Maine § 163-A. - Nonpartisan legislative staff services

§ 163-A.. Nonpartisan legislative staff services

Nonpartisan legislative staff shall provide the following services under the direction of the Executive Director:   [PL 2015, c. 102, §6 (AMD).]

1.  Bill drafting.  To furnish to the members of the Legislature the assistance of expert drafters qualified to aid the Legislature in the preparation of bills for introduction into the Legislature;

2.  Revision.  Upon request, to assist any agency appointed to revise the statutes of the State or any portion of the statutes and, at the direction of such agency, to consolidate, revise and clarify the statutes of the State;

2-A.  Engrossing.  To engross all bills passed by the Legislature;

3.  Session laws.  To prepare and index for printing as promptly as possible, after the adjournment of each session, the session laws, which compilation includes all Acts and resolves that the Legislature has adopted during the session and that have received the approval of the Governor, when such approval is necessary, and any other material of a general nature that the Executive Director may determine;

4.  Copy of public laws.  After each session of the Legislature, to cause the public laws enacted at that session to be printed on good paper and in suitable type and to distribute the same within the State to all citizens making a request for those laws;

5.  Pocket supplements.  After each session of the Legislature, to cause to be published cumulative pocket supplements of the volumes of the Revised Statutes, and any replacement or recompiled volumes, which must contain an accurate transcription of all public laws, the material contained in the next preceding pocket supplement, complete and accurate annotations to the statutes, appendix and other material accumulated since the publication of the next preceding pocket supplement and a cumulative index of that material;

6.  Continuing revision. 

7.  Committee assistance.  To provide research, analysis and bill drafting assistance for joint standing or select committees, including, but not limited to, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and other legislative agencies;

8.  Reports and legislation.  To prepare narrative reports on matters referred to joint standing committees for review or study and prepare legislation to be introduced pursuant to those reports;

9.  Research services.  To provide a comprehensive research service for Legislators, legislative joint standing or select committees and commissions and the Legislative Council;

10.  Collection of fiscal information.  To collect and assemble factual information concerning the fiscal affairs of the State for the use of the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs in formulating its proposals for appropriations and to collect and assemble fiscal information concerning other revenue funds for the use of any joint standing committee in formulating proposals for allocation acts;

11.  Appropriation requests.  To examine all requests for appropriations made by the various agencies of State Government and attend any hearings necessary to obtain complete information;

12.  Statement of cost.  To prepare statements pertaining to the existence of cost or the amount of cost to municipalities or counties for implementing or complying with a proposed law. The statement of cost is made within the limits of information provided to the office designated by the Legislative Council as having responsibility for financial analysis. The statements must be furnished to the appropriate committee for the information of its members and for inclusion in bills that receive an ought to pass report when reported by the committee. A statement is not necessary for any bill that has no cost to municipalities or counties; and

13.  Other duties.  To undertake such other duties as are assigned by the Executive Director.