122nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1021		LR 0263(06)
	An Act To Implement Task Force Recommendations Relating to Parity and Portability of Benefits for Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "   "
	Committee: Labor
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
	Minority Report
Fiscal Note
					Projections	Projections
			2005-06	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Funds		$0	$0	$0	$0
Revenue
	Other Funds		$0	$870,000	$1,823,520	$1,911,049
Current Cost - State Mandate
State Mandate
	New or Expanded Activity				Unit Affected	Costs
	Requires counties and municipalities to collect contributions from participating employees and remit these contributions to the State. The increase in workload to the counties and municipalities generated by these requirements is a state mandate pursuant to the Maine Constitution.  The additional costs are expected to be insignificant.				Municipality	Insignificant
					County	Insignificant
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	The bill requires participants in the newly created Retired County and Municipal Law Enforcement Officers and Municipal Firefighters Health Insurance Program to make contributions for 5 years in order to be eligible for coverage under the program.  The bill establishes the contribution, effective January 1, 2007, equal to 2.0% of gross wages.   For the purposes of this fiscal note, it is assumed that all of the estimated 2,900 active law enforcement officers and firefighters would be required to participate, paying the 2.0% assessment on an average salary of $30,000. The bill's premium subsidy payments toward the cost of health insurance for eligible, pre-Medicare, retired law enforcement officers and firefighters would not take effect until January 1, 2012, and would be self-funded by employee contributions made to the program.