PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Require the Development of Plans To Achieve the Payment of Livable Wages by State and Local Government Employers
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1-A,  as enacted by PL 2007, c. 363, §1, is amended to read:
§ 1-A.  Livable wage defined
As used in this Title, unless the context otherwise indicates, "livable wage" means the statewide average livable wage for a 2-parentsingle-parent, one-child household with 2 earners and 2 children as reported by the Department of Labor in the most recent annual report required pursuant to section 1405 except that, when applied to municipalities, school administrative units and any other local political subdivision, "livable wage" means the livable wage for a single-parent, one-child household as reported in the most recent annual report required pursuant to section 1405 for the county or metropolitan statistical area in which the municipality, school administrative unit or other local political subdivision is located and, when applied to counties, "livable wage" means the livable wage for a single-parent, one-child household as reported for that county.
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §10  is enacted to read:
§ 10.  Measurement of costs to workers paid less than a livable wage; measurement of bureaucratic costs to subsidize workers paid less than a livable wage; development of livable wage plans
 
1.  Measurement of costs to workers paid less than a livable wage.     By December 31, 2009 and annually thereafter, the State, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and all municipalities, counties and school administrative units shall each submit a report to the Department of Labor for the preceding calendar year for the purpose of determining the extent to which the State, political subdivisions of the State and independent public agencies pay workers livable wage rates. The report from each entity must identify all workers who were not paid at least a livable wage rate during the preceding year, the total wages paid to each worker, the total wages that would have been paid to these workers for the same number of hours of work if the workers had been paid at least a livable wage as calculated pursuant to section 1405 and the difference between actual wages and livable wages.
 
By January 30th of each year, the Department of Labor shall compile and summarize the reports that are required pursuant to this subsection and report to the Legislature on the total difference between the livable wage standard and any actual wages paid to workers by state and local public employers that are below the livable wage.
 
2.  Measurement of bureaucratic costs to subsidize workers paid less than a livable wage.     By December 31, 2009 and annually thereafter, the Department of Labor shall produce a report that quantifies and summarizes data gathered and analyzed from all federal, state and local public social service agencies and offices to determine the costs of providing direct services to all workers employed by state and local public employers who are paid less than a livable wage, as calculated pursuant to section 1405.
 
3.  Development and implementation of plans to achieve livable wages.     Plans to achieve livable wages must be developed and implemented in accordance with this subsection.
 
A.  By June 30, 2010, the State, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and all municipalities, counties and school administrative units shall develop and submit to the Department of Labor plans to achieve the payment of at least a livable wage, as calculated pursuant to section 1405, to all employees by no later than July 1, 2012.
 
B.  In the development of plans to achieve the payment of at least a livable wage to all public state and local employees, the State, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and all municipalities, counties and school administrative units shall bargain collectively about the provisions of such plans with the appropriate bargaining agents of their employees pursuant to sections 965, 979-D and 1026 as applicable.
 
C.  Starting July 1, 2012, the State, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and all municipalities, counties and school administrative units may not employ any employee at a wage that is less than the livable wage as calculated pursuant to section 1405.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the State, public universities and community colleges and municipalities, counties and school administrative units to submit reports to be used to determine the extent to which they pay livable wages and the Department of Labor to calculate and report to the Legislature the costs for providing direct services to public workers who are paid less than a livable wage. It requires that all public state and local government employers develop plans to pay all employees at least a livable wage by July 1, 2012.