Sec. 6. Allocations from General Fund bond issue; improvements to highways and bridges for snowmobile crossings and boating and fishing access improvements. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds must be expended as designated in the following schedule.

TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF

General Fund

Carry-in boating and river bank

access from new bridges $400,000

Enhancements to new bridges to

allow fishing from those bridges $500,000

Enhancements to allow snowmobile

crossings on highway bridges $2,000,000

__________

General Fund Total $2,900,000

Sec. 7. Contingent upon ratification of bond issue. Sections 1 to 6 do not become effective unless the people of the State have ratified the issuance of the bonds as set forth in this Act.

Sec. 8. Appropriation balances at year-end. At the end of each fiscal year, all unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward. Bond proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds lapse to General Fund debt service.

Sec. 9. Bonds authorized but not issued. Any bonds authorized but not issued, or for which bond anticipation notes are not issued within 5 years of ratification of this Act, are deauthorized and may not be issued; except that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds or bond anticipation notes for an additional amount of time not to exceed 5 years.

Sec. 10. Referendum for ratification; submission at statewide election; form of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State of Maine at a statewide election held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November following passage of this Act. The municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:

"Do you favor a $2,900,000 bond issue to fund high priority snowmobile crossings on highway bridges and to provide boating and fishing access improvements to highway bridges?"

The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the returns and, if a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall proclaim the result without delay, and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of the proclamation.

The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purpose of this referendum.

SUMMARY

This bill authorizes a $2,900,000 General Fund bond issue to fund snowmobile crossings and boating and fishing access improvements on certain highway bridges. The bill requires the Commissioner of Transportation to consult with the Commissioner of Conservation, the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Commissioner of Marine Resources prior to making any expenditures of these bond funds and allows that money to be spent only on projects identified by those agencies as high priority projects.