An Act to Allow Electronic Distribution of Certain Documents to Municipalities and Electronic Acknowledgment of Receipt of Certain Documents as Acceptable Communications
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0153
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: DODGE, BELL, DHALAC, MATLACK, PLUECKER, ROBERTS, WARREN, WILLIAMS, ZEIGLER
Amends: 30-A MRSA §701, 30-A MRSA §764, 30-A MRSA §855

Legislative Document
No. 153
H.P. 94
House of Representatives, January 12, 2023
An Act to Allow Electronic Distribution of Certain Documents to 
Municipalities and Electronic Acknowledgment of Receipt of 
Certain Documents as Acceptable Communications
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DODGE of Belfast.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BELL of Yarmouth, DHALAC of South Portland, 
MATLACK of St. George, PLUECKER of Warren, ROBERTS of South Berwick, WARREN 
of Scarborough, WILLIAMS of Bar Harbor, ZEIGLER of Montville.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §701, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 663, §2, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Public hearing.  The county commissioners shall hold a public hearing in the county 
on these estimates before the end of the county's fiscal year.  They shall publish a notice of 
the hearing at least 10 days before the hearing in a newspaper of general circulation within 
the county.  Written notice and a copy of the estimates must be sent by electronic or regular 
mail or delivered in person to the clerk of each municipality in the county at least 10 days 
before the hearing, and the clerk shall provide confirmation of receipt by electronic or 
regular mail.  The municipal clerk shall notify the municipal officers of the receipt of the 
estimates.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §764, as amended by PL 2007, c. 663, §8, is further amended 
to read:
§764.  Public hearing
The Hancock County commissioners shall hold a public hearing on the budget estimate 
at least 90 days before the end of the county's fiscal year and an informational meeting on 
the advisory committee's budget estimates at least 30 days before the end of the county's 
fiscal year.  Pursuant to the requirements of section 701, subsection 3, written notice and a 
copy of the estimates must be sent by electronic or regular mail or delivered in person to 
each member of the county legislative delegation at least 10 days before the informational 
meeting on the annual budget.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §855, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 and 
Pt. C, §106 and amended by PL 1989, c. 6; c. 9, §2; and c. 104, Pt. C, §§8 and 10, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Public hearing.  The budget committee shall hold a public hearing in the county on 
the proposed budget before the end of the county's fiscal year and before the final adoption 
of the budget.  Notice of the hearing shall must be given at least 10 days before the hearing 
in a newspaper of general circulation within the county.  Written notice and a copy of the 
proposed budget shall must be sent by registered electronic or certified regular mail, with 
return receipt requested confirmation of receipt sent by electronic or regular mail, or be 
delivered in person, with proof received of the delivery, to the clerk of each municipality 
in the county.  The municipal clerk shall notify the municipal officers of the proposed 
budget.
SUMMARY
Current law requires that annual estimates of proposed county taxes and notices of 
public hearings on proposed county taxes must be sent to the clerk of each municipality in 
the county by mail or delivered in person and that proposed county budgets and notices of 
public hearings on proposed county budgets must be sent to the clerk of each municipality 
in the county by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or delivered in person.  
This bill allows those proposed county taxes and budgets and public hearing notices to be 
sent by electronic or regular mail, with confirmation of receipt by electronic or regular 
mail, or delivered in person.