An Act To Authorize a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe in the State To Benefit from the Operation of an Existing Casino
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 625, §§3 and 4 and c. 657, Pt. W, §5, is further amended to read:
2-A. Distribution from casino of slot machine income. A casino operator shall collect and distribute 46% 48% of the net slot machine income from slot machines operated by the casino operator to the board for distribution by the board as follows:
A. Twenty-five percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Department of Education, to be used to supplement and not to supplant funding for essential programs and services for kindergarten to grade 12 under Title 20-A, chapter 606-B;
B. Four percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the University of Maine System Scholarship Fund created in Title 20-A, section 10909;
C. Three percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Board of Trustees of the Maine Community College System to be applied by the board of trustees to fund its scholarships program under Title 20-A, section 12716, subsection 1;
D. Four Six percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall distribute the funds to the tribal governments of the Penobscot Nation and , the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians;
E. Three percent of the net slot machine income must be deposited to the General Fund for administrative expenses of the board, including gambling addiction counseling services, in accordance with rules adopted by the board;
F. Two percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly to the municipality in which the casino is located;
G. One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Agricultural Fair Support Fund established in Title 7, section 91;
H. One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the fund established in section 298 to supplement harness racing purses;
I. One percent of the net slot machine income must be credited by the board to the Sire Stakes Fund created in section 281;
J. One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded directly to the county in which the casino is located to pay for mitigation of costs resulting from gaming operations;
K. One percent of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Maine Milk Pool, Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to help fund dairy farm stabilization pursuant to Title 7, sections 3153-B and 3153-D. This paragraph is repealed July 1, 2013;
L. Beginning July 1, 2013, 1/2 of 1% of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Maine Milk Pool, Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to help fund dairy farm stabilization pursuant to Title 7, sections 3153-B and 3153-D; and
M. Beginning July 1, 2013, 1/2 of 1% of the net slot machine income must be forwarded by the board to the Treasurer of State, who shall credit the money to the Dairy Improvement Fund established under Title 10, section 1023-P.
If a recipient of net slot machine income in paragraph D, H or I owns or receives funds from a slot machine facility or casino, other than the casino in Oxford County or the slot machine facility in Bangor, then the recipient may not receive funds under this subsection, and those funds must be retained by the Oxford County casino operator.
SUMMARY
This bill provides the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians the same distribution of net slot machine income from casino slot machines as is provided to the Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe under current law.