CHAPTER 330
H.P. 850 - L.D. 1155
An Act to Create a Permanent Funding Source for the Saco River Corridor Commission
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 38 MRSA �969 is enacted to read:
�969. Saco River Corridor Fund
1. Fund established. The Saco River Corridor Fund, referred to in this section as the "fund," is established as a nonlapsing dedicated, interest-bearing account. All charges collected pursuant to this section must be deposited into the fund. All interest earned by the account accrues to the fund. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year does not lapse but is carried forward into subsequent fiscal years.
2. Fund purpose. The purpose of the fund is to preserve existing water quality and prevent the deterioration of water supplies in the Saco River, the Ossipee River and the Little Ossipee River within the Saco River Corridor, as created in section 953, by partially underwriting the administration and operation of the Saco River Corridor Commission, as established by Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 13.
3. Assessment on the sale of water. For purposes of funding its activities, the commission shall impose a fee of 1% on the sale of water and fire protection services by a water utility that draws water either from the Saco River or from a groundwater source under the influence of the Saco River, as determined by the Department of Human Sercices, for sale and distribution to its customers. The fee must be levied on the rates of the water utility as authorized by the Public Utilities Commission to be charged for services provided by the utility. "Water utility" has the same meaning as the term is defined in Title 35-A, section 102, subsection 22.
The fee must be collected by the water utility and remitted quarterly to the commission. Notwithstanding any limitations set forth in Title 35-A regarding a water utility's right to increase its charges to its customers, a water utility with sales subject to this subsection is authorized to increase its overall charges for the purpose of collecting the fee set forth in this subsection.
Each water utility may retain a portion of the total fees collected equivalent to the utility's administrative costs incurred in the collection and remission of the fees, not to exceed 2% of the total fees collected. For purposes of the Public Utilities Commission's rate-making authority, costs actually incurred by the utility associated with the collection and remission of the fees for the fund are considered just and reasonable for rate-making purposes.
The commission shall adopt rules that are reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this section pursuant to section 954-C. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.
4. Reporting requirements. The commission shall submit a report by February 1, 1998 and each subsequent year to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resources matters, energy and utilities matters, fisheries and wildlife matters and appropriations and financial affairs, identifying the amount collected and how the fund was disbursed by the commission.
5. Additional sources of revenue. The commission shall study usage within the Saco River Corridor for the purpose of identifying additional management needs and funding sources. The commission shall take all steps necessary to obtain revenue from these funding sources to ensure that assessments on the sale of water are not the sole source of revenue for the fund.
Sec. 2. Review. It is the intent of the Legislature that assessments on the sale of water not be the sole source of revenue for the Saco River Corridor Fund. The Saco River Corridor Commission shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over natural resource matters by January 15, 2001 on the sources of revenue used to support the activity and operations of the Saco River Corridor Commission. The committee shall review the commission's funding by February 1, 2001 to determine whether sufficient sources of additional revenue have been obtained to support the activities of the commission.
Sec. 3. Allocation. The following funds are allocated from Other Special Revenue to carry out the purposes of this Act.
1997-98 1998-99
SACO RIVER CORRIDOR COMMISSION
Saco River Corridor Commission
All Other $26,145 $31,500
Allocates additional funds for the operating expenses of the commission.
Effective September 19, 1997, unless otherwise indicated.
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