LD 1808
pg. 2
Page 1 of 2 An Act Regarding the Laws Governing the Department of Defense, Veterans and Eme... LD 1808 Title Page
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LR 2620
Item 1

 
Sec. 2. 37-B MRSA §264, sub-§3, ¶¶F and G, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 783,
§1, are amended to read:

 
F. The Millinocket Armory; and

 
G. A 6 1/2-acre parcel of land located on the northeasterly
side of U.S. Route One across from the Belfast Armory and
part of the parcel of land described in the Waldo County
Registry of Deeds, Book 411, Page 446.; and

 
Sec. 3. 37-B MRSA §264, sub-§3, ¶H is enacted to read:

 
H.__The Caribou Armory, located at 55 Bennett Drive,
Caribou, but not including the organizational maintenance
shop, known as OMS5, nor the metal storage building.

 
Sec. 4. 37-B MRSA §742, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1987, c. 810, §6, is
further amended to read:

 
1. Emergency proclamation. Disaster Emergency proclamations
shall must be issued as follows.

 
A. Whenever a disaster or civil emergency exists or appears
imminent, the Governor shall, by oral proclamation, declare
a state of emergency in the State or any section of the
State. If the Governor is temporarily absent from the State
or is otherwise unavailable, the next person in the State
who would act as Governor if the office of the Governor were
vacant may, by oral proclamation, declare the fact that a
civil emergency exists or appears sufficiently imminent to
activate emergency preparedness plans in any or all areas of
the State. A written copy of the proclamation shall must be
filed with the Secretary of State within 24 hours of the
oral proclamation.

 
B. Subject at all times to the further direction and order
of the Governor, an executive proclamation of emergency
shall activate activates the emergency preparedness plans
applicable to the affected areas and shall be is the
authority for the deployment and use of any forces or
resources to which the plan or plans apply.

 
C. After the filing of the emergency proclamation and in
addition to any other powers conferred by law, the Governor
may:

 
(1) Suspend the enforcement of any statute prescribing the
procedures for conduct of state business, or the orders or rules
of any state agency, if strict

 
compliance with the provisions of the statute, order or
rule would in any way prevent, hinder or delay
necessary action in coping with the emergency;

 
(2) Utilize all available resources of the State
Government and of each political subdivision of the
State as reasonably necessary to cope with the disaster
emergency;

 
(3) Transfer the direction, personnel or functions of
state departments and agencies, or units thereof, for
the purposes of performing or facilitating emergency
services;

 
(4) Authorize the obtaining and acquisition of
property, supplies and materials pursuant to section
821;

 
(5) Enlist the aid of any person to assist in the
effort to control, put out or end the emergency or aid
in the caring for the safety of persons;

 
(6) Direct and compel the evacuation of all or part of
the population from any stricken or threatened area
within the State, if he deems the Governor determines
this action necessary for the preservation of life or
other disaster mitigation, response or recovery;

 
(7) Prescribe routes, modes of transportation and
destinations in connection with evacuations;

 
(8) Control ingress and egress to and from a disaster
area, the movement of persons within the area and the
occupancy of premises therein;

 
(9) Suspend or limit the sale, dispensing or
transportation of alcoholic beverages, firearms,
explosives and combustibles;

 
(10) Make provision for the availability and use of
temporary emergency housing;

 
(11) Order the termination, temporary or permanent, of
any process, operation, machine or device which may be
causing or is understood to be the cause of the state
of emergency for which this proclamation was made; and

 
(12) Take whatever action is necessary to abate, clean
up or mitigate whatever danger may exist within the
affected area.

 
Sec. 5. 37-B MRSA §742, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 460, §3, is
amended to read:

 
2. Energy emergency proclamation. Energy emergency
proclamations shall must be issued as follows.

 
A. When an actual or impending acute shortage in energy
resources threatens the health, safety or welfare of the
citizens of the State, the Governor shall, by oral
proclamation, declare that fact and that an energy emergency
exists in the State or in any section of the State. A
written copy of the proclamation shall must be filed with
the Secretary of State within 24 hours of the oral
proclamation.

 
B. Upon the issuance of an energy emergency proclamation
and after consulting with the Director of Energy Resources
Executive Department, State Planning Office, the Governor
may exercise all the powers granted in this chapter, except
as specifically limited by paragraph C. The powers of the
Governor shall include, without limitation, the authority
to:

 
(1) Establish and implement programs, controls, standards,
priorities and quotas for the allocation, conservation
and consumption of energy resources;

 
(2) Regulate the hours and days during which
nonresidential buildings may be open and the
temperatures at which they may be maintained;

 
(3) Regulate the use of gasoline and diesel-powered land
vehicles, watercraft and aircraft;

 
(4) After consulting, when appropriate, with the New
England governors and upon the recommendations of the
Maine Public Utilities Commission, regulate the
generation, distribution and consumption of
electricity;

 
(5) Establish temporary state and local boards and
agencies;

 
(6) Establish and implement programs and agreements for
the purposes of coordinating the emergency energy
response of the State with those of the Federal
Government and of other states and localities;

 
(7) Temporarily suspend truck weight and size regulations,
but not in conflict with federal regulations; and

 
(8) Regulate the storage, distribution and consumption of
home heating oil.

 
C. In dealing with a declared energy emergency, the
following powers granted by this chapter may not be invoked:

 
(1) The eminent domain powers granted in section 821; and

 
(2) The enforcement powers granted in sections 786 and
829, unless the Governor specifically invokes these
powers by an order issued pursuant to an energy
emergency proclamation and approved by a majority of
the membership of the Legislative Council. That order
shall must specify those emergency orders or rules
which shall be that are enforceable pursuant to this
paragraph and shall must further specify the
enforcement activities civil emergency preparedness
management organizations are to pursue. No enforcement
action may be taken pursuant to this paragraph without
publication of the order authorizing the action in a
manner reasonably calculated to give affected persons
adequate notice of the order or rule to be enforced,
which may include publication on the Internet, and the
sanctions to be applied.

 
D. During a declared energy emergency, the following
provisions relating to environmental rules apply.

 
(1) Except as provided in subparagraph (2), nothing
contained in this subsection may not be construed to
authorize the Governor to suspend or to modify orders,
rules, standards or classifications issued or enforced
by the Department of Environmental Protection or the
Maine Land Use Regulation Commission.

 
(2) When an energy emergency proclamation is in effect,
the Governor may call the Board of Environmental
Protection into extraordinary session to consider
temporary waivers or suspensions of rules and standards
related to air and water quality necessary to relieve
then existing energy shortages. At an extraordinary
session, the board is empowered, notwithstanding any
other provision of law, to approve suspensions or
waivers which that it determines are necessary to
relieve or avoid an energy shortage and will not result
in environmental degradation of a permanent or enduring
nature. In no event may any suspension or modification
be granted which that will result in a circumvention of
Title 38, sections 481 to 488, 541 and 557. The waiver
or suspension shall may not remain in effect longer
than 60 days or after the date on which the board
renders a further order issued pursuant to the regular
procedures specified in Title 38, whichever shall first
occur occurs.

 
E. The Superior Court of the county in which a person fails
to obey an order or rule promulgated in accordance with this
subsection shall have has jurisdiction to issue a
restraining order or injunction to enforce the order or
rule. That proceeding shall must be held in accordance with
the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 65.

 
F. In the event that an order or rule issued by the
Governor, pursuant to the powers granted in paragraph B, are
to be in effect for longer than 90 days, the Governor shall,
before the 80th day following the issuance of the order or
rule, convene the Legislature.

 
Sec. 6. Resolve 1999, c. 113, §6 is amended to read:

 
*Sec. 6. Consultation; reports. Resolved: That the commission shall
consult with the State House and Capitol Park Commission to
ensure the appropriateness of the design and location of the new
plaque and the selection and placement of the new flag or flags
within the State House Hall of Flags. When the commission has
agreed upon an appropriate location and design, but not later
than October 4, 2000, the commission shall submit its initial
report to the Executive Director of the Legislative Council. A
final report must be submitted to the Executive Director of the
Legislative Council by November 1, 2000 December 1, 2001. Upon
submission of its required reports, the commission terminates;
and be it further

 
Sec. 7. Retroactivity. That section of this Act that amends Resolve
1999, chapter 113, section 6 applies retroactively to November 1,
2000.

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

 
SUMMARY

 
This bill is the result of 2001 Joint Order, H.P. 1340 and is
emergency legislation that proposes to extend the final reporting
date for the commission to recognize veterans of the Vietnam War
in the State House Hall of Flags. The sections of

 
the bill regarding the commission apply retroactively to November
1, 2000. The bill also makes changes to the laws governing the
Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management by
authorizing the sale of the Caribou Armory and requiring the
Governor to make an oral declaration of an emergency and
specifying that a written declaration must be filed with the
Secretary of State within 24 hours of the oral declaration.


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