Whereas, Private and Special Law 2005, chapter 23 provided a one-time adjustment for fiscal year 2005-06 to the state share of the total allocation for school administrative districts and community school districts that have member municipalities with local contributions that are below the maximum mill rate expectation but that are adversely affected as a result of the cost-sharing mechanism established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 15688; and

Whereas, the Department of Education has agreed to continue to review and analyze the implications of the new method of determining the local cost of education in accordance with Title 20-A, section 15688, subsections 2 and 3-A of member municipalities of school administrative districts and community school districts whose cost-sharing formulas were established in accordance with Title 20-A, section 1301 and 1704, respectively; and

Whereas, the intent of both Initiated Bill 2003, chapter 2 and Title 20-A, section 15753 is to provide a mandatory state appropriation for 100% of the special education costs of each school administrative unit to recognize the special education costs mandated by federal and state law, rule or regulation; 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. 20-A MRSA §15689, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A.__Adjustments to state contributions to member municipalities in certain school districts.__Beginning in fiscal year 2006-07, the minimum state allocation provisions of subsection 1 are applicable for each case when one or more member municipalities, but not all the district's member municipalities, have a local contribution that is below the mill rate expectation established pursuant to section 15671-A.__For each school district eligible under this subsection, the minimum state allocation provisions of subsection 1 are applicable for each member municipality that has a local contribution that is below the mill rate expectation established pursuant to section