An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide Funds for Infrastructure Projects across the State and To Direct the Department of Environmental Protection To Establish a State Infrastructure Adaptation Fund and Predevelopment Assistance Program (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1647
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: BREEN, PIERCE, BRENNER, CARNEY, JACKSON, BLUME, DOUDERA

Legislative Document
No. 1647
S.P. 532
In Senate, May 5, 2021
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide Funds 
for Infrastructure Projects across the State and To Direct the 
Department of Environmental Protection To Establish a State 
Infrastructure Adaptation Fund and Predevelopment Assistance 
Program
(AFTER DEADLINE)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on May 3, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BREEN of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative PIERCE of Falmouth and
Senators: BRENNER of Cumberland, CARNEY of Cumberland, President JACKSON of 
Aroostook, Representatives: BLUME of York, DOUDERA of Camden.
Preamble.  Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the issuance 
of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this Act,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
PART A
Sec. A-1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the 
direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $100,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Part.  
The bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State.  The bonds may not run for 
a period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds.
Sec. A-2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State.  The Treasurer of State 
shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the name 
of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale 
and the date when payable.
Sec. A-3.  Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated.  The Treasurer of 
State may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may 
be loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Part.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Part lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds.
Sec. A-4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Part and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity.
Sec. A-5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds 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 under the direction and supervision of the agencies 
and entities set forth in this section.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Provides funding to establish a state infrastructure adaptation fund and predevelopment 
assistance program, designed to leverage federal recovery support in the short term and 
to address significant and ongoing infrastructure adaptation needs in the long term.
Total
$100,000,000
Sec. A-6.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set forth 
in this Part.
Sec. A-7.  Appropriation balances at year-end.  At the end of each fiscal year, 
all unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward.  Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds 
lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds.
Sec. A-8.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not issued 
within 5 years of ratification of this Part are deauthorized and may not be issued, except 
that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend 
the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not 
to exceed 5 years.
Sec. A-9.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Part must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act.  The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Part by voting on the following question:
"Do you favor a $100,000,000 bond issue to establish a state infrastructure 
adaptation fund and predevelopment assistance program to provide 
funding and support for infrastructure projects across the State and to 
leverage federal recovery support?"
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared 
in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in 
the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall review the 
returns.  If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Part, the Governor shall 
proclaim the result without delay and this Part becomes effective 30 days after the date of 
the proclamation.
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Part necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.
PART B
Sec. B-1.  Department of Environmental Protection state infrastructure 
adaptation fund and predevelopment assistance program.  The Department of 
Environmental Protection shall establish a state infrastructure adaptation fund and 
predevelopment assistance program in 2022, designed to leverage federal recovery support 
in the short term and to address the significant and ongoing infrastructure adaptation needs 
of the State in the long term.  The fund must provide financial and other assistance to local, 
regional, tribal and state agencies that meet cost-share requirements to obtain federal 
funding for infrastructure projects.  A predevelopment assistance program may include 
resilient design, engineering and permitting assistance; grant writing and grant 
management assistance; community outreach assistance; and assistance in developing 
public-private partnerships.  In both funding and predevelopment assistance, the 
department shall work with communities with high social and climate vulnerability and 
low capacity to raise funds or limited access to funding.  The department shall ensure any 
efforts made pursuant to this section have working waterfront protection as an area of focus.
Sec. B-2.  Contingent effective date.  This Part takes effect only if the voters of 
the State approve the bond issue in Part A.
SUMMARY
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $100,000,000, will be used to 
provide funding to establish a state infrastructure adaptation fund and predevelopment 
assistance program, designed to leverage federal recovery support in the short term and to 
address significant and ongoing infrastructure adaptation needs in the long term.  The bill 
also directs the Department of Environmental Protection to establish a state infrastructure 
adaptation fund and predevelopment assistance program in 2022.