An Act to Amend the State's Election Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0332
Committee Amendment CA_A_S628 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §611

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " /p' to S.P. 153, L.D. 332, "An Act to Amend the
State's Election Laws"
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'An Act to Provide Funds Necessary for the Production and Delivery of Election
Materials by the Secretary of State and to Reconvene the Working Group to Study
Polling Places at Schools'
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the
following:
'See. 1. 21-A MRSA §611 is enacted to read:
§611. Production and Delivery of Election IVtaterials Fund
1. Fund established. The Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund. a
nonlapsing. interest-bearine account within the Department of the Secretary of State,
referredto in this section as "the fund." is established for the purpose of receiving funds
from the State to support the costs associated with the production and delivery of election
materials as required under this Title, including, but not limited to, ballots, absentee ballot
envelopes, voter registration applications. forms, instructions and other election suuolies.
The use of funds from the fund is in addition to any funds received by the Department of
the Secretary of State from the State for this purpose,
2. Funding. Notwithstanding any provision ofJawto the contrarv. on or before
September 30. 2024. and ever/ September 30th thereafter, the State Controller shall
transfer $266.000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Department
of Secretary of_State. Bureau of Corporations. Elections and Commissions program,
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds account
to support the costs associated with the production and delivery of election materials
pursuant to subsection 1. except that. beginning December 1. 2024. the transfer amount
must be adiusted every 2 Years_based on_lhe ^ Price Index as reported by the
United States Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest
amount divisible by $100.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " /]-" to S.P. 153, L.D. 332 (S 't
CQ
3. Carry forward; transfer of funds. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the
contrary, the State Controller shall carry forward any remaining balances in the Department
of Secretary of State. Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program.
General Fund account at the end of fiscal year 2024-25 and each fiscal y_ear thereafter into
thefollowingiiscalYear and shall transfer those balances each fiscal year to the Department
of Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections_and_Commissions_ program,
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund. Other Special Revenue Funds
account.
Sec. 2. Working group to study polling places at schools reconvened. The
Department of the Secretary of State shall convene a working group, referred to in this
section as "the working group," to study the use of school buildings as polling places, to
consider options to protect the security of school students and staff and election staff and
voters and to consider polling place accessibility. The department shall provide the
necessaiy staffing services to the working group.
1, The working group consists of 9 members as follows:
A. The Secretary of State or the secretary's designee;
B. The deputy secretary of state of the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and
Commissions within the Department of the Secretary of State or the deputy secretary's
designee;
C. The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee;
D. A representative of the Maine School Boards Association, appointed by the
Secretary of State;
E. A representative of the Maine School Superintendents Association, appointed by
the Secretary of State;
F. A representative of the Maine Town and City Clerks' Association, appointed by the
Secretary of State;
G. A representative of the Maine Municipal Association, appointed by the Secretary
of State;
H. A representative of an organization dedicated to advancing the legal rights of
individuals with disabilities, appointed by the Secretary of State; and
I. A representative of an organization dedicated to the protection of voters who are
from historically unden'epresented or marginalized communities, appointed by the
Secretary of State.
2, To the extent possible, membership in the working group must be the same as the
working group convened under Resolve 2023, chapter 73, Members of the working group
6 are not compensated for their participation in the working group.
3. The working group shall:
A. Identify the number of school buildings in the State that are designated as polling
places;
B. Examine and identify practices in other states around the use of school buildings as
polling places;
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " ^ " to S.P. 153, L.D. 332 ^'(
C. Evaluate the criteria necessary to protect the security of school students and staff
\Q- 2 and election staff and voters when school buildings are used as polling places;
D. Identify possible changes to practices around the use of school buildings as polling
places to protect voter accessibility and to safeguard the security of school students and
staff and election staff and voters when a school building is used as a polling place;
and
E. Make recommendations based on the findings of the working group.
4. No later than December 15, 2024, the Department of the Secretary of State shall
submit a report that includes the findings and recommendations of the working group,
including suggested legislation, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having
jurisdiction over veterans and legal affairs. The committee may report out legislation based
on the report to the 132nd Legislature in 2025.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund N485
Initiative: Creates the Production and Deliveiy of Election Materials Fund with an annual
transfer of $266,000 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2023-24 2024-25
AllOther $0 $266,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $266,000
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, and establishes the
Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund as a nonlapsing, interest-bearing Other
Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of the Secretary of State for the
purpose of receiving funds from the State to support the costs associated with the
production and delivery of election materials. The use of funds from the fund is in addition
to any other funds received by the department from the State for that purpose.
It also provides for an ongoing transfer to the Production and Deliveiy of Election
Materials Fund from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund. In 2024 the transfer
is $266,000, and the amount must be adjusted for the cost of living every 2 years,
Additionally, it provides for any remaining balances in the Department of Secretary of
State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions program. General Fund account
at the end of each fiscal year to be transferred to the Production and Delivery of Election
Materials Fund.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ft "to S.P. 153, L.D. 332(/,<S-(^^
^
The bill also reconvenes a working group to study polling places at schools in order to
protect the security of school stidents and staff and election staff and voters and to consider
polling place accessibility.
FISCAL NOTE REQUmED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 03/28/24 ^y^f-
LD 332 LR 542(02)
An Act to Amend the State's Election Laws
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "4",
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27
Net Cost. (Savings)
General Fund
xppropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds
Revenue
General Fund
Other Special Revenue Funds
$0
$0
$0
$0
$266,000 $266,000
$266,000
($266,000)
$266,000
$266,000
($266,000)
$266,000
$266,000
$266,000
($266,000)
$266,000
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill creates the Production and Delivery of Election Materials Fund within the Department of Secretary of State.
The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations to the Department of Secretary of State of $266,000
beginning in fiscal year 2024-25 to support costs associated with the production and delivery of election materials.
The bill provides for annual transfers from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Fund of $266,000
beginning in fiscal year 2024-25 to fund the election materials costs,
Additional costs to the Department of Education and the Department of Secretary of State associated with serving on
the working group can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. Additional costs to the Department of
Secretary of State associated with submitting the report can also be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.
LR0542(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1