Whereas, it is important to change the membership of the Revenue Forecasting Committee to provide continuity to the committee; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1710-E, as amended by PL 1999, c. 127, Pt. A, §8, is further amended to read:

§1710-E. Revenue Forecasting Committee; established;

membership

There is established the Revenue Forecasting Committee, referred to in this chapter as the "committee," for the purpose of providing the Governor, the Legislature and the State Budget Officer with analyses, findings and recommendations relating to the projection of revenues for the General Fund and the Highway Fund based on economic assumptions recommended by the Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission. The committee includes the State Budget Officer, the State Tax Assessor, the State Economist, an economist on the faculty of the University of Maine System selected by the chancellor, the Director of the Office of Fiscal and Program Review and an analyst from the Office of Fiscal and Program Review designated by the director of that office another member of the Legislature's nonpartisan staff familiar with revenue estimating issues appointed by the Legislative Council. One of the 6 members must be selected by a majority vote of the committee members to serve as the chair of the committee.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.

SUMMARY

This bill changes the composition of the Revenue Forecasting Committee by removing the member who is an analyst from the Office of Fiscal and Program Review and replacing that member with another member of the Legislature's nonpartisan staff.