An Act To Eliminate the Constituent Services Allowance for Legislators

Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §2, 3rd ¶,  as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, Pt. A, §1, is amended to read:

Except as provided in this section, each member of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to a meal allowance in the amount of $32 and a housing allowance in the amount of $38 for each day in attendance at sessions of the Legislature and for each day the member occupies overnight accommodations away from home either immediately preceding or immediately following attendance at daily sessions of the Legislature. The presiding officers may establish reasonable policies regarding allowances for meals and overnight accommodations for the day immediately preceding the session, which may include policies regarding whether an allowance is paid, whether the full amount or a portion of the statutory allowance is paid and whether receipts are required. In lieu of the meal and housing allowance, each member is entitled to a daily meal allowance in the amount of $32 and actual daily mileage allowances in an amount up to but not exceeding $38 per day. Each member of the Senate also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the amount of $2,000, $1,300 in January and $700 in the month following adjournment of the regular session. Each member of the House of Representatives also receives an annual allowance for constituent services in the amount of $1,500, $1,005 in January and $495 in the month following adjournment of the regular session. Notwithstanding this section, during the first regular session of each legislative biennium, a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives may elect to receive the first payment of the annual allowance for constituent services in December following convening of the Legislature by notifying the Executive Director of the Legislative Council in the manner prescribed by the executive director. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall inform Legislators of the choice available for payment of the allowance for constituent services in the first year of the legislative biennium and of any tax implications associated with exercising that choice.

Sec. 2. 3 MRSA §2, 8th ¶,  as amended by PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. A, §2, is further amended to read:

The member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, the member of the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe and, beginning with the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature, the member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians elected to represent their tribes at the Legislature are entitled to receive a salary equal to the salary of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, including a cost-of-living adjustment, for each regular session and allowance for meals, constituent service, housing and travel expenses to the same extent as members of the House of Representatives for attendance at each legislative session or authorized committee meeting. For the duration of any special session of the Legislature, they are entitled to receive the same per diem payment and allowances, including housing, meal and travel expenses, as any member of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Sec. 3. 3 MRSA §2-B, sub-§2, ¶B,  as enacted by PL 1997, c. 506, §1, is amended to read:

SUMMARY

This bill eliminates the constituent services allowance for Legislators.