An Act to Modernize Executive Branch and Legislative Branch Compensation
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1348
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: COLLINGS, LANDRY
Amends: 2 MRSA §1, 3 MRSA §2

Legislative Document
No. 1348
H.P. 862
House of Representatives, March 28, 2023
An Act to Modernize Executive Branch and Legislative Branch 
Compensation
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLINGS of Portland.
Cosponsored by Representative: LANDRY of Farmington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  2 MRSA §1, 3rd ¶, as amended by PL 2019, c. 475, §6, is further amended 
to read:
Until the first Wednesday of January 1987, the Governor receives an annual salary of 
$35,000.  Beginning the first Wednesday of January 1987 until the last day of December 
2026, the Governor is entitled to receive an annual salary of $70,000.  Beginning January 
1, 2027, the Governor is entitled to receive an annual salary that is equal to the average 
salary received by the chief executives of the states in the United States.  Beginning 
December 1, 2026, the Treasurer of State shall annually calculate the average of salaries 
for all chief executives of the states in the United States and provide that dollar amount to 
the State Controller for payment of the annual salary of the Governor for the year 
immediately following the calculation.
Sec. 2.  3 MRSA §2, first ¶, as amended by PL 2023, c. 2, §2, is further amended 
to read:
Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives, beginning with the first 
Wednesday of December 2000 and thereafter until the day before the first Wednesday of 
December 2024, is entitled to $10,815 in the first year and $7,725 in the 2nd year of each 
biennium, except that if a Legislator who is a recipient of retirement benefits from the 
federal Social Security Administration files a written request with the Executive Director 
of the Legislative Council within one week after the biennium commences, the Legislator 
is entitled to $9,270 in each year of the biennium.  Each member of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives must receive a cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative 
salary, except that the percentage increase may not exceed 5% in any year, and except that 
the percentage increase may not exceed 3% beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30, 
2014.  Beginning December 1, 2001, the salary for each legislative session must be adjusted 
each December 1st by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the most 
recently concluded fiscal year; except that a member of the Senate or the House of 
Representatives may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary for 
the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature, and except that a member of the 
Senate or the House of Representatives may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in 
annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature and the 
percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2011, 
June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 may not be applied to the base salary.  In addition, each 
Each Legislator is entitled to be paid mileage for travel at each legislative session to and 
from that Legislator's place of abode at a rate of 55¢ per mile or the federal standard mileage 
rate, whichever is lower, the mileage to be determined by the most reasonable direct route, 
except that Legislators may be reimbursed for tolls paid for travel on the Maine Turnpike 
as long as they have a receipt for payment of the tolls, such tolls to be reimbursed when 
Legislators use the Maine Turnpike in traveling to and from sessions of the Legislature or 
in performance of duly authorized committee assignments.  Each Legislator is entitled to 
mileage on the first day of the session, and those amounts of salary and expenses at such 
times as the Legislature may determine during the session, and the balance at the end of the 
session.
Sec. 3.  3 MRSA §2, as amended by PL 2023, c. 2, §§1 to 5, is further amended by 
enacting after the first paragraph a new paragraph to read:
Beginning the first Wednesday of December 2024 and thereafter, each member of the 
Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to a salary equal to the average annual 
salary paid to legislators in the United States, prorated for the number of months the 
Legislature is in session each year.  Beginning November 1, 2023, and every 2 years 
thereafter, the Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall calculate the average of 
salaries for all legislators of states in the United States and provide that dollar amount to 
the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the State Controller for payment 
of the annual salary of each Legislator for the legislative biennium immediately following 
the calculation.  The salary calculated pursuant to this paragraph must be paid in 26 equal 
installments over a 12-month period.
SUMMARY
This bill, starting in 2027, bases the salary of the Governor on the average of the annual 
salary of all chief executives of states in the United States.  
This bill also, beginning with the 132nd Legislature, bases the salary of Legislators for 
each biennium on the average salary paid to legislators for states in the United States, 
prorated for the number of months that the Legislature is in session each year.  The salary 
of Legislators must be paid in 26 equal installments over a 52-week period.