APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 1, 2025 490
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 1312 - L.D. 1968
An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Legislative Reimbursement
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §2, 4th ¶, as amended by PL 2023, c. 2, §3, is further amended to
read:
Except as provided in this section, each member of the Senate and House of
Representatives is entitled to the travel-related expenses of a meal allowance in the amount
of $50, or a higher amount set by the Legislative Council, and a housing allowance in the
amount of $70, or a higher amount set by the Legislative Council, for each day in
attendance at sessions of the Legislature and for each day the member occupies overnight
accommodations away from home either immediately preceding or immediately following
attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature. The presiding officers may establish
reasonable policies regarding allowances for meals and overnight accommodations for the
day immediately preceding the session, which may include policies regarding whether an
allowance is paid, whether the full amount or a portion of the statutory allowance is paid
and whether receipts are required. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member
is entitled to a daily meal allowance in the amount of $50 and actual daily mileage. Each
member of the Senate also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the
amount of $2,000, $1,300 in January and $700 in the month following adjournment of the
regular session. Each member of the House of Representatives also receives an annual
allowance for constituent services in the amount of $1,500, $1,005 in January and $495 in
the month following adjournment of the regular session. Notwithstanding this section,
during the first regular session of each legislative biennium, a member of the Senate or the
House of Representatives may elect to receive the first payment of the annual allowance
for constituent services in December following convening of the Legislature by notifying
the Executive Director of the Legislative Council in the manner prescribed by the executive
director. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall inform Legislators of the
choice available for payment of the allowance for constituent services in the first year of
the legislative biennium and of any tax implications associated with exercising that choice.
To set the amount of an allowance under this paragraph, at least 6 members of the
Legislative Council must vote in favor of the allowance at the beginning of the first regular
session or second regular session of a legislative biennium. The amount of an allowance
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set by the Legislative Council under this paragraph may not exceed the regular federal per
diem rate for lodging, meals and incidental expenses applicable to that allowance.
Sec. 2. 3 MRSA §2, 11th ¶, as amended by PL 2023, c. 2, §5, is further amended
to read:
The President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the floor
leaders and their assistants and members of a committee, with the approval of the President
of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives as to members of a committee,
may also meet on days when the Legislature is not in daily session at any convenient
location within the State. Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives is
entitled to receive $55 for every day's attendance when meetings or daily sessions are held
and the travel-related expenses of a meal allowance in the amount of $50, or a higher
amount set by the Legislative Council, and a housing allowance whereby actual lodging
expenses will be reimbursed at the single-room rate, as long as a receipt is submitted to the
Executive Director of the Legislative Council for each day in attendance at such meetings
or daily sessions and for each day that member occupies overnight accommodations away
from home either immediately preceding or immediately following attendance at daily
sessions of the Legislature and actual daily mileage allowances at the rate of 55¢ per mile
or the federal standard mileage rate, whichever is lower, for travel to and from that
Legislator's place of abode, the mileage to be determined by the most reasonable direct
route. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member shall be is entitled to a daily
meal allowance in the amount of $50 and actual daily mileage allowances. To set the
amount of an allowance under this paragraph, at least 6 members of the Legislative Council
must vote in favor of the allowance at the beginning of the first regular session or second
regular session of a legislative biennium. The amount of an allowance set by the
Legislative Council under this paragraph may not exceed the regular federal per diem rate
for lodging, meals and incidental expenses applicable to that allowance.
Sec. 3. 3 MRSA §2, 13th ¶, as amended by PL 1989, c. 501, Pt. O, §6; c. 600, Pt.
B, §§9 and 10; and c. 878, Pt. D, §§14 and 15, is further amended to read:
If a member of the Legislature dies or otherwise vacates the office, the successor is
entitled to a salary from the date of seating, computed as follows: two hundred ten dollars
per week times the number of weeks remaining in the calendar year if the vacancy occurs
in the first year and $150 per week for the number of weeks remaining in the calendar year
if the vacancy occurs in the 2nd year equal to the salary that would have been afforded to
the successor had the successor been seated at the start of the biennium, except that the
salary must be prorated from the date the successor is sworn into office.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 490: 3.2