‘Sec. C-23. Calculation. The Commissioner of Education shall, within 30 days of the effective date of this Part, calculate the mill expectation pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15671-A for fiscal year 2008-09 and the total cost of funding public education from kindergarten to grade 12 for fiscal year 2008-09 in accordance with this Part. The commissioner shall submit the information to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.’
Amend the amendment in Part C by striking out all of sections 17, 18 and 19.
Amend the amendment in Part C in section 20 in the 2nd line (page 241, line 15 in amendment) by striking out the following: "Sections 18 and 19 of"
Amend the amendment in Part C in section 21 in the first line (page 241, line 20 in amendment) by striking out the following: "sections 18 and 19 of this" and inserting the following: "This"
Amend the amendment in Part C by inserting after section 22 the following:
Amend the amendment by striking out all of Part W and inserting the following:
PART W
‘Sec. W-1. 5 MRSA §285, sub-§7, as amended by PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. XX, §5 and PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 and affected by §4, is further amended to read:
7. Payment by State. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the State, through the commission, shall pay 100% and, effective July 1, 2008, 86% of only the employee's share of the individual premium for the standard plan identified and offered by the commission and available to the employee as authorized by the commission, except for Legislators, for whom the State shall pay 50% of the health plan premium for dependent coverage. For any person appointed to a position after November 1, 1981 who is employed less than full time, the State shall pay a share of the employee's share reduced pro rata to reflect the reduced number of work hours. The State may not pay any portion of the health plan premium for a blind person eligible for the group health plan under subsection 1, paragraph H or for a licensed foster parent eligible for the group health plan under subsection 1, paragraph I.
For persons who were first employed before July 1, 1991, the State shall pay 100% of only the retiree's share of the premiums for the standard plan identified and offered by the commission and available to the retiree, as authorized by the commission for persons who were previously eligible for this health plan pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph A and who have subsequently become eligible pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph G.
For persons who were first employed by the State after July 1, 1991, the State shall pay a pro rata share portion of only the retiree's share of the premiums for the standard plan identified and offered by the commission and available to the retiree, as authorized by the commission for persons who were previously eligible for this health plan pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph A and who have subsequently become eligible pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph G based on the total number of years of participation in the group health plan prior to retirement as follows:
| Years of Participation | State Portion |
| 10 or more years | 100% group health plan premium |
| 9 but less than 10 years | 90% group health plan premium |
| 8 but less than 9 years | 80% group health plan premium |
| 7 but less than 8 years | 70% group health plan premium |
| 6 but less than 7 years | 60% group health plan premium |
| 5 but less than 6 years | 50% group health plan premium |
| Less than 5 years | No contribution |
Pursuant to Title 20-A, section 12722, subsection 5, this subsection applies to participants in the defined contribution plan offered by the Maine Community College System Board of Trustees under Title 20-A, section 12722.
Sec. W-2. Calculation and transfer; health insurance premium contribution savings. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Budget Officer shall calculate the amount of savings in section 1 that applies against each General Fund account for all departments and agencies from savings in the state share of the employee premium contribution and shall transfer the amounts by financial order upon the approval of the Governor. These transfers are considered adjustments to appropriations in fiscal years 2008-09. The State Budget Officer shall provide the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs a report of the transferred amounts no later than November 1, 2008.
Sec. W-3. Calculation and transfer; health insurance savings. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Budget Officer shall calculate the amount of savings in section 1, as achieved and implemented by the State Employee Health Commission that applies against each General Fund account for all departments and agencies from savings in the cost of health insurance attributable to the implementation of new or modified deductibles and copayments comparable to those of other large employers in the State, and shall transfer the amounts by financial order upon the approval of the Governor. These transfers are considered adjustments to appropriations in fiscal years 2008-09. The State Budget Officer shall provide the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs a report of the transferred amounts no later than November 1, 2008.
Sec. W-4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Departments and Agencies - Statewide 0016
Initiative: Reduces funding as a result of savings to be achieved by a reduction in the state share of employee health insurance premiums from 100% to 86% of the individual premium for state employees.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
Personal Services
|
$0 | ($5,600,000) |
 |
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | ($5,600,000) |
Departments and Agencies - Statewide 0016
Initiative: Reduces funding from projected health insurance savings resulting from actions taken by the State Employee Health Commission to reduce the costs of the state employee and retiree health plan. Changes to be considered include but are not limited to implementing new or modified deductibles and copayments that are comparable to those of other large employer plans in Maine.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
Personal Services
|
$0 | ($6,900,000) |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | ($6,900,000) |
| ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$0 | ($12,500,000) |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $0 | ($12,500,000) |
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
Initiative: Deappropriates funding for one Office Associate II position, one Education Specialist III position, one Office Specialist I Supervisor position and one Public Service Manager III position in the Management Information Systems program within the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program at 54.01% of the cost.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$0 | ($171,923) |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | ($171,923) |
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
Initiative: Provides additional funding to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$0 | $12,500,000 |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | $12,500,000 |
General Purpose Aid for Local Schools 0308
Initiative: Deappropriates funding for the costs attributed to 2 Education Specialist II positions and 2 Office Associate positions and associated operating costs to support the coordination of education, treatment and other services for juvenile offenders at youth development centers in Charleston and South Portland.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
All Other
|
$0 | ($146,394) |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | ($146,394) |
Management Information Systems 0838
Initiative: Appropriates funds to offset the deappropriation of funding for one Office Associate II position, one Education Specialist III position, one Office Specialist I Supervisor position and one Public Service Manager III position in the Management Information Systems program within the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program at 54.01% of the cost.
| GENERAL FUND | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
Personal Services
|
$0 | $318,317 |
|
|
|
| GENERAL FUND TOTAL | $0 | $318,317 |
| EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF | ||
| DEPARTMENT TOTALS | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$0 | $12,500,000 |
|
|
|
| DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $0 | $12,500,000 |
| SECTION TOTALS | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
|
GENERAL FUND
|
$0 | $0 |
|
|
|
| SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS | $0 | $0 |
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
summary
This amendment restores $11,789,940 of the $37,266,112 reduction in General Purpose Aid for Local Schools, proposed by Committee Amendment "A."
This amendment funds the restoration of the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program by reducing the state share of employee health insurance premiums from 100% to 86% of the individual premium for state employees and requires the State Employee Health Commission to achieve additional savings in the costs of the state employee and retiree health plan.
This amendment also strikes Part W of Committee Amendment "A," which created new positions and authorized the Commissioner of Education to fund those positions, as well as positions at the Mountain View Youth Development Center and the Long Creek Youth Development Center from the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)