Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §30 is enacted to read:

§30.__Consent to be sued by state employees under certain federal

employment laws

The State consents to be sued in state or federal court by its employees, former employees and employment applicants seeking to enforce rights or obtain remedies afforded by the following federal laws when the United States Congress has indicated its intent that such laws be applicable to the states in their capacity as employers:

1.__Fair labor standards.__The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 United States Code, Section 201 et seq.;

2.__Discrimination.__Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 United States Code, Sections 2000e to 2000e-17;

3.__Age discrimination.__The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 United States Code, Section 621 et seq.;

4.__Disability.__The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 United States Code, Section 12101 et seq.; and

5.__Maritime employees.__Federal law relating to suits for injury or death of a seaman under 46 United States Code, Section 688.

This consent is given for the sole purpose described in this section and does not constitute consent to be sued for any other purpose, nor does it constitute a waiver of the State's statutory, common law or constitutional immunity for any other purpose.

Sec. 2. Application. This Act does not waive sovereign immunity for any action that is pending or any action that has been finally decided or in which final judgment has been entered as of the effective date of this Act.

FISCAL NOTE

This bill will increase the State's costs of insurance for employment-related suits. The amount of the additional costs to the State can not be determined at this time but are estimated to range from $700,000 to $1,000,000 annually. These costs will be assessed on state departments and agencies on a per employee