In Part D, the bill increases the bonding authority of the University of Maine System by $50,000,000, to $150,000,000, to fund capital improvements to support research and development activities. Part D also provides the system with an appropriation of $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2000-01 to fund the first of an estimated 15 years of debt service payments related to the issuance of approximately $25,000,000 of these bonds in fiscal year 2000-01. Assured revenue borrowing effected by the University of Maine under current practice has been directly related to specific projects that would raise sufficient revenue to service the debt. The appropriation in this bill would change that practice by authorizing, in effect, a lease appropriation bond whereby the General Fund appropriation will be used to service the new debt.

Part E of the bill provides additional appropriations to the University of Maine System amounting to $250,000 and $750,000 in fiscal years 1999-00 and 2000-01, respectively, for information resources, equipment and staff support for the State Research Library for Business, Science and Technology.

Parts F through J include General Fund appropriations that support a number of educational initiatives. $50,000 is provided in each year to the Department of Marine Resources for the Governor's Marine Studies Fellowship Program; $100,000 is provided annually to the University of Maine System to create and operate a Center for Advanced Law and Management at the University of Southern Maine; the Foundation for Blood Research is provided $75,000 annually to support the ScienceWorks for ME equipment program; $75,000 per year is included for the Maine Science and Technology Foundation to support the Maine Research Internships for Teachers and Students program; and amounts of $75,000 annually are provided to the Department of Education to expand the department's partnership with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration.

The Maine Science and Technology Foundation will incur some minor additional costs to periodically develop an evaluation of state investments in research and development and to submit that evaluation to the Governor and the Legislature. These costs can be absorbed within the foundation's existing budgeted resources.

SUMMARY

Part A appropriates $1,000,000 per year in the next biennium to the Maine Technical College System for the initial