131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 2225		LR 3090(08)
	An Act to Provide Funding to Rebuild Infrastructure Affected by Extreme Inland and Coastal Weather Events
	Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment " " to Committee Amendment "A"
	Sponsor: Sen. Bennett of Oxford
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2023-24	FY 2024-25	Projections  FY 2025-26	Projections  FY 2026-27
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$63,841,544	$76,260,601	$76,521,710
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$63,841,544	$76,260,601	$76,521,710
	Federal Expenditures Fund		$0	$79,273,494	$85,489,749	$85,496,325
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$6,998,717	$7,399,803	$7,399,803
	Federal Block Grant Fund		$0	$196,884	$200,109	$203,489
Revenue
	Federal Expenditures Fund		$0	$19,039,931	$25,256,186	$25,262,762
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$1,175,298	$1,576,384	$1,576,384
	Federal Block Grant Fund		$0	$196,884	$200,109	$203,489
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This amendment provides General Fund appropriations of $63,841,544 in fiscal year 2024-25. The amendment also provides corresponding Federal Expenditures Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds and Federal Block Grant Fund allocations in fiscal year 2024-25. General Fund appropriations provided in this amendment will result in aggregate General Fund appropriations for fiscal year 2024-25 exceeding the appropriations limitation for fiscal year 2024-25 calculated pursuant to PL 2023, c. 412, Part I-6.
	This amendment requires that, beginning with the school year starting after June 30, 2025, the minimum hourly wage for educational technicians is 125% of the state minimum hourly wage and the minimum hourly wage for other school support staff who are paid hourly is 112.5% of the state minimum hourly wage. The total State cost of this provision is estimated to be $7,720,862 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $7,952,488 in fiscal year 2026-27 and is fully funded by the State.
	The amendment modifies the upper limit on transfers from the Salary Plan used to fund collective bargaining agreements. The fixed limit of $99,000,000 established in PL 2023, c. 406 is replaced with a variable limit determined by the full amount that has accrued in the Salary Plan program, General Fund account within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) at the time agreements are reached. The unobligated balance in the Salary Plan is currently $147,480,436. The amount of balances that will be available at the time agreements are reached cannot be determined at this time.
	This amendment provides ongoing General Fund appropriations of $1,353,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2024-25 to the School and Student Supports program within the Department of Education for grants to school administrative units for contracted behavioral and mental health services for students. The grants are based on the population of each school administrative unit.
	The amendment includes ongoing General Fund appropriations to DAFS of $5,341,623 beginning in fiscal year 2024-25 for the increased costs of recruitment and retention adjustments resulting from changes to the eligibility criteria for adjustments, two additional staff positions in the Bureau of Human Resources (BHR) within DAFS to manage increased recruitment and retention initiatives and for payments to contracted mediation and arbitration services.