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An Act Regarding Future Evaluations of the Pine Tree Development Zone Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 30-A MRSA §5250-P, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 440, §5, is amended to read:
 
2. Evaluation; specific public policy objective; performance measures.   The Pine Tree Development Zone program established by this subchapter is subject to ongoing legislative review in accordance with Title 3, chapter 37. In developing evaluation parameters to perform the review, the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability, the Legislature's government oversight committee and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over taxation matters shall consider:
 
A. That the specific public policy objective of the Pine Tree Development Zone program established by this subchapter is to create and retain quality jobs in this State by reducing the tax burden experienced by businesses and thereby making this State's business tax burden more comparable to other states, encouraging location and expansion of businesses in this State and improving the competitiveness of this State's businesses; and
 
B. Performance measures, including:
 
(1) Change in employment levels of qualified Pine Tree Development Zone employees;
 
(2) Amount of investment directly related to a qualified business activity;
 
(3) Comparison of business tax burden in this State to other states;
 
(4) Comparison of other cost burdens in this State to other states;
 
(5) Comparison of the amount of public incentives received from the Pine Tree Development Zone program to the amount of public incentives received from other incentive programs in the State;
 
(6) Measures of industry competitiveness for businesses receiving Pine Tree Development Zone benefits;
 
(7) Measures of fiscal impact and overall economic impact to the State; and
 
(8) Other measures as may be relevant to the evaluation of program outcomes.
 
The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability shall provide a report of its evaluation of the Pine Tree Development Zone program established by this subchapter in accordance with Title 3, section 999 by January 15, 2021 and shall also provide this report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development matters, which may report out a bill to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature in response to the report's recommendations.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.