An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2212
Committee Amendment CA_A_HA_H_H1014 (House)
Amends: 5 MRSA §1536

HOUSE AMENDMENT " K » to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P.1491,
L.D, 2212, "An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the
General Fund and Other Funds for the Expenditures of State Government and Changing
Certain Provisions of the Law Necessaiy to the Proper Operations of State Government for
the Fiscal Years Ending June 30,2026 and June 30,2027"
Amend the amendment by inserting after Part HHHH the following;
-PART IIII
Sec. IIII-l. 5 MRSA §1536, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2021,c. 398, Pt. ZZZ, §§2
and 3, is further amended to read;
1. Final priority reserves. After the transfers to the State Contingent Account
pursuant to section 1507, the transfers to the Loan Insurance Reserve pursuant to section
1511, the transfers pursuant to section 1522, a transfer of $2,500,000 for the Reserve for
General Fund Operating Capital and the transfers to the Retu-ee Health Insurance Internal
Service Fund pursuant to section 1519, the State Controller shall transfer at the close of
each fiscal year from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund an amount equal to
the amount available from the unappropriated surplus after all required deductions of
appropriations, budgeted financial commitments and adjustments considered necessary by
the State Controller liave been made as follows:
A. Eighty Seventy percent to the stabilization fund; and
G, Tweaty Fifteen percent to the Highway and Bridge Capital program, Other Special
Revenue Funds accountT; and
H. Fifteen percent to the Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund or any successor fund
pursuant to section 17446.
Sec. Iffl-2. 5 MRSA §1536, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021,c, 398, Pt. ZZZ, §4,
is further amended to read;
3. Exceptions; stabilization fund at limit. If the stabilization fund is at its limit of
18% of General Fund revenue oftlie immediately preceding year, then amounts that would
otherwise have been transferred to the stabilization fund pursuant to subsections 1 and 2
must be transferred to the Highway and Bridge Capital program, Other Special Revoiuio
Funds aocount. as follows:
HOUSE AMENDMENT
"€l0<3> HOUSE AMENDMENT " )-|. " to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 149], L.D. 2212
A. Sixty oefcent to the Hiehwav and Bridge Capital proeram. Other Special Revenue
Funds account; and
B, Forty percent to the Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund or any successor fund
pursuant to section 1 7446.
Sec. IIII-3. 5 MRSA c. 421, sub-c. 4, art. 10 is enacted to read;
ARTICLE 10
RETffiEMENT BENEFIT IMPROVEMENT FUND
§17446. Retirement Benefit Iinprovement Fund
1. Establishment of fund. The Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund. referred to in
this section as "the fund." is established as an interest-bearine. nonlaosine fund for the
purpose of providine the resources necessary to increase the portion of the retirement
benefit in which cost-of-livine adjustments are applied pursuaat to sectiQn 17806,
subsection 1. oaraeraph A,
2. Content of fund. The fiind consists ofall I'esources transferred to the fund under
section 1536. subsection 1 and other resources made available to the fund.
3. Use of fund. Money in tlie fund must be used to pay for the cost-of-livmfi
adjustment described by section 17806. subsection 1. paragraph A. The State Controller
shall notify the retirement system of the balance in the fund no later than August 1st of
each year. If the retirement system determines that the balance in thefund is sufficient to
increase by at least $500 the portion of the retirement benefit in which cost-of-Uvmg
adjustments are applied, the retirement system shall notify the State Controller. Upon such
notification, the State Controller shall transfer the funds in the fond to the retirement system
and the chief executive officer of the retirement system shall IncreasetheBortlQn ofthe
retirement benefits in which cost-of-livine adjustments are apDlied beeinnina m September
of that year. If the balance in the reserve account is not sufficient to increase the portion of
the retirement benefits in which cost-of-liying adjustments are applied by at least $500,
then the funds remain in the fund.
4. Report. The chief eKecutive officer of the retirement system shall report at least
annually on or before the 2nd Friday in January to the joint standing committee of the
0 Legislature having iurisdiction over aDDropriations and financial affairs and the joitit
standing committee of the Legislature havine jurisdiction over retirement matters on the
status of and activity in the fund.
Sec. IIII-4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made,
ADMUNISTRATrVE AND FmANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund N521
Initiative: Provides a baseline allocation to authorize the expenditure of funds to pay for
retirement benefit improvements for retired state employees and teachers and their
beneficiaries.
Page2"132LR3049(21)
HOUSE AMENDMENT
HOUSE AMENDMENT " \\ " to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1491, L,D. 2212
. ><rt6<° l OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 $500
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $500
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or
section number to read consecutively,
SUMMARY
This Part requires that an amount of surplus General Fund revenue be transferred
annually to a nonlapsing fund to be used to pay for retirement benefit improvements for
retired state employees and teachers and their beneficiaries.
SPONSORED BY:
(Representative HODGE, J.)
TOWN: Belfast
NSCAL NOTE REQUTOED
(See attached)
HOUSE AMENDMENT
Approved; 04/08/26 1-Kt-
LD 2212 LR 3049(21)
An Act Making Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations from the General Fund and Other
Funds for the Expenditures of State Government and Changing Certain Provisions of the Law
Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2026
and June 30,2027
Fiscal Note for House Amendment '}^' to Committee Amendment "A" [ H -11
Sponsor: Rep. Dodge of Belfast
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Redistribution of final priority transfers
Projections Projections
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 202?-
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $500 . $500 $500
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This amendment provides an ongoing Other Special Revenue Fund base allocation of $500 per year, beginning in
fiscal year 2026-27, to the Retirement Benefit Improvement Fund within the Department of Administrative and
Financial Services for the purpose of accumulating funds to pay for retirement benefit improvements for retired state
employees and teachers and their beneficiaries such as increasing the base in which a retiree's cost-of-living
adjustment is applied. The amendment requires that any balance remaining in the unappropriated surplus of the
General Fund after the fixed-dollar transfers pursuant to 5 MRSA § 1507, § 1511, § 1522 and §1519 be divided with
70% going to the Budget Stabilization Fund, 15% going to the Highway Fund, and 15% going to the Retirement
Benefit Improvement Fund. Adding this transfer will reduce funding for the Budget Stabilization and Highway Fund,
A balanced budget is maintained.
LR3049(21) - Fiscal Note - Page I of 1