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Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency preamble (page 1, lines 1 to 8 in L.D.).
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §10124  is enacted to read:
§ 10124. Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund
 
1.  Fund established.     The Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established. The fund is a nonlapsing fund administered by the trust in accordance with this section. Any interest earned on funds in the fund must be credited to the fund, and funds not spent in any fiscal year remain in the fund to be used in accordance with this section. The trust receives and deposits in the fund funds from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund, established in Title 12, section 1849, subsection 2.
 
2.  Funding source.     All money deposited in the fund must be used for investments in affordable measures that reduce residential heating costs for individuals eligible for the Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The affordable measures must be consistent with the measures that lower residential heating demand in section 10109, subsection 4, paragraph A. If the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry determines that the transfer of funds will not significantly impair management of public lands, the Treasurer of State shall transfer funds from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund, established in Title 12, section 1849, subsection 2, to the fund in accordance with this subsection.
 
A.  On September 1, 2014, the Treasurer of State shall transfer $500,000 from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund to the fund.
 
B.  On July 1, 2015 and on July 1st of each year thereafter, the Treasurer of State shall transfer from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund to the fund:
 
(1) If more than 170,000 cords of wood were harvested from the public reserved lands during the prior fiscal year, $1,250,000; or
 
(2) If 170,000 cords of wood or less were harvested from the public reserved lands during the prior fiscal year, $1,000,000.
 
For purposes of this paragraph, "cord" has the same meaning as in Title 10, section 2302, subsection 1.
 
3.  Rulemaking.     The board may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
EFFICIENCY MAINE TRUST
 
Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund N180
 
Initiative: Provides an allocation of $500 in fiscal year 2014-15 to establish the new Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund within the Efficiency Maine Trust to be used for investments in affordable measures reducing residential heating costs for persons eligible for the federal Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	$0	$500	
			
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$0	$500	
 
’
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency clause.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report, renames the Affordable Heating from Maine's Forests Fund established in the bill the Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund. The amendment provides that the fund administered by the Efficiency Maine Trust must be used for investments in affordable measures that reduce residential heating costs for individuals eligible for the federal Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program. The amendment also provides that the Treasurer of State is required to transfer funds from the Public Reserved Lands Management Fund to the Low-income Affordable Heating Assistance from Maine's Forests Fund, but only if the Director of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry determines that the transfer of funds will not significantly impair management of public lands. The amendment also provides that the transfer of funds will begin September 1, 2014 rather than March 1, 2014. The amendment also removes the emergency preamble and the emergency clause. The amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)