An Act To Clarify the Specific Purposes of Recently Enacted Legislation Authorizing the Issuance of a General Fund Bond

Sec. 1. PL 2013, c. 572, §5  is amended to read:

Sec. 5. Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue. The proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies and entities set forth in this section.

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM
University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service

Total

$8,000,000

Sec. 2. PL 2013, c. 572, §9  is amended to read:

Sec. 9. Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of question; effective date. This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act. The municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:

"Do you favor an $8,000,000 bond issue to provide funds to assist support Maine agriculture and to protect Maine farms , facilitate economic growth in natural resources-based industries and monitor human health threats related to ticks, mosquitoes and bedbugs through the creation of an animal and plant disease and insect control facility laboratory administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service?"

The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square below the word "Yes" or "No." The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature. The Governor shall review the returns. If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of the proclamation.

The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this referendum.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies the specific purposes of recently enacted legislation authorizing the issuance of a General Fund bond to create an animal and plant disease control facility administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service.