An Act to Eliminate
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1975
Committee Amendment CA_B_H803 (House)
Amends: 5 MRSA §1541-B, 30-A MRSA §5225, 35-A MRSA §711, 35-A MRSA §2503, 35-A MRSA §2524, 35-A MRSA §7104-B

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " l-S " to H.P. 1319, L.D. 1975, "An Act to Eliminate
the ConnectMaine Authority by Repealing the Advanced Technology Infrastructure Act"
Amend the bill by st-iking out all of section 1 and inserting the following;
'See. 1. 5 MRSA §1541-B, sub-§l, ^4, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 468, §1, is
amended to read:
A. Advanced communications technology mfrastmcture" has the oamo moaning as m
Title 35 A, section 9202, subsootion 1 means any communications technoloev
iir&astmcture or infrastructure improvement that expands the deployment of. or
improves the quality of. broadband availability and connectivity,'
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 6 and inserting the following;
'See. 6. 30-A MRSA §5225, sub-§l, ^[C, as amended by PL 2025, c. 310, §§1 and
2, is further amended by amending subparagraph (10) to read:
(10) Costs associated with broadband and fiber optics expansion projects,
mcludmg preparation, plaimmg, engineermg and other related costs in addition to
the construction costs of those projects. If an area within a municipality or
plantation is unserved with respect to broadband service, as defined by the
ConneotMaine Maine Connectivity Authority as provided m Title 35-A, section
9204 A, suboeotion 1 9405. subsection 3-A. broadband and fiber optics expansion
projects may serve residential or other nonbusiness or noncommercial areas in
addition to business or commercial areas withm the municipality or plantation;'
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 8 to 13 and inserting the followmg:
'See. 8. 35-A MRSA §711, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2017,c,199,§1, is further
amended to read:
4. Rules. The commission shall adopt rules governing the resolution of pole
attachment disputes and the rates, terms and conditions of joint use. The rules must promote
competition, further the state broadband policy connectivity goals set forth in section
9202 A 9403. subsection 1 and ensure safe, nondiscriminatory access on just and
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "V " to H,P,1319, L.D.1975
^
reasonable terms. The rules must also include a process for ensurmg that a new joint use
entity seeking access to the poles, ducts, conduits or rights-of-way of another joint use
entity meets the requirements of subsection 1, paragraph D, In establishing rates, the
commission shall consider various formulas, including, but not limited to, the formula
adopted by the Federal Communications Commission as codified in 47 Code of Federal
Regulations, Part 1, Subpart J, as amended. Rules adopted or amended pursuant to this
subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 9. 35-A MRSA §2503, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2019,c, 625, §4, is further
amended to read:
2. Notice. The applicant may give public notice of the application by publishing its
description of the proposed facility once in a newspaper circulated in the municipality or
municipalities encompassing the limits of the proposed location. The applicant shall send
a copy of any application filled with the Department of Transportation to the municipal
clerk of each municipality in which the facilities are located, or to the clerk of the county
commissioners in the case of facilities within an unorganized township, except that the
applicant may, without publication of its application, place its facility described in its
application on receipt of a permit from the licensing authority as may be otherwise
provided. If a proposed facility is located underground and is in excess of 500 feet in
length, the applicant shall, within 5 business days of submitting an application to the
applicable licensing authority, provide the CormootMain® Maine Cojnnectivity Authority
established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 3B-P 33-H a notice that includes a
description and the location of the proposed facility.
Sec. 10. 35-A MRSA §2524, sub-§l, ^[C, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 127, §1, is
amended to read:
C. "Unserved or underserved area" has the same moaning as in section 9202,
subsection 5 means an area determined by the Maine Connectivity Authority, pursuant
to section 9405. subsection 3-A. to meet criteria established by the authority by rule
adoBted pursuant to section 9405. subsection 3.
Sec. 11. 35-A MRSA §7104-B, sub-§5, % as amended by PL 2019, c. 625, §5,
is further amended to read:
I. To provide, within existing resources, support for qualified libraries in rural areas of
the State with greatest need, as determined in consultation with the State Librarian, the
Commissioner of Education and the ConnectMaine Maine Connectivity Authority, to
offer portable wireless access points, or hotspots, for mobile Internet access.'
5 Amend the bill by inserting after section 14 the followmg:
'See. 15. 35-AMRSA §9405, sub-§3-A is enacted to read:
3-A. Establish criteria defining unserved and underserved areas. To establish, by
8 rule pursuantto subsection 3. criteria to define unserved and underserved areas withresDect
to broadband service. Criteria established by the authority to define unserved and
underserved areas must include the oercentaee of households with access to broadband
service within a municipality or other aDDrooriate geoeraohic area. The authority shall use
these criteria to determine! those areas of the State that are unserved or undersei'ved areas
with respect to broadband service;
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" |^"toH.P. 1319, L,D. 1975
Sec. 16. Appropriations and allocations. The followmg appropriations and
allocations are made.
CONNECTMAINE AUTHORITY
ConnectMaine Fund Z294
Initiative: Deallocates funding from the ConnectMame Fund beginning in fiscal year
2026-27 to reflect the elimination of the ConnectMaine Authority.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AllOther $0 ($1,716,285)
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 ($1,716,285)
Sec. 17. Effective date. This Act takes effect June 30, 2027.'
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbermg any nonconsecutive Part letter or section
number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment makes the followmg changes to the bill.
1, It replaces a cross-reference in the bill with the definition of "advanced
communications technology mfrastmcture" in the laws govemmg connectivity
infrastructure.
2. It replaces references struck in the bill in the sections of the bill related to
I 21 development districts and related to municipal access to poles with references to definitions
established by the Maine Connectivity Authority. The amendment also adds a provision
requiring the Maine Connectivity Authority to establish criteria to defme unserved and
underserved areas with respect to broadband service.
3. It replaces a reference to the state broadband policy with a reference to the state
connectivity goals.
4. It requu'es that notice of proposed facilities located underground and in excess of
500 feet in length be provided to the Maine Connectivity Authority instead of the
CoimectMaine Authority,
5. It adds an effective date of June 30, 2027.
6. It adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Approved: 02/03/26 L.Kt'
LD 1975 LR 1304(03)
An Act to Eliminate the ConnectMaine Authority by Repealing the Advanced Technology
Infrastructure Act
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "g ^ 1-^-^1)3
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Current biennium revenue decrease - Maine Connectivity Authority
Potential future biennium cost increase - General Fund
Projections Projections
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY2(T "9
Appropriations/AIlocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 ($1,716,285) ($1,716,285) ($1,716,285)
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill repeals the Advanced Technology Infrastructure Act. The repeal eliminates the ConnectMaine Authority
(CMA), its associated accounts, and its statutory authority to levy assessments and surcharges effective June 30,2027.
The repeal eliminates the Municipal Gigabit Broadband Network Access Fund (MGBNA) and the ConnectMaine
Fund (CMF). The MGBNA is currently inactive and has no spending authorizations; as a result , no additional action
is required to eliminate the account. The CMP currently includes an annual allocation of $1,716,285. The bill includes
a corresponding deallocation beginning in fiscal year 2026-27 to reflect the account's elimination,
Under current law, the CMA is authorized to collect an assessment equal to 0.25% ofintrastate communications
service provider revenue and a surcharge of $0.10 per line or number. Because the CMA operates as a unit within the
Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA), revenues from these sources are currently deposited with the MCA. Repeal of
this authority would eliminate approximately $2,0 million in annual revenue to the MCA. The MCA has indicated that
these funds are used to support the administration of federal broadband grants and related compliance activities,
Elimination of this revenue source may require replacement funding from the General Fund or other state resources to
maintain existing administrative and compliance functions.
LR1304(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1