Maine § 1534. - General Fund appropriation limitation

(1) Catastrophic events such as natural disaster, terrorism, fire, war and riot;  

(2) Unfunded or underfunded state or federal mandates;  

(3) Citizens' initiatives or other referenda;  

(4) Court orders or decrees; or  

(5) Loss of federal funding.  

Extraordinary circumstances do not include changes in economic conditions, revenue shortfalls, increases in salaries or benefits, new programs or program expansions that go beyond existing program criteria and operation.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §14 (AFF).]

B. The appropriation limitation in subsection 1 may be exceeded only by a vote of both Houses of the Legislature in a separate measure that identifies the extraordinary circumstance and the intent of the Legislature to exceed the appropriation limitation.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §14 (AFF).]

C. Exceeding the appropriation limitation established in subsection 1 permits appropriations to exceed the appropriation limitation only for the period necessary to address the extraordinary circumstance and does not increase the base for purposes of calculating the appropriation limitation for future years.   [PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §5 (NEW); PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. A, §14 (AFF).]

4.  Increase in appropriation limitation.  The appropriation limitation established in subsection 1 may be increased for other purposes only by a vote of both Houses of the Legislature in a separate measure that identifies the intent of the Legislature to exceed the appropriation limitation.