7.__Authorized duties; nonlapsing funds.__The commission is authorized to conduct any additional work authorized by law within its budgeted resources.__Any unencumbered balance of General Fund appropriations originally appropriated to support the work of the commission that remain on June 30, 2004 within the Department of Corrections may not lapse but must be carried forward to June 30, 2005 to be used for the same purpose.

Sec. 33. Addressing mental illness in prisons and jails. No later than April 1, 2004, the Department of Corrections and the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services shall develop a joint plan of action to address mental illness in the criminal justice community. In developing the plan the departments shall invite the Maine Sheriffs' Association to participate. The plan will be delivered to the Commission to Improve the Sentencing, Supervision, Management and Incarceration of Prisoners.

Sec. 34. Legislative intent; moratorium on changes to Maine Criminal Code. It is the intent of the Legislature that, from the effective date of this Act for a period of one year, no amendments to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A may take effect in order that the impact of sentencing on inmate populations may be adequately studied and that other actions to alleviate the current overcrowding crisis faced in state prisons and county jails may occur except for any amendments to the Maine Criminal Code as recommended by the Commission to Improve Community Safety and Sex Offender Accountability. The Legislature further intends that any such amendments that are enacted into law that conflict with this intent during the year-long moratorium should be given no effect by State Government, including the Judicial Department.

Sec. 35. Impacts of sentencing and minimum mandatory sentences. The Commission to Improve the Sentencing, Supervision, Management and Incarceration of Prisoners, referred to in this section as "the commission," which was established in Public Law 2003, chapter 451, Part K, section 2, shall undertake a study to determine the impacts of Maine's sentencing laws on inmate population. As part of this study, the commission shall identify changes in Maine's sentencing laws over time, identify new laws, assess how sentencing practices have changed and determine the impact of sentencing on inmate population and on state and county budgets. The commission shall undertake this work within its existing resources should those resources allow.