126th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 963		LR 906(02)
	An Act To Expand Access to Early Postsecondary Education
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Potential future biennium revenue decrease - Higher Educational Institutions Legislative Cost/Study
Legislative Cost/Study
	The additional costs for Legislators to serve on the commission are projected to be $2,000 annually beginning in fiscal year 2013-14.  The Legislature's proposed budget includes $10,000 in fiscal year 2013-14 and $10,000 in fiscal year 2014-15 for legislative studies.  Whether the amounts are sufficient to fund all studies will depend on the number of studies authorized by the Legislative Council and the Legislature.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	Increasing the number of credit hours per academic year that eligible secondary students may take at eligible institutions will increase the amount of tuition revenue that must be waived by the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy.  The impact will depend on the actual increase in the number of credit hours taken by eligible students per academic year.
	LD 1509, the 2014-2015 biennial budget, as amended, provides General Fund support to the General Purpose Aid for Local Schools program within the  Department of Education of $400,000 per year for fiscal year 2013-14 and fiscal year 2014-15 for eligible secondary students to take postsecondary classes.  This funding is the same amount of funding that has been provided in previous fiscal years and may limit participation in the program.  The Department estimates that an additional $600,000 per year of General Fund support would need to be provided in order to ensure that sufficient funding is available to support the anticipated demand.
	Additional costs to the Department of Education, the University of Maine System, the Finance Authority of Maine and the Maine Community College System to serve on the Commission on Expanding Early Postsecondary Access for High School Students can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.