123rd MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1038 LR 891(02)
An Act To License Home Building and Improvement Contractors
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "     "
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
2007-08 2008-09 Projections 2009-10 Projections 2010-11
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $0 $0 $212,450
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $0 $0 $212,450
Transfers
General Fund $0 $0 $0 ($212,450)
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $0 $0 $212,450
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements
Establishes new civil violations and Class E crimes.
Establishes new Class D crimes.
This bill may increase the number of civil suits filed in the court system.
The collection of additional fines and filing fees may increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill establishes the Maine Home Contractor Licensing Board as an affiliated Board within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation effective January 1, 2011.  The Board will require an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $212,450 in fiscal year 2010-11 for one Director position, one Senior Investigator position and one Office Specialist I position and related all other costs associated with establishing and operating the Board.  Because sufficient dedicated funds will not be available to support the operation of the Board from January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011, this bill includes language that requires the State Controller to transfer $212,450 from the General Fund undedicated revenue to the Board no later than November 30, 2010.
The Maine Home Contractor Licensing Board may require additional Other Special Revenue Funds allocations beginning in fiscal year 2011-12 to support the continued operation of the Board once the issuing of licenses begins in January of 2012.  The amount can not be determined at this time.  However, this fiscal note assumes that dedicated revenue received from licensing and other fees to be established by the Board through the rulemaking process will be sufficient to support the ongoing costs of the Board beginning in fiscal year 2011-12.
The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation and the affiliated boards currently have 8.2 full time equivalent positions assigned by the Department of the Attorney General to service their legal needs.  The Office of the Attorney General would reassign attorneys in order to support the Maine Residential Contractor Licensing Board upon its creation in January of 2011.