9 a.m.

State and Local Government Committee; public hearings; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 339, “An Act To Require Public Hearings by the Legislature To Be Recorded and Posted on the Internet”: This bill requires that all joint standing committee public hearings are recorded and made accessible to the public as a written transcript, audio recording, video recording or other electronic recording on the Legislature’s website within 72 hours of a public hearing beginning Jan. 1, 2014.

L.D. 474, “An Act To Require Edible Landscaping in a Portion of Capitol Park”: This bill requires edible landscaping in a portion of Capitol Park that is subject to available funding.

L.D. 558, “Resolve, To Erect a State Monument to Franco-Americans”: This resolve directs the Capitol Planning Commission to raise and maintain a monument to men and women of Franco-American heritage in the State and allows the commission to accept gifts and private contributions for this purpose.

L.D. 560, “An Act To Establish Maine Seniors Day”: This bill establishes the 2nd Saturday in September of each year as Maine Seniors Day to honor senior citizens of the State.

10 a.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; public hearings; room 436; State House

L.D. 122, “An Act To Provide Assistance to Municipalities Recovering from a Municipally Significant Disaster”: Authorizes the Governor to declare municipally significant disaster cases, the municipality and the State must work together to figure out the estimated cost of the damage where the two may then enter into a cost-sharing agreement with the affected municipality and its neighbors coming from the Disaster Relief Fund.

L.D. 296, “An Act To Equalize the Fire Investigation and Prevention Tax Paid by Insurers”: This bill requires the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Insurance to determine every 5 years the basis percentage of fire risk and requires that fire insurance companies and associations pay the established percentage to ensure everyone collects and pays the same rate for fire insurance.

L.D. 326, “An Act To Update the Maine Emergency Management Laws”: Includes the coordination of homeland security for the Maine Emergency Management Act; defines homeland security and terrorism; adds training, planning and maintenance of the State Emergency Operations Center to the duties of the Director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency; designates the Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management as the Governor’s homeland security adviser; changes the name of the Disaster Relief Fund to the Disaster Recovery Fund; provides that emergency management forces from the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the International Emergency Management Assistance Compact are considered state employees; changes dam hazard evaluation to once every 12 years and the time frame for hazard evaluations to within 60 days of request; and changes dam inspection to once every six years.

L.D. 502, “An Act To Allow County Jails To Apply Savings to Debt Service without a Reduction in State Payments”: This bill allows the county jails to apply savings from the county’s correctional budget to jail debt service without a reduction in payments from the State Board of Corrections.

Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee; work sessions; room 202; Cross Building

L.D. 34, “An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee and the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability Regarding Child Development Services”: Requires the director of Early Childhood Special Education to report annually by Feb. 15 to the Joint Standing Committee of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the committee dealing with appropriations and financial affairs. The report must be accessible on a public website and must include the financials, the services provided, office resources, statistics and analysis of their performance,  description of how they coordinate with other entities and current trends and challenges. Also requires publishing or reporting a monthly budget.

L.D. 323, “Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 101: Maine Unified Special Education Regulation Birth to Age Twenty, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Education”: This emergency bill reviews the rules that govern the administration of the child find system for children up to age 20.

Taxation Committee; public hearings; room 127; State House

L.D. 341, “An Act To Provide a Tax Credit to Employers That Hire Certain Veterans”: This bill provides a nonrefundable income tax credit to qualified employers that hire qualified veterans in an amount equal to 10 percent of each veteran’s compensation up to $1,500.

L.D. 430, “An Act To Amend the Laws Regarding Who May Appeal a Reconsideration Decision to the Maine Board of Tax Appeals”: Changes the threshold for an appeal to the Maine Board of Tax Appeals to $250, changes the processing fee for petitions that proceed to an appeals conference to $25 when the request is less than $5,000 and $250 when the request is $5,000 or more.

L.D. 436, “An Act To Raise the Maximum 529 Plan Contribution Tax Deduction”: Increases the maximum deduction for contributions to a qualified tuition program to $1,000 beginning in tax years on or after Jan. 1, 2013.

L.D. 440, “An Act To Support Community Health Centers through Tax Credits for Dentists and Primary Care Professionals Practicing in Underserved Areas”: Extends dental care access tax credit by eliminating the repeal date, creates a similar credit for primary care professionals practicing in Underserved areas.

Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee; public hearings; room 437; State House

L.D. 333, “An Act To Repeal the Provision of Law That Requires the Trade Name or Brand of Malt Liquor To Be Displayed in Full Sight of a Customer on a Faucet, Spigot or Dispensing Apparatus”: This bill repeals the requirement that the trade name or brand of malt liquor served from a faucet, spigot or dispensing apparatus be displayed in full sight of a customer on the apparatus.

L.D. 343, “Resolve, Regarding the Transfer of Responsibility for Veterans’ Cemetery Maintenance”:  Directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services to study the feasibility of transferring the responsibility of maintaining veterans’ cemeteries to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Division of Parks and Public Lands.

L.D. 508, “An Act To Remove the Disqualification of Full-time Law Enforcement Officers from Obtaining a Liquor License”: This bill allows full-time law enforcement officers to hold a liquor license if they meet all the other requirements.

1 p.m.

Educational and Cultural Affairs Committee; public hearings; room 202; Cross Building

L.D. 178, “Resolve, To Provide Consistency in Rules of the Department of Education Regarding Visual and Performing Arts Requirements for High School Graduation”: Requires the Department of Education to permit the visual and performing arts requirement be met by the completion of a credit in dance, music, theater or visual arts.

L.D. 322, “Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 61: State Board of Education Rules for Major Capital School Construction Projects, a Major Substantive Rule of the State Board of Education”: This emergency bill reviews the laws governing Major Capital School Construction projects. 

L.D. 370, “An Act To Increase Elementary School Applied Learning Opportunities”: This bill proposes to assemble a working group to identify opportunities for and best practices of applied learning opportunities in kindergarten to grade eight. 

L.D. 462, “An Act To Dedicate Funds for Emergency Back-up Power for Schools”: Provides that school districts that participate in the Percent for Art Program must use at least half of the amount identified to provide back-up electrical power to the school, building or facility being constructed.

L.D. 464, “An Act To Change Compensation for Career and Technical Education Region Cooperative Board Meeting Attendance”: This bill increases the compensation for a career and technical education region cooperative board member to $20 for each meeting the member attends.

State and Local Government Committee; public hearings; room 214; Cross Building

L.D. 465, “An Act To Improve Access to Public Land Records”: Limits the fees registries of deeds may charge for digital copies of public land records.

L.D. 559, “An Act To Change Document Filing Fees for County Registries of Deeds”: Increases the filing fee for the first page of recording an instrument at all registries of deeds by $6 and gives the county commissioner the option to raise the filing fee for the first page by a majority vote.

Taxation Committee; public hearings; room 127; State House

L.D. 455, “An Act To Increase the State Earned Income Credit”: Increases the state earned income credit to 50 percent of federal earned income credit beginning in 2013.

L.D. 561, “An Act To Support Maine Farms and Alleviate Hunger”:  Provides an income tax credit for a donation of agricultural products with a fair market value of up to $5,000 made by people engaged in commercial agricultural production to a nonprofit corporation that provides food to low-income individuals.

Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee; public hearings; room 437; State House

L.D. 408, “An Act To Require a Copy of Communications To Be Filed with Independent Expenditure Reports”:  Requires that a copy of independent expenditures be included with the independent expenditure report.

L.D. 410, “An Act To Revise the Maine Clean Election Act Regarding Participation in Political Action Committees”: This bill prohibits a certified candidate from establishing a political action committee for which the candidate is a principal officer, fundraiser or decision maker.

L.D. 511, “An Act To Implement the National Popular Vote for President”: Under this bill, all of the state’s electoral votes would be awarded to the presidential candidate who receives the most popular votes in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and would take effect only when enacted by states possessing a majority of the electoral votes, that is, enough electoral votes to elect a President, which is 270 of 538.

L.D. 573, “Resolution, Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Maine To Restrict the Voting Privileges of Persons Incarcerated for Murder or Class A Crimes”: Removes the right to vote for people convicted of crimes punishable by more than 10 years.

2 p.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; work sessions; room 436; State House

L.D. 140, “An Act To Create a Permanent Wabanaki Law Enforcement Seat on the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy”: Provides a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for a representative of the five Wabanaki tribal governments.

L.D. 238, “An Act To Designate the Jail in Franklin County as a Jail Rather than a Holding Facility”: Specifies the Franklin County Detention Center as a jail and not a holding facility. 

L.D. 298, “An Act Regarding the Membership of the Emergency Medical Services’ Board”: Adds a representative of fire chiefs to the Emergency Services Board and clarifies that six members are the quorum of the board.

L.D. 354, “An Act To Amend the County Jail Inspection Requirement for Nationally Accredited Facilities”: Allows the commissioner of corrections to dispense with comprehensive inspections of county detention facilities if they are nationally accredited.