122nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1050 LR 1914(01)
An Act To Promote Enforcement of Labor Laws Affecting Employers
Fiscal Note for Original Bill
Sponsor: President Edmonds of Cumberland
Committee: Labor
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
   
             
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund ($49,537) ($96,391) ($99,283) ($102,261)
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund ($49,537) ($96,391) ($99,283) ($102,261)
Other Special Revenue Funds $1,131,620 $1,511,799 $1,557,153 $1,603,868
Revenue
Other Special Revenue Funds $1,131,620 $1,511,799 $1,557,153 $1,603,868
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This legislation will require a General Fund appropriation to the Department of the Attorney General of $474,593 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $624,463 in fiscal year 2006-07.  This appropriation will provide funds for two Chief Field Investigator positions at a pay grade 25, six Special Investigator positions at a pay grade 22, 1.5 Legal Secretary positions at a pay grade 13 and general operating expenses required to operate the program. This legislation will also require an Other Special Revenue allocation to the Department of the Attorney General of $1,131,620 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $1,511,799 in fiscal year 2006-07.  This allocation will provide funds for eighteen Special Investigator positions at a pay grade 22, and general operating expenses.
This legislation will result in General Fund deappropriations to the Bureau of Labor Standards within the Department of Labor of $524,130 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $720,854 in fiscal year 2006-07 as a result of 2 Occupational Safety Engineer positions and 9 positions in the Wage and Salary Division being eliminated due to the responsibility of investigating possible violations being moved to the Office of the Attorney General.
This legislation will also result in Federal Expenditures Funds deallocations in the Personal Services line within the Unemployment Compensation Division's Employment Sercurity Services program, Department of Labor, of $791,099 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $1,099,449 in fiscal year 2006-07 as a result of 18 Field Advisor Examiner positions being eliminated due to the Office of the Attorney General assuming the responsibility of investigating possible violations effective October 1, 2005.  However, the Unemployment Compensation Division will require corresponding allocations to the All Other line for the cost of supporting the positions in the Office of the Attorney General.  Based on the cost estimates provided by the Office of the Attorney General for the 18 Special Investigator positions to be supported by the Department of Labor of $1,131,620 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $1,511,799 in fiscal year 2006-07, this legislation may result in a net cost to the Unemployment Compensation Division of $340,521 in fiscal year 2005-06 and $412,350 in fiscal year 2006-07. 
Reduced staffing levels in the Department of Labor may increase the likelihood that some timeliness and accuracy management requirements may not be met and may jeopardize the Department's federal funding if federal performance requirements for employer audits are not met.