Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1742-D, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1991, c. 780, Pt. Y, §59, is further amended to read:

2. Establish standards; waiver. The Bureau of General Services shall establish the following:

A. Standards for occupant safety and comfort in leased space must be that are consistent with law and all applicable building, fire, handicapped accessibility and environmental codes; and

B. By July 1, 1991, standards for space use for all state facilities that ensure the equitable and efficient distribution of available floor space, including common areas, consistent with cost, program and functional objectives.

The Director of the Bureau of General Services may provide a waiver of the standards and criteria established under this section if the director concludes that the unique conditions of location, program or employee function require such a waiver or in order to meet the purpose of Title 30-A, section 4349-A, subsection 2, relating to priority locations for state office buildings, courts and other state civic buildings.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §1742-D, sub-§10 is enacted to read:

10. Downtown Leasehold Improvement Fund.__The Downtown Leasehold Improvement Fund, referred to in this subsection as the "fund," is established within the Bureau of General Services to assist state agencies in securing suitable space in downtowns whenever possible by providing for capital improvements to real property leased by the State in downtowns necessary to meet public health, safety and accessibility requirements of federal, state and local statutes and codes.

The fund is a nonlapsing fund consisting of sums that are appropriated by the Legislature or transferred to the fund from time to time by the Treasurer of State, the proceeds of notes or bonds issued by the State for the purpose of deposit in the fund, grants and awards made to the State or an instrumentality of the State by the Federal Government for the purpose for which the fund has been established and other funds from any public or private source received for use for the purpose for which the fund has been established.

The bureau shall invest in leasehold improvements from this fund only when it determines that the length and other terms of