Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶N, as amended by PL 1997, c. 393, Pt. B, §4, is further amended to read:

N. Coordinate the development of solid waste management policy including:

(1) Collecting and analyzing solid waste management and recycling data from all available sources including commercial and municipal entities;

(2) Preparing a solid waste management and recycling plan to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 1998 and every 5 years thereafter; and

(3) Providing technical and financial assistance to municipalities in waste reduction and recycling activities; and

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶O, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 625, Pt. A, §10, is amended to read:

O. Own, design, develop or operate, or contract with private parties to operate, a solid waste disposal facility, as provided in Title 38, chapter 24, subchapter IV. 4; and

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶P is enacted to read:

P.__Collect all municipal and county spending data.__The State Planning Office shall adopt rules requiring municipalities and counties to submit spending data in uniform formats approved by the United States Census Bureau.__ Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Sec. 4. Selling of spending data; review. By January 1, 2006, the Executive Department, State Planning Office shall review the option of selling the data collected pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 3305, subsection 1, paragraph P to federal agencies, including the United States Census Bureau, and other state agencies and report its findings on this matter to the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government.