130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1744		LR 2195(02)
	An Act To Increase Funding for the Animal Welfare Fund by Increasing Certain Fees
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2021-22	FY 2022-23	Projections  FY 2023-24	Projections  FY 2024-25
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$425,000	$425,000	$425,000
Appropriations/Allocations
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$558,720	$558,720	$558,720
Revenue
	General Fund		$0	($425,000)	($425,000)	($425,000)
	Other Special Revenue Funds		$0	$558,720	$558,720	$558,720
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill changes how revenue from fees collected on registrations to distribute commercial feed in the State is distributed between the Animal Welfare Fund (AWF) and the General Fund. Currently, 50% of the fee is credited to the AWF and 50% is credited to the General Fund. This bill changes the distribution to 100% credited to the AWF. Changing the ratio will eliminate the budgeted General Fund revenue from this source by $425,000 beginning in fiscal year 2022-23 and increase Other Special Revenue Funds revenue to the AWF by $558,720 beginning in fiscal year 2022-23.
	The bill also increases the daily compensation for animal shelters holding animals pending court decisions from $5 to $15 for dogs and cats, from $8 to $18 for female cats or dogs with unweaned litters and from $10 to $20 for equines. It also increases from $8 to $20 the upper limit of daily compensation for holding livestock animals, excluding equines, fowl and rabbits.
	The bill includes allocations of $558,720 beginning in fiscal year 2022-23 to allow expenditure of the additional revenue, which will be more than sufficient to cover the higher compensation paid to animal shelters.