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Amend the bill in section 1 in §1518-A in subsection 1 in the last line (page 1, line 11 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "subsection 1-B" the following: 'and pay the costs of the Treasurer of State for administering relief payments under this section'
Amend the bill in section 1 in §1518-A by striking out all of subsection 1-A (page 1, lines 12 to 32 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘1-A. Implementation.   By September 1, 2016November 1, 2019 and annually thereafter, the State Controller shall inform the State Tax AssessorTreasurer of State of the amount available in the fund for the purposes of subsection 1.
 
A.  By November 1st annually, the State Tax Assessor shall calculate the amount by which the income tax rates under Title 36, section 5111, subsections 1-F, 2-F and 3-F may be reduced during the subsequent tax year using the amount available from the fund. Bracket rate reductions must be a minimum of 0.2 percentage points in the first year in which reductions are made and a minimum of 0.1 percentage points in subsequent years. If sufficient funds are not available to pay for the minimum reduction, a rate reduction may not be made until the amount in the fund is sufficient to pay for the reduction. When the amount is sufficient to pay for the reduction, the reduction must first be applied equally to each bracket under Title 36, section 5111, subsections 1-F, 2-F and 3-F until the lower bracket reaches 4%. Funds available from the fund in subsequent years must be applied to reduce the higher bracket rates until there is a single bracket with a rate of 4%, after which future tax relief may be identified.
 
B.  The State Tax Assessor shall provide public notice of new bracket rates calculated under this subsection by November 15th annually.
 
C. New bracket rates calculated under this subsection apply beginning with tax years that begin on or after January 1st of the calendar year following the determinations made under this subsection.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §1518-A in subsection 1-B by striking out all of paragraphs B to D (page 2, lines 5 to 20 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘B.  By November 15, 2019 and annually thereafter, the Treasurer of State shall determine whether the amount available in the fund is sufficient to make a relief payment of at least $100 to the property tax payer for each homestead in the State, to pay for the Treasurer of State's costs in administering relief payments and to make state payments to municipalities for costs related to relief payments pursuant to a mandate under the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21. If the amount available in the fund is sufficient to make a relief payment of at least $100 to the property tax payer for each homestead in the State, to pay for the Treasurer of State's costs in administering relief payments and to make state payments to municipalities for costs related to relief payments pursuant to a mandate under the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, the Treasurer of State shall direct the assessor for each municipality and the State Tax Assessor for the unorganized territory to report to the Treasurer of State by the following January 1st the name and address of the property tax payer for each homestead within the assessor's jurisdiction.
 
C.  Using the data provided pursuant to paragraph B, the Treasurer of State shall determine the amount of relief payment each property tax payer is entitled to by dividing the amount of the funds available in the fund, after subtraction of the Treasurer of State's costs in administering relief payments and making state payments to municipalities for mandate costs, by the total number of homesteads in the State.
 
D. By March 1st in any year in which the Treasurer of State determines under paragraph C that the relief payment to each property tax payer for a homestead equals or exceeds $100, the Treasurer of State shall make the relief payment determined under paragraph C by mail to the property tax payer at the address provided to the Treasurer of State under paragraph B or by any other effective means. Funds for the relief payments must come from the fund. The Treasurer of State shall certify annually to the State Controller the total cost of relief payments made under this section, the total costs to the Treasurer of State in administering this section and the total costs to make state payments to municipalities for costs related to relief payments pursuant to a mandate under the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21. The State Controller shall transfer those amounts from the fund to the Property Tax Relief Program, an Other Special Revenue Funds account in the Office of the Treasurer of State, to cover the cost of relief payments, the costs of the Treasurer of State in administering this section and the cost to make state payments to municipalities for costs related to relief payments pursuant to mandates under the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21.’
Amend the bill in section 1 in §1518-A in subsection 5 in the first line (page 2, line 35 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "January 2, 2020" and inserting the following: 'March 10, 2020'
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following:
‘Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
TREASURER OF STATE, OFFICE OF
 
Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents N334
 
Initiative: Allocates funds for printing and postage costs to mail property tax relief payments.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$186,000	$186,000	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$186,000	$186,000	

Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents N334
 
Initiative: Allocates funds to reimburse municipalities for the mandated cost of making property tax relief payments.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$20,000	$20,000	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$20,000	$20,000	

Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents N334
 
Initiative: Provides funding for a base allocation for the distribution of property tax relief payments.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2019-20	2020-21	
All Other	$500	$500	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$500	$500	

TREASURER OF STATE, OFFICE OF			
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2019-20	2020-21	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$206,500	$206,500	
			
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$206,500	$206,500	
 
’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment changes the responsibility for calculating property tax relief payments from the State Tax Assessor to the Treasurer of State and changes dates for steps in the process of calculating and making relief payments. The amendment also provides that the Treasurer of State's costs in administering relief payments and in making state payments to municipalities for mandate costs are also paid from the Property Tax Relief Fund for Maine Residents and it adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)