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Amend the amendment by striking out all of Part J and inserting the following:
PART J
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Sec. J-1. 30-A MRSA §5681, sub-§5, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. S, §4 and affected by §16, is further amended to read:
 
5. Transfers to funds.   No later than the 10th day of each month, the State Controller shall transfer to the Local Government Fund 5% of the receipts during the previous month from the taxes imposed under Title 36, Parts 3 and 8, and Title 36, section 2552, subsection 1, paragraphs A to F and L, and credited to the General Fund without any reduction, except that the postage, state cost allocation program and programming costs of administering state-municipal revenue sharing may be paid by the Local Government Fund. For months beginning in fiscal year 2014-15, no transfers under this subsection may be made. A percentage share of the amounts transferred to the Local Government Fund each month must be transferred to the Disproportionate Tax Burden Fund and distributed pursuant to subsection 4-B as follows:
 
C. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2009 but before July 1, 2010, 15%;
 
D. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2010 but before July 1, 2011, 16%;
 
E. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2011 but before July 1, 2012, 17%;
 
F. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2012 but before July 1, 2013, 18%;
 
G. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2013 but before July 1, 2014, 19%; and
 
H. For months beginning on or after July 1, 2014, 20%.
Sec. J-2. 30-A MRSA §5681, sub-§5-C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. I, §1, is further amended to read:
 
5-C. Transfers to General Fund.   For the months beginning on or after July 1, 2009, $25,383,491 in fiscal year 2009-10, $38,145,323 in fiscal year 2010-11, $40,350,638 in fiscal year 2011-12 and, $44,267,343 in fiscal year 2012-13 and $84,847,246 in fiscal year 2013-14 from the total transfers pursuant to subsection 5 must be transferred to General Fund undedicated revenue. The amounts transferred to General Fund undedicated revenue each fiscal year pursuant to this subsection must be deducted from the distributions required by subsections 4-A and 4-B based on the percentage share of the transfers to the Local Government Fund pursuant to subsection 5. The reductions in this subsection must be allocated to each month proportionately based on the budgeted monthly transfers to the Local Government Fund as determined at the beginning of the fiscal year.’
Amend the amendment by inserting after Part MMMMM the following:
PART NNNNN
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Sec. NNNNN-1. 36 MRSA §683, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. YYY, §1 and affected by c. 652, Pt. A, §63, is further amended to read:
 
1. Exemption amount.   Except for assessments for special benefits, the just value of $10,000$25,000 of the homestead of a permanent resident of this State who has owned a homestead in this State for the preceding 12 months is exempt from taxation. In determining the local assessed value of the exemption, the assessor shall multiply the amount of the exemption by the ratio of current just value upon which the assessment is based as furnished in the assessor's annual return pursuant to section 383. If the title to the homestead is held by the applicant jointly or in common with others, the exemption may not exceed $10,000$25,000 of the just value of the homestead, but may be apportioned among the owners who reside on the property to the extent of their respective interests. A municipality responsible for administering the homestead exemption has no obligation to create separate accounts for each partial interest in a homestead owned jointly or in common.
Sec. NNNNN-2. 36 MRSA §683, sub-§§3 and 4, as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. F, §3 and affected by §5, are further amended to read:
 
3. Effect on state valuation.  FiftyOne hundred percent of the just value of homesteads exempt under this subchapter must be included in the annual determination of state valuation under sections 208 and 305.
 
4. Property tax rate.  FiftyOne hundred percent of the value of homestead exemptions under this subchapter must be included in the total municipal valuation used to determine the municipal tax rate. The municipal tax rate as finally determined may be applied to only the taxable portion of each homestead qualified for that tax year.
Sec. NNNNN-3. 36 MRSA §685, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. F, §4 and affected by §5, is further amended to read:
 
2. Entitlement to reimbursement by the State; calculation.   A municipality that has approved homestead exemptions under this subchapter may recover from the State 50% 100% of the taxes lost by reason of the exemptions upon proof in a form satisfactory to the bureau. The bureau shall reimburse the Unorganized Territory Education and Services Fund for 50%100% of taxes lost by reason of the exemption.
Sec. NNNNN-4. Application. This Part applies to property taxes based on the status of property on or after April 1, 2014.
Sec. NNNNN-5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Homestead Property Tax Exemption Reimbursement 0886
 
Initiative: Provides funding to increase the exemption amount to $25,000 and provide 100% reimbursement to municipalities.

GENERAL FUND	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	$0	$74,971,000	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$0	$74,971,000	
 
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Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment increases the homestead property tax exemption from $10,000 to $25,000 and increases state reimbursement to municipalities for lost revenue from 50% to 100% and reduces amounts available for state-municipal revenue sharing to cover the cost of the reimbursement to municipalities.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)