132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1691		LR 1844(03)
	An Act to Expand Access to Justice in Rural Maine by Incentivizing Attorneys to Practice in Underserved Areas
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with: C "A" (H-325)
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Fiscal Note
Unfunded Loan Program - Finance Authority of Maine
			FY 2025-26	FY 2026-27	Projections  FY 2027-28	Projections  FY 2028-29
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$500	$500	$500	$500
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill establishes the Access to Justice Loan Program to be administered by the Finance Authority of Maine to provide loans to eligible residents of the State who demonstrate an interest in or commitment to providing legal services in underserved areas of the State.  No funding for the loan program is provided in the bill.  This bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds base allocations of $500 per year beginning in fiscal year 2025-26 to a newly created Access to Justice Loan Program Revolving Fund within the Finance Authority of Maine to authorize the expenditure of funds in the event funds are received from public or private sources to support the loan program.
	This bill also requires the University of Maine System, to the extent that sufficient funds are available, to establish a rural practice track at the University of Maine School of Law. The University of Maine estimates the annual cost to support 6 first-year or 2nd-year eligible law school students to be approximately $161,780 per year.  The one-time cost to develop and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications plan is estimated to be $120,000.  According to the University of Maine System, no funding is available for this program at this time.