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Public Law
123rd Legislature
Second Regular Session
Chapter 682
S.P. 932 - L.D. 2324
An Act To Expedite the Maintenance and Repair of Maine’s Transportation Network
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 25 MRSA §1509-A  is enacted to read:
§ 1509-A.  Funding 
Beginning in fiscal year 2009-10, state funding for the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police must be provided as follows:
 
1.  Highway Fund.     Forty-nine percent must be allocated from the Highway Fund pursuant to Title 23, section 1653; and 
 
2.  General Fund.      Fifty-one percent must be appropriated from the General Fund. 
Sec. 2. PL 2007, c. 537, §3  is repealed.
Sec. 3. Report. The Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police shall report no later than January 30, 2009 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters the activity data collected by the bureau during calendar year 2008 under the tracking and reporting system it has established to track state police officers’ work activity.
Sec. 3. Calculation and transfer; Highway Fund allocations reductions to Bureau of State Police. For the biennial budget year beginning July 1, 2009, the State Budget Officer shall calculate the reduction in Highway Fund allocations to the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police resulting from the percentage reduction from 60% as required under the Maine Revised Statutes, former section 1509 to 49% in the section of this Act that enacts Title 25, section 1509-A and shall notify the State Controller, who shall transfer that amount from the Highway Fund to the TransCap Trust Fund established by Title 30-A, section 6006-G.
Sec. 4. Authorization to issue TransCap Trust Fund revenue bonds for highways. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, at the request of the Department of Transportation, is authorized to issue TransCap Trust Fund revenue bonds as provided in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 6006-G from time to time in amounts that in total do not exceed $50,000,000 from the effective date of this Act to fiscal year 2012-13 for the purpose of undertaking highway reconstruction projects in the State. This section does not limit the ability to authorize additional TransCap Trust Fund revenue bonds for additional transportation needs or any other eligible purpose.
Sec. 5. Legislative findings. The Legislature finds that apportioning the funding for the Bureau of State Police between 51% from the General Fund and 49% from the Highway Fund is a fair and equitable method of funding for that bureau. The Legislature further finds that this Act, together with prior use of General Fund resources to pay for services and capital projects normally covered by the Highway Fund, constitutes an equitable division of revenues and spending between the 2 funds now and in the future.
Sec. 6. Transfer from Highway Fund to TransCap Trust Fund. On or before June 30, 2009, the State Controller shall transfer $5,000,000 from the Highway Fund to the TransCap Trust Fund established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 6006-G.
Sec. 7. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
MUNICIPAL BOND BANK, MAINE
 
TransCap Trust Fund
 
Initiative: Allocates funds to authorize transfer to the TransCap Trust Fund at the Maine Municipal Bond Bank.
 	 	 	
 OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 	 2007-08 	 2008-09 	
All Other
	$0	$5,000,000	
 	   	   	
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$0	$5,000,000	

TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Highway and Bridge Capital 0406
 
Initiative: Deallocates funds on a one-time basis from the Highway and Bridge Capital program to transfer to the TransCap Trust Fund for the debt service on a bond of up to $50,000,000.
 	 	 	
 HIGHWAY FUND 	 2007-08 	 2008-09 	
Capital Expenditures
	$0	($5,000,000)	
 	   	   	
HIGHWAY FUND TOTAL	$0	($5,000,000)	
 
Sec. 8. Effective date. That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 1509-A takes effect July 1, 2009.
 
See title page for effective date, unless otherwise indicated.