An Act to Provide Regional Support to Deliver State and Federal Programs to Cities and Towns in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0602
Committee Amendment CA_A_H789 (House)
Amends: 30-A MRSA §2313, 30-A MRSA §2321, 30-A MRSA §4317

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to H.P. 379, L.D. 602, "An Act to Provide 
Regional Support to Deliver State and Federal Programs to Cities and Towns in the State" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act to Provide Regional Support to Deliver State and Federal Programs to 
Municipalities in the State' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §2313, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5. Duties. A council shall: 
A. Provide technical assistance to municipalities in its region for the purpose of 
accessing federal and state programs for housing, land use and economic development: 
B, Assist municipalities to examine the regional suitability for housing developments 
and to develop ordinances governing housing developments: 
C, Establish mapping and geographic information systems to support housing goals in 
its region by: 
(1) Collecting and maintaining geographic info1mation system maps for its region: 
(2) Collecting and maintaining maps of public, special district or other centrally 
managed water systems and public, special district or other comparable sewer 
systems in each municipality in its region: 
(3) Creating and maintaining a housing overlay map for its region that indicates 
where ce1tain types of housing are permitted by law, zoning or local ordinance: 
and 
( 4) Using maps and data from the Depa1tment of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
intended to assist with wildlife habitat conservation. 
COMMITTEE AMEN~MENT 
\ 
~os1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT •A "to H.P. 379, L.D. 602 
For the purposes of this paragraph, "geographic information system" has the same 
meaning as in Title 5, section 1991, subsection 2; 
D. Use data from community action agencies, as defined in Title 22, section 5321, 
subsection 2, the Maine State Housing Authority and administrators of municipal 
general assistance and other relevant entities to maintain a central database that 
includes, but is not limited to, data related to regional general assistance usage, persons 
experiencing homelessness, fuel assistance, nutritional assistance and other 
demographic data; and 
E. Collaborate with municipalities in its region to track progress for regional housing 
production goals based on the statewide housing production goals under Title 5, section 
13056, subsection 9. 
Sec. 2. 30-A MRSA §2321, as amended by PL 2007, c. 215, §5, is further amended 
by amending the section headnote to read: 
§2321. Establishment; purposes; duties 
Sec. 3. 30-A MRSA §2321, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. Duties. A regional planning commission shall: 
A. Provide technical assistance to municipalities in its region for the purpose of 
accessing federal and state programs for housing, land use and economic development: 
B. Assist municipalities to examine the regional suitability for housing developments 
and to develop ordinances governing housing developments; 
C. Establish mapping and geographic information systems to support housing goals in 
its region by: 
(1) Collecting and maintaining geographic information system maps for its region; 
(2) Collecting and maintaining maps of public, special district or other centrally 
managed water systems and public, special district or other comparable sewer 
systems in each municipality in its region; 
(3) Creating and maintaining a housing overlay map for its region that indicates 
where ce1tain types of housing are permitted by law, zoning or local ordinance; 
and 
(4) Using maps and data from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
intended to assist with wildlife habitat conservation. 
For the purposes of this paragraph, "geographic information system" has the same 
meaning as in Title 5, section 1991, subsection 2; 
D. Use data from community action agencies, as defined in Title 22, section 5321, 
subsection 2, the Maine State Housing Authority and administrators of municipal 
general assistance and other relevant entities to maintain a central database that 
includes, but is not limited to, data related to regional general assistance usage, persons 
experiencing homelessness, fuel assistance, nutritional assistance and other 
demographic data; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'A "to H.P. 379, L.D. 602 
E, Collaborate with municipalities in its region to track progress for regional housing 
production goals based on the statewide housing production goals under Title 5, section 
13056, subsection 9. 
Sec, 4. 30-A MRSA §4317 is enacted to read: 
§4317. Regional Council Support Fund established; rules authorized 
The Regional Council Supp01t Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund, 
is 
established within the depa1iment's Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use 
Planning. For the purposes of this section, ''regional councils" means regional planning 
commissions and councils of government established under chapter 119, subchapter 1, The 
fund must be used exclusively to support the duties of the regional councils as outlined in 
section 2313, subsection 5 and section 2321, subsection 3. The fund may receive money 
from any available state, federal or private source, The fund may not lapse but must be 
carried forward to carry out the duties of the regional councils, The depaitment shall adopt 
rules establishing a formula for distribution to regional councils that factors in the number 
of municipalities each regional council serves and the population of the municipalities. The 
distribution formula may consider the nwnber of municipalities with which a regional 
council has entered into a contract for the purpose of certification of a growth management 
program under this chapter including assistance with ordinance adoption based on a 
comprehensive plan, Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as 
defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made, 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Regional Council Support Fund N484 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding, as outlined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, 
section 4317, to support the duties of regional councils. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2023-24 
$0 
$0 
2024-25 
$2,000,000 
$2,000,000 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively, 
SUMMARY 
5 
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft, and changes the title, The 
amendment establishes duties for regional planning commissions and councils of 
7 
government, or regional councils, to assist municipalities with accessing state and federal 
programs to support housing, land use and economic development. It requires regional 
councils to assist municipalities with the development of ordinances for housing 
developments and directs regional councils to establish mapping and geographic 
information systems to supp01t statewide housing production goals. The amendment also 
establishes the Regional Council Support Fund within the Depatiment of Agriculture, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A,, to H.P. 379, L.D, 602 
Conservation and Fo'restty, Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning to 
supp01t the added duties assigned to regional councils. The amendment includes an 
ongoing General Fund appropriation of $2,000,000 to that fund. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 02/15/24 ::'~ae:. 
LD602 
LR 1739(02) 
An Act to Provide Regional Support to Deliver State and Federal Programs to Cities and Towns in the 
State 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '.4• { f{-7 21 \ 
Committee: Housing 
I 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2023-24 
FY 2024-25 
$0 
$2,000,000 
$0 
$2,000,000 
Projections 
FY 2025-26 
$2,000,000 
$2,000,000 
Projections 
FY 2026-27 
$2,000,000 
$2,000,000 
This bill establishes the Regional Council Support Fund within the Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use 
Planning in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Foreshy. It provides ongoing General Fund 
appropriations of $2,000,000 starting in fiscal year 2024-25 to the fund to support the activities of regional councils. 
Additional costs to the Maine State Housing Authority to provide the relevant data can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LRl 739(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1