of Sanford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  8 MRSA §387, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. B, §18 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is further amended to read:
1.  Appropriation.  The money in the State Lottery Fund may be appropriated only:
A.  For the payment of prizes to the holders of winning lottery tickets or shares;
B.  For the expense of the division in its operation of the lottery;
C.  For payment to the General Fund; and
D.  For payment to the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund pursuant to Title 12, section 
10302.; and
E.  For payment to the Department of Education for general purpose aid for local 
schools.
Sec. 2.  8 MRSA §387, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 505, §2, is amended to 
read:
2.  Apportionment.  The money in the State Lottery Fund shall must be apportioned 
so that not less than 45% of the total ticket sales received in the lottery will be disbursed as 
prizes to holders of winning tickets.  All other money, less reasonable costs for the proper 
administration of the State Lottery, shall be is the State's share.  The commission shall 
provide annually up to 100% of the State's share to the Department of Education for 
distribution as general purpose aid for local schools as determined pursuant to Title 20-A, 
section 15671, subsection 5-B.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §15671, sub-§5-B is enacted to read:
5-B.  Funds from the State Lottery Fund or consumers' tax on spirits revenues.  
Beginning in fiscal year 2021-22, the commissioner shall determine and notify the State 
Liquor and Lottery Commission of the additional funds necessary for the state share 
percentage of the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 to 
reach 55% pursuant to subsection 7, paragraph B.  Revenues received by the department 
from the State Lottery Fund and the consumers' tax on spirits pursuant to Title 8, section 
and Title 28-A, section 1651, subsection 4, respectively, must be distributed as general 
purpose aid for local schools, and each school administrative unit shall make its own 
determination as to how to allocate these resources.  Revenues provided to the department 
for general purpose aid for local schools under this subsection must supplement and not 
supplant General Fund appropriations for the purpose of ensuring that the State achieves 
the state share percentage of 55% under subsection 7, paragraph B.
Sec. 4.  28-A MRSA §1651, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 539, §10, is further 
amended to read:
4.  Net revenue deposited to General Fund Department of Education.  All net 
revenues derived from the tax under this section must be credited to the General Fund 
Department of Education to be distributed as general purpose aid for local schools pursuant 
to Title 20-A, section 15671, subsection 5-B.
SUMMARY
This bill provides state funding for 55% of the total cost of education by applying up 
to 100% of all lottery and alcohol revenues toward the total cost of education.