Sec. 3. 37-B MRSA §147, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 662, §21, is further amended to read:

2. Rights. Any person who has served as a commissioned officer in the state military forces for at least 9 years may, upon personal request, be placed upon the retired list. When placed upon the retired list, an officer must be given the highest rank that person held and federally recognized during the person's term of service. If, at the time of the person's retirement, that person has served as a commissioned officer in the state military forces or federal military service for 15 years or more, the person may be retired with a rank one grade higher than the highest rank that person held during the person's service. Retired officers are entitled to wear the uniform of the rank with which they were retired. No commissioned officer in the state military forces may be removed from office without the person's consent, except by sentence of a court-martial or by a board of officers in a manner prescribed by law.

Sec. 4. 37-B MRSA §188, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 460, §3, is repealed.

Sec. 5. 37-B MRSA §306, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 460, §3, is amended to read:

§306. Tax exemption

All Notwithstanding Title 36, section 502 or any other provision of law, all real estate and personal property owned or leased by the State, by any municipality, or by any organization of the state military forces and used for military purposes Military Bureau is exempt from all taxation during the period of that ownership or lease and use.

Sec. 6. 37-B MRSA §342, sub-§5, ¶B, as amended by PL 2001, c. 662, §36, is further amended to read:

B. All officials and employees of the State who are members of the National Guard or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces must have a leave of absence not to exceed 17 work days each calendar year from their respective duties, without loss of pay or time, when engaged in performing military training duty and without loss of time or leave for all other military training duty, during which the members are so engaged.