132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 152		LR 338(02)
	An Act to Amend the Freedom of Access Act to Require a Specific Time Frame for Agencies to Comply with Requests for Public Records
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Judiciary
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2025-26	FY 2026-27	Projections  FY 2027-28	Projections  FY 2028-29
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$640,641	$688,948	$714,397	$740,835
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$640,641	$688,948	$714,397	$740,835
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$148,889	$160,156	$165,849	$171,763
Revenue
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$148,889	$160,156	$165,849	$171,763
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The bill includes General Fund appropriations to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS) of $640,641 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $688,948 in fiscal year 2026-27 to establish 4 Public Service Coordinator I positions to provide support for Freedom of Access Act requests and administrative appeals hearing coordination, documentation aggregation and legal communications, and to transfer funding to reimburse the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for one Assistant Attorney General position and related costs.
	The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations to the OAG of $148,889 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $160,156 in fiscal year 2026-27 for one Assistant Attorney General position and related costs to support DAFS with Freedom of Access Act requests. The bill includes a revenue increase to the OAG of $148,889 in fiscal year 2025-26 and $160,156 in fiscal year 2026-27 for reimbursement of costs for one Assistant Attorney General position and related costs from DAFS.
	The bill increases costs to all State agencies by amending the Freedom of Access Act to require agencies and officials to make good faith efforts to fully respond to requests within the estimated time frames but must fully respond within 30 days after the dates on which requests were made.