Representative Bruce Bickford

LD 6	An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Home Accessibility Tax Credit	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 11, 2019
LD 6 This bill provides that the income tax credit for homestead modifications to improve accessibility for an individual with a disability or physical hardship is refundable if the individual is 65 years of age or older and the individual's Maine adjusted gross income is equal to or less than 138% of the federal poverty level.

LD 41

An Act To Replace Net Energy Billing with a Market-based Mechanism

Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, April 25, 2019

LD 41
This bill does the following regarding net energy billing:

1. It allows an eligible customer to elect net energy billing until December 31, 2019, after which time no new net energy billing arrangements may be allowed;
2. It allows net energy billing arrangements entered into prior to December 31, 2019 to remain in effect until December 31, 2034;
3. It prohibits a transmission and distribution utility from requiring a customer to meter the gross output of an eligible facility in order to participate in net energy billing; and
4. It limits to 50 the number of eligible customers that may participate in a single shared interest in an eligible facility or the number of meters associated with a single shared interest, except in the service territory of a transmission and distribution utility located in an area administered by the independent system administrator for northern Maine.

The bill establishes a market-based crediting system for energy generated by eligible facilities. It requires the Public Utilities Commission to adopt rules to allow an eligible customer to receive a monetary credit for energy generated by an eligible facility in excess of the customer's usage and exported to the grid at the real-time wholesale market price of that energy. As in the provisions relating to net energy billing, a transmission and distribution utility is prohibited from requiring a customer to meter the gross output of an eligible facility in order to participate in the crediting system, and the number of eligible customers that may participate in a single shared interest in an eligible facility, or the number of meters associated with a single shared interest, is limited to 50. The bill exempts a transmission and distribution utility located in an area administered by the independent system administrator for northern Maine, or any successor of the independent system administrator for northern Maine, from using this crediting system until the Public Utilities Commission determines the utility's billing system can perform the necessary functions to implement the system. It requires the commission to consider whether an alternative system to the crediting system for northern Maine could be developed and utilized in the interim period before the utility's billing system is modified to allow a market-based crediting system.

It requires the Public Utilities Commission to procure, to the maximum extent possible, 20 megawatts of large-scale community solar distributed generation resources. It requires that the contract rate be calculated annually and that no contract may be for more than 6¢ per kilowatt-hour or the average wholesale electricity rate over the preceding 12 months, whichever is less.

Lastly, it requires the Public Utilities Commission to conduct an analysis of the costs and benefits to ratepayers for both net energy billing and the market-based crediting system in an adjudicatory proceeding and to report those findings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over utilities and energy matters no later than January 1, 2021.

LD 49	An Act Regarding the Designation of Traumatic Brain Injury on Driver's Licenses and Nondriver Identification Cards	Status: Referred to Transportation Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-519 and Senate amendment S-360, Enacted, Signed into law June 28, 2019
LD 49 This bill requires the Secretary of State, upon request, to issue a sticker to be placed on a person's driver's license or nondriver identification card to indicate that the person has a traumatic brain injury. Amendment H-519 This amendment strikes and replaces the bill and: 1. Directs the Secretary of State to issue wallet-sized acquired brain injury identification cards to persons who voluntarily request a card; 2. Allows the Secretary of State to require documentation of an acquired brain injury; 3. Provides requirements for the application for and issuance of an acquired brain injury identification card; and 4. Allows the Secretary of State to determine by rule any additional information about acquired brain injury that must be placed on an acquired brain injury identification card. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. Amendment S-360 This amendment removes the appropriations and allocations section. LD 49 Chaptered Law LD 49 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 55	An Act To Return the Normal Cost of Teacher Retirement to the State	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, March 7, 2019
LD 55 This bill changes the method for funding teacher retirement costs. It repeals those provisions of law enacted pursuant to Public Law 2013, chapter 368 that require school administrative units and private schools to pay for teacher retirement.

LD 70	An Act To Support the Trades through a Tax Credit for Apprenticeship Programs	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-10, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate April 2, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 70 This bill permits an employer who employs an apprentice participating in an approved apprenticeship program to receive a tax credit and provides for a partial credit if the employer employs a participating apprentice for fewer than 2,000 hours during a calendar year. Amendment S-10 This amendment adds appropriations for one-time funding for computer programming and for 2 positions in the Department of Labor to implement the tax credit for apprenticeship programs provided in the bill. LD 70 fiscal note LD 70 Amendment S-10 fiscal note

LD 91	An Act To Eliminate Gross Metering (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Amended by Senate amendment S-4, Enacted, Signed into law April 2, 2019
LD 91 This bill clarifies the definition of "net energy billing." It requires the Public Utilities Commission, within 60 days of this legislation becoming effective, to amend its net energy billing rules adopted pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 3209-A to be substantively equivalent to the rules in effect on January 1, 2017. It provides that all customers that entered into a net energy billing arrangement on or after March 29, 2017 are governed by the rules that are to be adopted pursuant to this legislation. Amendment S-4 This amendment removes the emergency preamble and emergency clause. LD 91 Chaptered Law LD 91 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 150	An Act To Improve Attendance at Public Elementary Schools	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment S-35, Enacted, Signed into law June 7, 2019
LD 150 This bill provides that unless a person 5 years of age or older and under 7 years of age who is enrolled in a public day school withdraws from the school, the person is required to attend the school during the time it is in session. It provides that students who are at least 5 years of age and have not completed grade 6 and are enrolled in a public day school are subject to the same provisions regarding truancy as students who are at least 7 years of age and have not completed grade 6 who are required to attend a public day school. It provides that a person 5 years of age or older and under 7 years of age is not required to meet the alternatives to attendance requirements set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 5001-A, subsection 3. Amendment S-35 This amendment clarifies that the provisions of the bill relating to persons attending schools outside of the unorganized territory also apply to a person who resides in the unorganized territory. The amendment provides that unless a person in the unorganized territory 5 years of age or older and under 7 years of age who is enrolled in a public day school withdraws from the school, the person is required to attend the school during the time it is in session. It provides that students in the unorganized territory who are at least 5 years of age and have not completed grade 6 and are enrolled in a public day school are subject to the same provisions regarding truancy as students who are at least 7 years of age and have not completed grade 6 who are required to attend a public day school. It provides that a person in the unorganized territory 5 years of age or older and under 7 years of age is not required to meet the alternatives to attendance requirements set forth in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 3271, subsection 2. LD 150 Chaptered Law LD 150 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 162	An Act To Eliminate the State Income Tax on Maine Public Employees Retirement System Pensions	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Work session held, May 16, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 162 Retirement benefits under state, local or federal government retirement plans that are based on employment compensation for which contributions are not made to the federal Social Security system result in reductions in the amount of Social Security benefits that a retiree is eligible to receive under the federal windfall elimination provision. This bill provides an income tax exemption for those retirement benefits.

LD 164	An Act To Reduce Property Taxes for Maine Residents	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-231, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 10, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 164 This bill increases the total exemption under the Maine resident homestead property tax exemption program to $50,000 for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2020. This bill also increases state reimbursement to municipalities for homestead property tax exemptions from 62.5% to 100% for property tax years beginning on or after April 1, 2020. Amendment S-231 This amendment increases the homestead property tax exemption to $30,000 instead of $50,000 as in the bill and requires municipalities to include a statement on tax bills regarding the availability of the homestead tax exemption and providing information on how to apply. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 164 Amendment S-231 fiscal note

LD 171	Resolve, To Establish a Pilot Project To Evaluate and Address the Transportation Needs of Maine's Veterans	Status: Referred to Transportation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-116, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 2, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 171 This resolve establishes a 30-month pilot project in Oxford, Franklin and Androscoggin counties to provide transportation to veterans and their caregivers or dependents to and from employment or employment-related services, medical appointments, mental health services, social services and community activities. Amendment H-116 The amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 171 fiscal note LD 171 Amendment H-116 fiscal note

LD 252	RESOLUTION, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Prohibit New or Increased Fees or Taxes by Means of Direct Initiatives of Legislation	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Concurrence in Ought Not to Pass, March 26, 2019
LD 252 This resolution proposes to amend the Constitution of Maine to prohibit the imposition of any new or increased taxes or fees through the direct initiative process.

LD 465	An Act To Eliminate the Service Provider Tax on Services Covered by Medicaid	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, April 16, 2019
LD 465 This bill repeals portions of the service provider tax that apply to services that are covered by the federal Medicaid program.

LD 535	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Invest in Maine's Rail Infrastructure and Expand Passenger Rail Service	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 535 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $50,000,000, will be used to repair and reconstruct state-owned railroad lines, improve infrastructure on a railway crossing in the Town of Yarmouth and improve the railroad line between the cities of Lewiston and Auburn and the City of Portland.

LD 541	Resolve, To Reduce Food Waste in Schools	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-255, Finally passed, Signed into law June 3, 2019
LD 541 This resolve directs the Department of Education to develop a school food sharing policy to encourage schools and food banks to work together to collect whole and packaged school cafeteria surplus or leftover food and share it with the community. Amendment H-255 This amendment directs the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to collaborate to revise and disseminate by January 1, 2020 to public school food service programs throughout the State the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention's health inspection program guidance titled "Food Sharing Tables - Guidance for Schools." LD 541 Chaptered Law LD 541 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 593	Resolve, To Stabilize the Behavioral Health Workforce and Avert More Expensive Treatments (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Health and Human Services Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-143, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 4, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 593 This resolve provides funding to increase rates by 8% in rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 65, Behavioral Health Services. The resolve also specifies that the increase in reimbursement rates must be applied to wages and benefits for employees who provide direct care services and not to administrators or managers and that to qualify for the rate increase an agency providing services must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Department of Health and Human Services, that an increase in wages and benefits has been granted to employees providing direct care services that equals the amount of the projected increase in reimbursement to be received. Amendment S-143 This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, updates the appropriations and allocations section to reflect a more recent estimate of the cost. Amendment S-161 This amendment removes the emergency preamble and clause and changes the date by which the Department of Health and Human Services must amend its rule. LD 593 fiscal note LD 593 Amendment S-143 fiscal note LD 593 Amendment S-161 fiscal note

LD 625	An Act To Phase Out the Insurance Premium Tax on Annuities	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-32, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate April 11, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 625 This bill phases out the insurance premium tax on annuity considerations over 4 years beginning in 2020. During the phase-out period, the prescribed rate applies only if the insurer credits the savings from the rate reductions to annuity holders. The bill also specifies that certain deductions related to annuities may be deducted from annuity considerations for tax periods beginning on or after January 1, 2020. Amendment H-32 This amendment changes the phase-out of the insurance premium tax on annuity considerations from 4 years to 9 years and provides that during the phase-out period the retaliatory tax on non-Maine insurance companies does not apply. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 625 Amendment H-32 fiscal note

LD 647	An Act To Attract, Educate and Retain New State Residents To Strengthen the Workforce	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-556, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 14, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 647 This bill creates various programs to provide education, services and training for the State's workforce immigrant populations in the following ways: 1. It establishes the Welcome Center Initiative to operate welcome centers in adult education programs to provide education, services and training for foreign-trained workers in municipalities or regions of the State that have immigrant populations or that have industries that are experiencing a shortage of trained workers, patterned after the New Mainers Resource Center operated by the City of Portland adult education program through a pilot program created by the 126th Legislature. The bill provides funds for grants for proposed welcome centers; 2. It directs the Department of Education's office of adult education and family literacy to: A. Administer a vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program for immigrants in the State and establish a statewide competitive grant process to carry out the purposes of the program; B. Establish and implement a local community planning support program to provide a planning process for communities to provide English language acquisition and training in vocational skills, identify employers or areas that would benefit from immigrant residency or employment and cultivate community support to integrate immigrants into the communities and local workforce. The office must establish a grant process to carry out the purposes of the program; and C. Develop and implement a grant process to award grants to adult education programs to increase English language acquisition instruction.The bill provides funding for the vocation-specific English language acquisition and workforce training program, the local community planning support program and grants to increase English language acquisition instruction; and 3. It directs the Department of Education to establish a welcome center under the Welcome Center Initiative within the City of Lewiston's adult education program to attract, educate and retain in employment foreign-trained workers, patterned after the New Mainers Resource Center in Portland, and provides funding for that purpose. It also provides ongoing funding for the New Mainers Resource Center in Portland. Amendment H-556 This amendment provides additional details and clarifying language regarding the welcome centers, English language classes, training grants and local community planning support program. The amendment also changes the appropriation for proposed welcome centers from $50,000 in fiscal year 2019-20 and in fiscal year 2020-21 to $25,000 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $75,000 in fiscal year 2020-21. LD 647 fiscal note LD 647 Amendment H-556 fiscal note

LD 794	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Recapitalize the Municipal Investment Trust Fund	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 14, 2019
LD 794 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $6,000,000, will be used to provide funds to recapitalize the Municipal Investment Trust Fund to provide grants and loans to municipalities for public facilities and infrastructure.

LD 798	An Act To Protect Maine Children and Students from Preventable Diseases by Repealing Certain Exemptions from the Laws Governing Immunization Requirements	Status: Referred to Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-120, Enacted, Signed into law May 24, 2019. People's veto petition certified to appear on March 3, 2020 ballot: Do you want to reject the new law that removes religious and philosophical exemptions to requiring immunization against certain communicable diseases for students to attend schools and colleges and for employees of nursery schools and health care facilities?
LD 798 Current law allows exemptions from immunization requirements based on religious or philosophical beliefs for students in elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary schools and employees of nursery schools and health care facilities. This bill removes those exemptions. The bill also directs the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to remove any immunization exemptions based on religious or philosophical beliefs from their rules and requires the Department of Education to adopt rules allowing a student who is covered by an individualized education plan and has elected a philosophical or religious exemption from immunization requirements to continue to attend school under the existing exemption as long as an appropriate medical professional provides a statement that the medical professional has provided information on the risks and benefits associated with the choice to immunize. Amendment H-120 Current law allows exemptions from immunization requirements based on religious or philosophical beliefs for students in elementary and secondary schools and postsecondary schools and employees of nursery schools and health care facilities. This amendment, which is the majority report, removes those exemptions effective September 1, 2021. Current law relating to enrollment in any public or private elementary or secondary school provides that the superintendent may not permit any child to be enrolled in or to attend school without a certificate of immunization for each disease or other acceptable evidence of required immunization or immunity against the disease except when the parent or child provides a physician's written statement that immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable. Instead, the amendment requires the parent or child to provide a written statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that, in that physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's professional judgment, immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable. Current law relating to immunization of students enrolled in any public or private postsecondary school provides that a chief administrative officer may not permit a student to be enrolled in or to attend a school without a certificate of immunization for each disease or other acceptable evidence of required immunization or immunity against the disease except when the parent or the student provides a physician's written statement or a written statement from a school health provider that immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable. Instead, the amendment requires that the parent or the student provide a written statement from a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that, in that physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's professional judgment, immunization against one or more of the diseases may be medically inadvisable.The amendment keeps the directive in the unallocated section of the bill to the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to remove any immunization exemptions based on religious or philosophical beliefs from their rules. The amendment places in statute the directive in the unallocated section of the bill allowing a student who is covered by an individualized education plan and has elected a philosophical or religious exemption from immunization requirements to continue to attend school under the existing exemption as long as a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant provides a statement that the physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant has provided information on the risks and benefits associated with the choice to immunize. The amendment also requires the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report, by January 1st of each odd-numbered year, to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters concerning any new developments in the evaluation of vaccine safety and effectiveness. The joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters are each authorized to submit a bill during the legislative session in which the report was submitted. LD 798 Chaptered Law LD 798 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 832	An Act To Expand Options for Consumers of Cable Television in Purchasing Individual Channels and Programs	Status: Referred to Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee, Enacted, Signed into law June 15, 2019
LD 832 This bill requires that cable television system operators offer subscribers the option of purchasing access to cable channels or programs on cable channels individually. LD 832 Chaptered Law LD 832 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 859	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Fund Equipment for Career and Technical Education Centers and Regions	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 859 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $40,000,000, will be used to provide funds to make capital improvements to and purchase equipment for career and technical education centers and regions for high school students.

LD 874	An Act To Conform the Clean Election Financing Laws to the Judicially Determined Procedures	Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, March 14, 2019
LD 874 This bill codifies the decision of the Superior Court in Maine Citizens for Clean Elections v. LePage, No. CV-18-112, 2018 (Me. Super. Ct., Ken. Cty., August 2, 2018). The bill authorizes the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to expend existing revenues from the Maine Clean Election Fund in excess of the current year allocations without first obtaining a financial order approved by the Governor, solely for the purpose of making distributions required by the Maine Clean Election Act to certified candidates.

LD 1052	An Act To Require Regular and Transparent Review of MaineCare Reimbursement Rates	Status: Referred to Health and Human Services Committee, Work session held, May 1, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1052 This bill establishes a regular review process for MaineCare reimbursement rates. The Department of Health and Human Services shall review all rates over a 3-year period except those that are already subject to regular review, based on cost, reimbursed at a capitated rate, or tied to Medicare or some other rates. The 3-year schedule and the reviews are required to be submitted to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and appropriations and financial affairs. The results of reviews are also submitted to the Governor for consideration for inclusion in the biennial budget. The bill also establishes the MaineCare Reimbursement Rates Review Advisory Committee made up of stakeholders appointed by the Presiding Officers and the minority leaders in the Legislature to provide advice and input to the department on rate reviews. The advisory committee also submits an annual review of its activities to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and appropriations and financial affairs. The advisory committee is staffed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

LD 1069	An Act To Amend the Tax Expenditure Review Process	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted, Signed into law May 28, 2019
LD 1069 This bill changes dates for the submission to the Legislature of tax expenditure reports by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over taxation matters and the date for submission to the committee of certain materials by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability. These changes are made to accommodate previous reporting changes made with regard to full evaluations of tax expenditures and to facilitate a more efficient review of all tax expenditure provisions. LD 1069 Chaptered Law LD 1069 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1093	An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Invest in Maine's Railroad Infrastructure	Status: Referred to Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1093 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $50,000,000, will be used for investments in railroad infrastructure to expand passenger rail service, with a priority for railroad track corridors that could support passenger and freight intermodal operations and enhance the movement of agricultural products.

LD 1156	An Act To Create the Savings Account Program for Small Businesses	Status: Referred to Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business Committee, Work session held, May 15, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1156 This bill establishes the Savings Account Program for Small Businesses in the Finance Authority of Maine to certify corporations eligible to claim a tax credit for contributions made to qualifying savings accounts. The bill creates the tax credit and establishes that withdrawals from the savings accounts are taxable income.

LD 1200	An Act To Amend the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit Program (Emergency)	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-169, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 6, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1200 This bill amends the Maine Seed Capital Tax Credit Program by: 1. Reducing from 50% to 40% the maximum credit available to individual investors and private venture capital funds for investments made after April 1, 2019; 2. Requiring that eligible exporting businesses retain in Maine a majority of their employees; 3. Reducing from $5,000,000 to $3,500,000 the total aggregate investment eligible for tax credits for any one business; 4. Limiting to $2,000,000 the total aggregate investment eligible for any one business in any calendar year; and 5. Increasing from $5,000,000 to $15,000,000 the overall annual limit on total authorized credits. Amendment S-169 This amendment restricts the increase in the overall annual limit on total authorized credits to calendar years 2019 to 2025, removes the requirement that a majority of an eligible business's employment associated with the creation and sale of a product or a provision of services be within the State and provides a structure for the required reporting of data to facilitate an evaluation of the effectiveness of the credit by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability. LD 1200 Amendment S-169 fiscal note

LD 1322	An Act To Provide Equitable Tax Treatment to State-licensed Marijuana Businesses	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-334, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate May 29, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1322 This bill expands the list of marijuana businesses that are licensed by the State and are eligible to take deductions otherwise allowed under the state income tax laws to include adult use marijuana establishments and testing facilities and medical marijuana manufacturing facilities. This bill also corrects 2 lettering conflicts created when 2 separate public laws enacted new paragraphs with the same letter designations by reallocating the later enacted versions. Amendment H-334 This amendment provides a General Fund appropriation for administrative costs. LD 1322 Amendment H-334 fiscal note

LD 1430	An Act To Create Tax Equity among Renewable Energy Investments	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-507, Enacted, Signed into law June 20, 2019
LD 1430 This bill provides clarification related to the eligibility of business investments in renewable energy facilities for purposes of the business equipment tax exemption and provides personal property tax and real estate tax exemptions for renewable energy facilities installed for noncommercial use. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services to provide guidance documents to assist municipalities with the assessment of renewable energy facilities included in these provisions. Amendment H-507 This amendment provides property tax exemptions for certain renewable energy facilities in the form of personal property and real property. Additionally, the amendment directs the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services to provide guidance on its publicly accessible website to assist municipalities with the assessment of renewable energy facilities included in these provisions. The amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 1430 Chaptered Law LD 1430 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1452	An Act Regarding the Collection of the Sales and Use Tax by Marketplace Facilitators	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-508 and House amendment H-521, Enacted, Signed into law June 20, 2019
LD 1452 This bill ensures that persons making sales through physical or electronic marketplaces of tangible personal property and taxable services subject to the sales and use tax are subject to the same sales and use tax collection and remittance responsibilities as other sellers. Amendment H-508 This amendment enacts definitions and other provisions to require a marketplace facilitator to collect and remit the sales tax on sales of tangible personal property and taxable services facilitated on the marketplace facilitator's marketplace that are delivered into the State. It consolidates the sales tax registration provisions by repealing the recently enacted Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 1951-B and reformatting the provision of law requiring certain persons to register with the State Tax Assessor and collect and remit taxes, including the remote seller registration requirements in the new provision, harmonizing the merged provisions and removing obsolete language. It also adjusts the use tax calculation used on the income tax return to report unpaid use tax, lowering the default amount from .08% to .04% of Maine adjusted gross income to account for the increased tax collected by remote sellers and marketplace facilitators. Amendment H-521 This amendment amends the committee amendment. It changes the term "gross revenue" to "gross sales" in a provision designating persons who are required to register. It changes a subsection headnote to better reflect the substance of the subsection. It provides that a marketplace facilitator is considered a retailer for each sale of tangible personal property or taxable services for delivery in this State, instead of into this State, that the marketplace facilitator facilitates on or through its marketplace. LD 1452 Chaptered Law LD 1452 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1463

An Act To Create an Automatic Voter Registration System

Status: Referred to Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-458, Enacted, Signed into law June 19, 2019

LD 1463
This bill establishes, beginning January 1, 2022, a method of automatically registering eligible individuals to vote. The Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, when receiving any documentation from an individual doing business with the bureau, including applying for or renewing a driver's license or nondriver identification card, is required to scan and electronically store the documentation provided by the individual. If the documentation provides proof of eligibility to vote, including citizenship, age and residency, that individual is added to the central voter registration system and relevant information is transmitted to election officials unless the individual, at the time of the collection of the documentation, chooses not to be registered to vote, which the Secretary of State is required to ensure that an individual is given the opportunity to do. An application or document used to collect information that may be used to register an individual must contain a notice that the individual's information may be used to register that individual to vote, meaning that the information would be available by persons other than the State or election officials. An election official must provide the same notice to an individual upon receipt of the registration record from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and also must inform the individual of the ability to choose not to be registered to vote and to pick a party affiliation. If the individual fails to respond within 21 days, the individual is considered a registered voter if that individual meets the qualifications to be registered as a voter.

The Secretary of State and the Governor are allowed to designate other state agencies and departments and public and private entities, such as colleges and municipal clerk offices, as so-called source agencies that are allowed to submit registration information to the bureau for inclusion in the central voter registration system, but only if those agencies, as part of their normal course of business, collect information that provides proof of eligibility to vote, including an entity that, as of January 1, 2022, is designated under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 as a voter registration agency that collects information that provides proof of voter eligibility. A source agency is required to comply with the same restrictions regarding sharing and use of documentation as the bureau.

Information from a source agency may also be used to update an individual's voter registration.

This bill exempts from liability an individual who is not qualified to be a registered voter but who becomes a registered voter by operation of the automatic registration, as long as that individual has not knowingly or willfully provided false information.

This bill also requires the Secretary of State to adopt major substantive rules to implement the new automatic voter registration system and submit those rules, along with any proposed legislation necessary for the proper implementation of the new system, to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.

Finally, this bill lowers the age at which a person may submit a conditional registration to vote and enrollment in a political party from 17 years of age to 16 years of age.

Amendment H-458
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, makes the following changes to the automatic voter registration system established in the bill.

1. It clarifies the process for automatic voter registration. When an individual doing business with a source agency provides information demonstrating the individual's eligibility to vote, the individual must be notified that the individual's information will be used to register that individual to vote unless the individual declines to be registered. If the individual does not opt out, the source agency must create a pending voter registration record and transmit that record to the applicable registrar of voters, who shall determine whether the individual is eligible to vote. If the individual is eligible to vote, the registrar must enter the individual's information in the central voter registration system or, if the individual is already registered to vote, the registrar must update the central voter registration system with the individual's change of name or address, if any.
2. As in the bill, the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles is automatically designated a "source agency" through which automatic voter registration takes place. Unlike the bill, the amendment grants authority to designate other source agencies only to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State may designate as a source agency a state entity or department or another entity designated by Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, as long as the Secretary of State verifies that the department, agency or entity collects documents that provide proof of voter eligibility as part of its normal course of business.
3. It eliminates the provisions of the bill establishing specific privacy and security measures and specific restrictions against the misuse of voter registration information, allowing the Secretary of State to adopt rules related to these topics.
4. It changes the rules that the Secretary of State may adopt to implement the automatic voter registration system from major substantive rules to routine technical rules.
5. It changes to January 1, 2020 the effective date of the provision of the bill that lowers the age at which a person may submit a conditional registration to vote and enroll in a political party.
6. As in the bill, automatic voter registration is effective January 1, 2022. Unlike the bill, the amendment directs the Secretary of State to submit, by January 1, 2020, a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs on the progress made toward implementing automatic voter registration and the estimated time required to complete all activities necessary for implementation. The Joint Standing Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the report.
7. It adds an appropriations and allocations section.

LD 1463 Chaptered Law
LD 1463 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1520	An Act To Create and Sustain Jobs and Encourage Affordable Housing through Development of Cooperatives and Employee-owned Businesses	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-260, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 12, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1520 This bill supports employee-owned businesses and cooperatives in the following ways. 1. It excludes from Maine income tax the amount of gain, up to a maximum of $750,000 recognized by a business owner in transferring the business to an employee stock ownership plan, eligible worker-owned cooperative, consumer cooperative or affordable housing cooperative. 2. It excludes from Maine income tax interest from loans that finance transfers of ownership from a business to an employee stock ownership plan, eligible worker-owned cooperative, consumer cooperative or affordable housing cooperative. 3. It requires the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Business Development to encourage and assist employee-owned businesses by requiring the office to: develop educational programs, including convening an annual conference on employee ownership issues; provide information about employee ownership and technical assistance to retiring business owners, employees of plants threatened with closure and entrepreneurs interested in creating businesses with broadly shared ownership; link Maine businesses interested in implementing employee ownership to available financial, technical and legal resources; and help businesses interested in implementing some form of employee ownership to obtain financing, as well as undertake other duties. 4. It requires the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to give priority to employee-owned businesses, either established or in the process of becoming employee-owned, when providing loans or grants from funds or programs maintained by the department. 5. It requires the Maine Public Employees Retirement System to conduct a study to determine how funds held by the system may be invested responsibly in employee-owned businesses in this State and to report its findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business, which is authorized to report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the study and recommendations of the system. Amendment S-260 This amendment requires the Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of Business Development to contract with a nonprofit development organization with relevant expertise to develop and manage the Maine Employee Ownership Center to provide information and programs to assist businesses in the transition to employee or cooperative ownership, rather than requiring the office to provide those services. The amendment removes requirements that the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services collect specified data and report annually to the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability and that the Maine Public Employees Retirement System study investment of funds in employee-owned businesses. The amendment also makes changes to facilitate the administration and evaluation of the deductions provided in the bill. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 1520 Amendment S-260 fiscal note

LD 1645	An Act To Create Affordable Workforce and Senior Housing and Preserve Affordable Rural Housing	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment H-481, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 10, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1645 The purpose of this bill is to address Maine's shortage of safe, affordable housing by creating a state affordable housing tax credit. The tax credit is administered by the Maine State Housing Authority, which will allocate the state credit through a process similar to its current allocation of federal housing tax credits. Ten percent of the credit must be set aside for the preservation of affordable housing units that are constructed with financial assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Rural Development, Rural Housing Service and at risk of losing their affordable status. In addition, 30% of the credit allocated to new housing units is targeted for seniors and 20% is targeted for rural areas. The credit is subject to reporting requirements and a process for tax expenditure review by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability. Amendment H-481 This amendment makes several changes to the procedure for administration of the credit for affordable housing to appropriately reflect the most effective responsibilities of the Maine State Housing Authority and the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services and requires the authority to adopt routine technical rules necessary for administration of the credit. The amendment also removes the date for a report by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability. LD 1645 Amendment H-481 fiscal note

LD 1698	An Act To Create Jobs and Slow Climate Change by Promoting the Production of Natural Resources Bioproducts	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Engrossed in both chambers as amended by Committee amendment H-552, Enacted in both chambers June 19, 2019, Governor's action pending, Governor placed on hold, July 2, 2019
LD 1698 This bill provides a tax credit for the production of renewable chemicals by the conversion of renewable biomass from the forest, farms, the sea or solid waste. The credit is equal to 7¢ per pound of renewable chemical produced in the State, 9¢ per pound of renewable chemical produced in the State if the taxpayer demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Department of Economic and Community Development that the contractors hired or retained by a landowner to harvest renewable biomass used in production of the renewable chemicals are 3rd-party certified by the Northeast Master Logger program or successor program and at least 50% of the contractors' employees are residents of the United States or 12¢ per pound of renewable chemical produced in the State if the taxpayer demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Department of Economic and Community Development that the contractors hired or retained by a landowner to harvest renewable biomass used in such production are 3rd-party certified by the Northeast Master Logger program and at least 75% of the contractors' employees are residents of the United States. Renewable chemicals are defined to include chemicals, polymers, plastics and formulated products, and to exclude substances used for food, feed or fuel, with limited exceptions. The bill also reinstates the tax credit for commercial production and use of biofuels. Amendment H-552 This amendment includes a provision permitting the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services to provide to the Department of Economic and Community Development information necessary for administration of the renewable chemicals tax credit and strikes language that would create an overlap of the renewable chemicals tax credit and the credit for the commercial production and use of biofuels. LD 1698 Amendment H-552 fiscal note

LD 1713	An Act To Return Funds to Maine Property Tax Payers	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Amended by Committee amendment H-620, Enacted, Signed into law June 20, 2019
LD 1713 The Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents, which is funded by the transfer of 20% of the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund after all required deductions of appropriations, budgeted financial commitments and adjustments considered necessary by the State Controller have been made, was established to provide income tax relief by reducing income tax rates once a certain level of funds in the fund is reached; to date, the required level of funding to provide income tax relief has not been reached. This bill renames the fund the Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents and requires it to be used to provide property tax relief payments directly to residents of this State whose residence qualifies for an exemption under the Maine homestead property tax exemption. The amount of the tax relief payment is determined annually by dividing the total amount of funds available in the Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents by the total number of homesteads that qualify for the Maine homestead property tax exemption. If that amount is at least $100, the Treasurer of State is required, by December 1st, to mail checks for the tax relief payment to each owner of a qualifying homestead. Amendment H-620 This amendment changes the responsibility for calculating property tax relief payments from the State Tax Assessor to the Treasurer of State and changes dates for steps in the process of calculating and making relief payments. The amendment also provides that the Treasurer of State's costs in administering relief payments and in making state payments to municipalities for mandate costs are also paid from the Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents and it adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 1713 Chaptered Law LD 1713 Chaptered Law fiscal note

LD 1718	An Act To Exempt Purchases by Pet Food Pantries from Sales Tax	Status: Referred to Taxation Committee, Enacted in the House as amended by Committee amendment S-241, tabled to Special Appropriations in the Senate June 11, 2019, Governor placed on hold, July 2, 2019, carried over to any regular or special session per Joint Order HP 1322
LD 1718 This bill provides an exemption from the sales and use tax for purchases made by nonprofit organizations that provide pet food and supplies for little or no charge to low-income owners of pets. Amendment S-241 This amendment provides that, in order to be eligible for a sales tax exemption, an incorporated nonprofit organization must be organized for the purpose of providing food or other supplies intended for pets at no charge to owners of those pets. The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. LD 1718 Amendment S-241 fiscal note

LD 1735

An Act To Clarify the Pathway for a Registered Dispensary under the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act To Become a For-profit Entity (Emergency)

Status: Referred to Health and Human Services Committee, Amended by Committee amendment S-214, Enacted as an emergency measure, Signed into law June 17, 2019

LD 1735
Public Law 2017, chapter 452 authorized registered dispensaries under the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act operating as nonprofit entities to become for-profit entities, but did not outline a pathway to follow for such a transaction. This bill:

1. Specifies the possible pathways of merger, purchase and conversion for such a dispensary to become a for-profit entity;
2. Provides that a registered dispensary operating as a nonprofit entity that reorganizes as a for-profit entity retains its registration certificate;
3. Requires that a registered dispensary that reorganizes as a for-profit entity pay to the Medical Use of Marijuana Fund a percentage of the value of the sale or transfer of interest; and
4. Requires that a registered dispensary that reorganizes as a for-profit entity pay to the Medical Use of Marijuana Fund 2% of gross sales for discounts to certain qualified patients.

Amendment S-214
This amendment, which is the unanimous report of the committee:

1. Provides that the reorganization of a registered dispensary operating as a nonprofit entity to a for-profit entity may be accomplished only by any of the 8 registered dispensaries that were issued registration certificates as of April 1, 2018 and that operate as any type of nonprofit entity;
2. Specifies that any exemptions from fiduciary duty and conflicts of interest otherwise required by the law do not apply for the limited purposes required in order for a registered dispensary operating as a nonprofit entity to reorganize as a for-profit entity;
3. Clarifies that the triggering event for a registered dispensary to pay a fine to the Medical Use of Marijuana Fund is only upon the sale or transfer of interest within 4 years after the reorganization to a for-profit entity and provides that the cost of an appraisal required to determine the value of the sale or transfer of interest must be paid from the Medical Use of Marijuana Fund;
4. Requires a registered dispensary that reorganizes as a for-profit entity or the dispensary's successor in interest to provide discounts in an amount that is not less than 2% of gross sales of the dispensary in the previous year to certain qualifying patients as a condition of registration. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services is required to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters by January 15, 2023 regarding the discounts provided. The requirement to provide discounts is repealed July 1, 2023; and
5. Directs the Secretary of State to develop a form for use by registered dispensaries to accomplish the reorganization from a nonprofit to a for-profit entity.

LD 1735 Chaptered Law
LD 1735 Chaptered Law fiscal note

Organization	Score
Maine People's Alliance, Will of the Voters	9%
Maine People's Alliance, 2018	33%
Maine Conservation Voters, 2018	5 of 8, 2 Unexcused absences
Maine Conservation Voters, 2017	5 of 7, 1 Unexcused absences
AFL-CIO, 2017	10%
Planned Parenthood Maine Action Fund, 2017	25%

LD 1055	An Act To Reduce Fraud in the Redemption of Beverage Containers	Status: Referred to Environment and Natural Resources Committee, Dead, Joint rule 310.3, May 21, 2019
LD 1055 This bill amends the State's bottle redemption laws to authorize initiators of deposit subject to a commingling agreement to include in the agreement authorization to conduct audits of beverage containers presented by a dealer or local redemption center for pickup or payment of refund value and to take certain actions against the dealer or local redemption center in the case of a failed audit. The bill also provides for a grievance process whereby a dealer or local redemption center may file a grievance with the Department of Environmental Protection to challenge an action taken by an initiator of deposit in the case of a failed audit.