Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §8606-A, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1995, c. 368, Pt. C, §1, is further amended to read:

3. State reimbursement. State reimbursement for expenditures on adult education programs must be based on each unit's actual adult education program costs in the foundation year, except that in fiscal years 1991-92 and 1992-93 available state funding is limited to the fiscal year 1990-91 level, and in fiscal years 1995-96 and 1996-97 available state funding is limited to the fiscal year 1994-95 level and in fiscal years 1998-99 and 1999-00 available state funding may not be less than the fiscal year 1996-97 level and must increase in proportion to any increase in state funding for the general purpose subsidy for public schools pursuant to chapter 606.

A. The state reimbursement must be based on the unit's expenditures for the foundation year in accordance with the maximum allowable expenditures and the local program cost adjustment to the equivalent of the year prior to the year of the allocation.

B. State reimbursement must be paid to each eligible unit during the 2nd quarter of the State's fiscal year.

SUMMARY

This bill ensures that funding for the state subsidy for public school adult education in fiscal years 1998-99 and 1999-00 is no less than the level appropriated for fiscal year 1996-97 and requires the state subsidy to increase in proportion to any increase in the state subsidy to public education for grades kindergarten to 12.