An Act to Update the Reimbursement for Travel-related Expenses Incurred as a Result of the Performance of Legislative Duties
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0205
Committee Amendment CA_A_S5 (Senate)
Amends: 3 MRSA §2

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" {1 "to S.P. 105, L.D. 205, "An Act to Update the 
Reimbursement for Travel-related Expenses Incurred as a Result of the Performance of 
Legislative Duties" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted .as emergencies; and 
Whereas, the Legislature is composed of individuals representing all areas of the State 
and many travel long distances each day to attend legislative sessions and committee 
meetings; and 
Whereas, many Legislators live too far from the State House to return home each day 
and must find lodging in the capital area to attend legislative sessions and committee 
meetings; and 
Whereas, the housing and meal allowances paid to Legislators who attend to the 
business of the Legislature have not been increased since 1989; and 
Whereas, the cost of housing and meals is significantly higher than the cost in 1989; 
and 
Whereas, the mileage reimbursement rate currently paid to Legislators is 46¢ per 
mile; and 
Whereas, the federal standard mileage reimbursement rate established by the United 
States Internal Revenue Service is 65.5¢ per mile; and 
Whereas, the cost of gasoline has increased substantially; and 
Whereas, immediate action is needed to correct these travel-related expense 
reimbursement shortages; and 
· 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"~ "to S.P. 105, L.D. 205 (tr i) 
I 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
· 
'Sec.1. 3 MRSA §2, as amended by PL 2019, c. 475, §§11 and 12, is further amended 
by amending the section headnote to read: 
§2. Salary, expenses compensation and tF-a¥el travel-related expenses of Members of 
the Legislature and representatives of Indian tribes 
Sec. 2. 3 MRSA §2, first 1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. QQQQ, §I, is 
IO 
further amended to read: 
Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives, beginning with the first 
Wednesday of December 2000 and thereafter, 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 bi_ennium. 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 m~st be adjusted each December 1st by the percentage change in the Consumer 
Price Index for the most recently concluded fiscal year; except that oo £! 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 oo £! 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 First Regular Session and the Second Regular Session of the 
126th Legislature, and any 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 Legislator is entitled to be paid mileage for travel at each 
legislative session to and from that Legislator's place of abode once each week at the same 
rate per mile to and from that Legislator's place of abode as state employees receive 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 
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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· 
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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, 4th 1, as corrected by RR2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §1, is amended to 
read: 
Except as provided in this section, each member of the Senate and House of 
Representatives is entitled to the travel-related expenses of a meal allowance in the amount 
of m $50 and a housing allowance in the amount of $J.8. $70 for each day in attendance 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ft "to S.P. 105, L.D. 205 ( S ·5) 
at sessions of the Legislature and for each day the member occupies overnight 
accommodations away from home either immediately preceding or immediately following 
attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature. The presiding officers may establish 
reasonable policies regarding allowances for meals and overnight accommodations for the 
day immediately preceding the session, which may include policies regarding whether an 
allowance is paid, whether the full amount or a portion of the statutory allowance is paid 
and whether receipts are required. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member 
is entitled to a daily meal allowance in the amount of W $50 and an actual daily mileage 
allowances allowance in an amount up to but not exceeding m $70 per day. Each member 
of the Senate also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the amount of 
$2,000, $1,30_0 in January and $700 in the month following adjournment of the regular 
session. Each member of the House of Representatives also receives an annual allowance 
for constituent services in the amount of $1,500, $1,005 in January and $495 in the month 
following adjournment of the regular session. Notwithstanding this section, during the first 
regular session of each legislative biennium, a member of the Senate or the House of 
Representatives may elect to receive the first payment of the annual allowance for 
constituent services in December following convening of the Legislature by notifying the 
Executive Director of the Legislative Council in the manner prescribed by the executive 
director. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall inform Legislators of the 
choice available for payment of the allowance for constituent services in the first year of 
the legislative biennium and of any tax implications associated with exercising that choice. 
Sec. 4. 3 MRSA §2, 9th 1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. A, §2, is further 
amended to read: 
The member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, the member of the Passamaquoddy Indian 
Tribe arid, beginning with the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature, the member 
of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians elected to represent their tribes at the Legislature 
are entitled to receive a salary equal to the salary of members of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives, including a cost-of-living adjustment, for each regular session and an 
allowance for meals, constituent service, housing and tfa¥el allowances for travel-related 
expenses, which are housing, meals, mileage and tolls, to the same extent as members of 
the House of Representatives for attendance at each legislative session or authorized 
committee meeting. For the duration of any special session of the Legislature, they are 
entitled to receive the same per diem payment and allowances, including housing, meal and 
travel travel-related expenses, which are housing, meals, mileage and tolls, as any member 
of the Senate and House of Representatives. 
Sec. 5. 3 MRSA §2, 11th ,r, as amended by PL 1989, c. 501, Pt. 0, §5; c. 600, Pt. 
B, §§9 and 10; and c. 878, Pt. D, §§14 and 15, is further amended to read: 
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The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the floor 
leaders an:d their assistants and members of a committee, with the approval of the President 
of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives as to members of a committee, 
may also meet on days when the Legislature is not in daily session at any convenient 
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location within the State. Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives shall 
is entitled to receive $55 for every day's attendance when meetings or daily sessions are 
held, and the travel-related expenses of a meal allowance in the amount of W $50 and a 
housing allowance whereby actual lodging expenses will be reimbursed at the single-room 
rate, provided that as long as a receipt is submitted to the Executive Director of the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 105, L.D. 205 (s~ S j 
Legislative Council for each day in attendance at such meetings or daily sessions and for 
each day that member occupies overnight accommodations away from home either 
immediately preceding or immediately following attendance at daily sessions of the 
Legislature and actual daily ·mileage allowances vlhich shall be paid at the same rate paid 
to state employees at the rate of 5 5 ¢ per mile or the federal standard mileage rate, whichever 
is lower. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member shall be entitled to a 
daily meal allowance in the amount of m $50 and actual daily mileage allowances. 
Sec. 6. Funding. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall identify 
savings in legislative accounts sufficient to offset the costs that are associated with the 
implementation of this Act. The executive director shall include appropriate amounts 
associated with the implementation of this Act in future budget submissions.' 
Amend the bill by adding before the summary the following: 
'Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft. It sets the mileage 
reimbursement rate for Legislators attending sessions at 55¢ per mile or the federal standard 
reimbursement rate, whichever is lower. It increases the daily housing allowance from $3 8 
per day to $70 per day and the meal allowance from $32 per day to $50 per day. It increases 
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from $38 to $70 the cap on the daily mileage reimbursement after one round trip. It directs 
the Executive Director of the Legislative Council to identify savings in legislative accounts 
sufficient to offset the costs associated with these increases and to include appropriate 
amounts associated with these costs in future budget submissions. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED . 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 02/06/23 feae 
LD205 
LR 2401(02) 
An Act to Update the Reimbursement for Travel-related Expenses Incurred as a Result of the 
Performance of Legislative Duties 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment',( ( S-'5) 
Committee: State and Local Government 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
This bill sets the mileage reimbursement rate for Legislators attending sessions at the lesser of $0.55 per mile or the 
federal reimbursement rate, increases the daily housing allowance from $38 to $70 per day, increases the meals 
allowance from $32 to $50 per day and caps daily mileage reimbursement at $70 per day. The additional costs to the 
Legislature for these changes are estimated to be $1,100,000 in fiscal year 2022-23, $788,600 in fiscal year 2023-24 
and $1,234,770 in fiscal year 2024-25. Section 2 of the bill requires the Legislature to identify savings in Legislative 
accounts to offset these costs and therefore no additional appropriations for these additional costs are provided at this 
time. 
LR2401(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1