| 122nd MAINE LEGISLATURE | |||||||||
| LD 1954 | LR 2870(01) | ||||||||
| An Act To Invest in the Future of Maine Citizens | |||||||||
| Fiscal Note for Original Bill | |||||||||
| Sponsor: Sen. Brennan of Cumberland | |||||||||
| Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs | |||||||||
| Fiscal Note Required: Yes | |||||||||
| Fiscal Note | |||||||||
| Projections | Projections | ||||||||
| 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | ||||||
| Net Cost (Savings) | |||||||||
| General Fund | $0 | $0 | $17,321,894 | $23,789,655 | |||||
| Appropriations/Allocations | |||||||||
| General Fund | $0 | $0 | $17,321,894 | $23,789,655 | |||||
| Fiscal Detail and Notes | |||||||||
| This bill provides funding for preschool child care, after-school programs, postsecondary education courses for eligible students and a tuition waiver program at Maine Community College System campuses beginning in fiscal year 2007-08 contingent upon sufficient funds being available from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund at the end of fiscal year 2006-07 and each subsequest fiscal year. | |||||||||
| The total cost of these provisions is estimated to be $17,321,894 in fiscal year 2007-08 and $23,789,655 in fiscal year 2008-09. Of these amounts, $2,000,000 is being provided to the Department of Health and Human Services each year for the expansion of preschool child care programs and services as the first priority; $1,000,000 in fiscal year 2007-08 and approximately $1,025,000 in fiscal year 2008-09 is being provided to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the Department of Education as targeted funds for after-school programs as the second priority; and $500,000 is being provided annually to the Support Services program within the Department of Education to increase funding for eligible students to take postsecondary education courses as the third priority. Finally, as the fourth priority, funding is being provided to the Maine Community College System to offset the decline in tuition revenue resulting from the tuition waiver program. Although the actual cost can not be determined at this time, the estimated cost is anticipated to be approximately $13.8 million in fiscal year 2007-08 and $20.3 million in fiscal year 2008-09. | |||||||||
| This legislation also requires the University of Maine System to implement a guaranteed tuition program to eligible undergraduate students who first enroll after the 2006-2007 academic year. This program would freeze the tuition charged to an eligible undergraduate student at the rate the student was charged at the time the student first enrolled at the University for 4 continuous academic years. Although the impact of this requirement can not be determined at this time, the University estimates that this measure would have reduced tuition revenue by $4.2 million if it had been in place during the current fiscal year. Since this legislation requires the University to absorb the revenue reduction, no General Fund cost is reflected in this fiscal note. However, the ability of the University to absorb this ongoing revenue loss without impacting existing programs and services and/or increasing tuition rates can not be determined at this time. | |||||||||