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LD 1575

An Act To Allow A Legislator To Choose To Be Paid On An Annual Basis

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bill Bridgeo and 5 co-sponsors

Allows legislators to choose annualized pay or lump-sum during session; timing changes but total compensation stays the same.

Signed by Governor
#legislators #legislature #salary
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Bill Summary · LD 1575

Summary — LD 1575: An Act To Allow A Legislator To Choose To Be Paid On An Annual Basis

Status: Signed by Governor (July 1, 2025)
Introduced: April 10, 2025
Committee: State and Local Government
Amendment adopted: Committee Amendment “A” (H‑563)
Primary subject: Legislators’ salary payment timing

Purpose

LD 1575 lets individual members of the Maine Legislature choose the timing of how they receive their legislative salary. It changes only the timing of pay, not the amount of compensation.

Key provisions

  • Gives each legislator an option to be paid either:
    • their entire legislative salary during the legislative session (current/lump‑session payment); or
    • roughly equal payments distributed over the course of the year (annualized pay).
  • The bill does not change salary rates or benefits; it alters when salary payments are disbursed.
  • (Implementation mechanics such as how/when a legislator elects the option, and whether the election is irrevocable for a session/year, are not detailed in the fiscal notes provided.)

Who is affected

  • All state legislators: each member may elect one of the two payment schedules.
  • State payroll administrators and the Legislature’s budget office, which must track elections and adjust payment schedules.
  • State fiscal management: timing of payroll expenses shifts across fiscal years depending on individual elections.

Fiscal impact

  • The fiscal notes (approved 06/02/25 and 06/09/25) identify a potential legislative cost related to timing shifts:
    • Legislators who elect annualized payments will shift some salary costs from one state fiscal year into the next.
    • That shift may create shortfalls in the subsequent fiscal year that must be covered by available balances.
    • Whether total costs change in a calendar year depends on changes in retiree health insurance rates and other payroll‑related costs that are calculated as a percentage of salary from one fiscal year to the next.
  • The fiscal notes do not project a specific dollar amount; they describe a potential requirement to use fund balances to manage timing differences.

Legislative timeline / procedural history (select)

  • 2025-04-10: Introduced; referred to State and Local Government Committee
  • 2025-05-12: Committee work session; committee voted OTP‑AM
  • 2025-06-09: Committee Amendment A (H‑563) adopted; bill passed to be engrossed
  • 2025-06-10 & 06-25: Passed to be enacted (concurrence)
  • 2025-07-01: Signed by Governor

Notes / implementation considerations

  • The law affects internal payroll scheduling and requires administrative procedures for legislators to make and notify their payment‑timing choice.
  • Because the fiscal notes focus on timing and contingent payroll costs, agencies should plan for possible year‑to‑year budgeting adjustments and use of balances to smooth cash flow.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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