130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2021
Legislative Document No. 165
H.P. 121 House of Representatives, January 21, 2021
An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Provide
Necessary Maintenance and Upgrades for State Parks and Historic
Sites
Submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to Joint
Rule 204.
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 19, 2021. Referred to the Committee on
Appropriations and Financial Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant
to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DUNPHY of Old Town.
Cosponsored by Representatives: LANDRY of Farmington, O'NEIL of Saco.
Printed on recycled paper
 1 Preamble. Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in
2 accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the issuance
3 of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this Act,
4 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
5 Sec. 1. Authorization of bonds. The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the
6 direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an
7 amount not exceeding $20,000,000 for the purposes described in section 6 of this Act. The
8 bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State. The bonds may not run for a
9 period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds.
10 Sec. 2. Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State
11 shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the name
12 of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale
13 and the date when payable.
14 Sec. 3. Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated. The Treasurer of State
15 may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be
16 loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State. The proceeds of the sale of the
17 bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State
18 upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set
19 forth in this Act. Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the projects
20 in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of
21 general obligation bonds.
22 Sec. 4. Interest and debt retirement. The Treasurer of State shall pay interest
23 due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment
24 of bonds at maturity.
25 Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds. The proceeds of the bonds must be
26 expended as set out in this Act under the direction and supervision of the Department of
27 Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands for deferred
28 maintenance and infrastructure enhancements of state parks and historic sites in accordance
29 with the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, chapter 220, including all costs associated with
30 such maintenance and enhancements, except that use of the proceeds of these bonds is
31 subject to the following conditions and requirements. To the extent the purposes are
32 consistent with the disbursement provisions in this Act, 100% of the bond proceeds may
33 be considered as state match for any federal funding to be made available to the State.
34 Sec. 6. Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue. The
35 proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated
36 in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies and entities
37 set forth in this section.
38 AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
39 Bureau of Parks and Lands
40 Provides funds to invest in deferred maintenance and infrastructure upgrades at state
41 parks and historic sites.
42 Total $20,000,000
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1 Sec. 7. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. Sections 1 to 6 do not
2 become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set forth
3 in this Act.
4 Sec. 8. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, all
5 unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward. Bond
6 proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds
7 lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general
8 obligation bonds.
9 Sec. 9. Bonds authorized but not issued. Any bonds authorized but not issued
10 within 5 years of ratification of this Act are deauthorized and may not be issued, except
11 that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend
12 the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not
13 to exceed 5 years.
14 Sec. 10. Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of
15 question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at
16 a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act. The
17 municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns
18 and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election,
19 to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:
20 "Do you favor a $20,000,000 bond issue to invest in deferred maintenance and
21 critical infrastructure upgrades at state parks and historic sites to be used to
22 match an estimated $15,000,000 in federal and other funds?"
23 The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question
24 and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square
25 below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared
26 in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in
27 the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the
28 returns. If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall
29 proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of
30 the proclamation.
31 The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all
32 ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this
33 referendum.
34 SUMMARY
35 The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $20,000,000, will be used to
36 support the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and
37 Lands in conducting necessary maintenance and upgrades of state parks and historic sites.
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