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Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §196, first ¶, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. DDD, §1, is further amended to read:
The Attorney General may appoint one or more deputy attorneys general, assistant attorneys general and staff attorneys who serve at the pleasure of the Attorney General or until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. They may perform all the duties required of the Attorney General and other duties the Attorney General delegates to them. The Attorney General may appoint research assistants with any powers and duties the Attorney General delegates. Research assistants may perform duties delegated to them by the Attorney General, including activities authorized by Title 4, section 807. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the compensations of research assistants, law office manager and deputy attorneys general are fixed by the Attorney General. The compensation of the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner is fixed by the Attorney General in consultation with the Chief Medical Examiner and with the approval of the Governor. The compensations of the staff attorneys, assistant attorneys general and secretary to the Attorney General are fixed by the Attorney General with the approval of the Governor, but such compensations may not in the aggregate exceed the amount appropriated for those positions and may not result in an increased request to future Legislatures. The Attorney General may approve financial orders for transfers and revisions of and increases to allotment within the Office of the Attorney General in accordance with procedures for financial orders established in the executive branch. The Attorney General shall provide a copy of each approved financial order to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of the Budget and the Office of Fiscal and Program Review.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the majority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary. It replaces the bill. It removes the current requirement that the Governor approve salaries set by the Attorney General for the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, staff attorneys, assistant attorneys general and secretary to the Attorney General. Compensations continue to be limited by the total amount appropriated for those positions and cannot result in increases in requests in future budgets.
The amendment gives the Attorney General the same authority within the Office of the Attorney General to approve financial orders as the Chief Justice has within the judicial branch. The Attorney General must provide a copy of each approved financial order to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of the Budget and the Office of Fiscal and Program Review.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)