Sec. L-1. 21-A MRSA §809-A, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A.__Prohibition not applicable.__For the purpose of providing a voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities as required by section 812-A, subsection 1 and the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002, Public Law 107-252, the prohibition in subsection 1 does not apply to the connection of individual voting devices to a central server using a wired, point-to-point telephone connection that is not Internet-enabled when the central server is operated or managed by the Secretary of State.

This subsection is repealed 90 days after the adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 123rd Legislature.

PART M

Sec. M-1. 5 MRSA §1534, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 636, Pt. A, §4, is further amended to read:

1. Establishment of General Fund appropriation limitation. As of December 1st of each even-numbered year, there must be established a General Fund appropriation limitation for the ensuing biennium. The General Fund appropriation limitation applies to all General Fund appropriations, except that the additional cost for essential programs and services for kindergarten to grade 12 education under Title 20-A, chapter 606- B over the fiscal year 2004-05 appropriation for general purpose aid for local schools is excluded from the General Fund appropriation limitation until the state share of that cost reaches 55% of the total state and local cost and except that the additional state costs for the Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program, established pursuant to chapter 13, is excluded from the General Fund appropriation limitation.

A. For the first fiscal year of the biennium, the General Fund appropriation limitation is equal to the biennial base year appropriation multiplied by one plus the growth limitation factor in subsection 2.

B. For the 2nd year of the biennium, the General Fund appropriation limitation is the General Fund appropriation limitation of the first year of the biennium biennial base year appropriation multiplied by one plus the growth limitation factor in subsection 2.