An Act To Add An Inflation Adjustment To The Maximum Amount Of Funding Disbursed From The Maine Ground And Surface Waters Clean-Up And Response Fund For Certain Personal Services Of The Department Of Environmental Protection

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Anne Carney

Adds annual inflation adjustments to the maximum disbursement from the Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean-Up and Response Fund for certain DEP personal services, tied to CPI.

Signed by Governor

#administration #environmentalprotectiondept #groundwaterfund

Summary — LD 26 (132nd Maine Legislature)

Title: An Act To Add An Inflation Adjustment To The Maximum Amount Of Funding Disbursed From The Maine Ground And Surface Waters Clean‑Up And Response Fund For Certain Personal Services Of The Department Of Environmental Protection

Status: Signed by the Governor (May 23, 2025)
Introduced: January 8, 2025 | Sponsor: Sen. Carney of Cumberland
Committee: Environment and Natural Resources (OTP‑AM recommended)
Fiscal note approved: Feb 7, 2025 and May 14, 2025

Purpose

The bill adds an annual inflation adjustment to the statutory maximum amount that may be disbursed from the Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean‑Up and Response Fund for certain personal services of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The adjustment is tied to changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Key provisions

Authorizes the annual maximum disbursement amount from the Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean‑Up and Response Fund for specified DEP personal services to be increased each year based on the Consumer Price Index.

Does not specify a fixed dollar increase; instead ties the allowable limit to CPI movements so the limit changes automatically with inflation.

Applies only to the subset of DEP expenditures identified in current law as payable from that cleanup and response fund (described in the underlying statute as "certain personal services").

Fiscal and operational impact

The official fiscal notes classify the result as a "future biennium cost increase" to Other Special Revenue Funds (i.e., the Ground and Surface Waters Clean‑Up and Response Fund).

No specific dollar amounts are provided in the fiscal notes; actual additional disbursements will depend on future CPI changes and the fund’s receipts/availability.

Expected effects include preserving the purchasing power of the fund for personnel costs over time and enabling the DEP to adjust staffing‑related expenditures for inflation. Conversely, automatic increases could accelerate drawdown of the fund unless revenues keep pace.

Who is affected

Department of Environmental Protection — greater flexibility to fund certain personal services at levels that track inflation.

Maine Ground and Surface Waters Clean‑Up and Response Fund — potential for increased annual disbursements.

Indirectly affected stakeholders include entities and projects funded by the fund (cleanup/response activities) and potentially the broader state budgeting picture if fund balances decline.

Legislative timeline / procedural notes

Referred to Environment & Natural Resources (Jan 6/8, 2025).

Work session and OTP‑AM vote (Jan 27, 2025). Committee Amendment A (S‑64) adopted.

Passed both chambers (May 13–21, 2025) and sent for concurrence.

Signed by the Governor on May 23, 2025 — enacted.

If you want, I can draft a short explainer comparing this CPI linkage to other Maine statutes that use inflation adjustments, or outline likely scenarios for fund balances under different CPI trajectories.