Bill
LD 441
Shifts about $100,000 per year of Maine Deer Management Fund interest from the General Fund to Other Special Revenue Funds, starting in FY 2025-26.
LD 441 — An Act to Amend the Laws Regarding Fish and Wildlife
Overview
- Purpose: To revise certain provisions governing the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, with a focus on how interest earnings are allocated from the Maine Deer Management Fund.
- Status: Carried over in the same posture to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature (pursuant to Joint Order SP 800). Introduced February 4, 2025.
- Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
What the bill would do
- Interest allocation change for the Maine Deer Management Fund:
- Current law: Interest earned on balances in the Maine Deer Management Fund typically accrues to the General Fund.
- New proposal: Interest earned would be retained in the Maine Deer Management Fund (i.e., not deposited into the General Fund).
- Administrative effect: This shifts revenue from the General Fund to Other Special Revenue Funds.
- Financial effect: Based on historical and projected balances, the annual impact is estimated at about $100,000 per year beginning in FY 2025-26, with the General Fund decreasing by roughly $100,000 and Other Special Revenue Funds increasing by the same amount each year through at least FY 2028-29.
Fiscal impact (as reflected in the official fiscal notes)
- Preliminary note (Doc. 3): Early, concept-draft assessment with insufficient data; no fiscal note required at that stage.
- Final note (Doc. 4, amended version):
- Net cost/Savings: General Fund shows a recurring savings of about $100,000 per year.
- Revenue shifts: General Fund loses approximately $100,000 annually; Other Special Revenue Funds gain about $100,000 annually.
- Fiscal horizon: Projections cover FY 2025-26 through FY 2028-29, with the recurring annual impact of about $100,000.
- Fiscal notes indicate the bill does not create new program costs but redirects existing interest income.
Who is affected
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW): Implementation involves the Maine Deer Management Fund’s interest earnings.
- Maine Deer Management Fund: Interest earnings would be retained within the fund (increasing its balance of available funds).
- Maine General Fund: Reduction in interest revenue by about $100,000 annually.
- Other Special Revenue Funds: Increase of about $100,000 annually (to replace the General Fund shortfall resulting from the retained interest).
Key procedural and timeline notes
- Introduced: February 4, 2025
- Work sessions and committee action: Reported Out and amended via Committee Amendment "A" (H-478) in early June 2025; OTP-AM votes and passage events occur June 4–9, 2025.
- House/Senate actions: Passed to be enacted and sent for concurrence in June 2025; in concurrence, with preference for speedy enactment, and later carried over to the next session.
- Current posture: Carrying over to any special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature per Joint Order SP 800.
Summary impact
LD 441 makes a targeted change to where interest earned on the Maine Deer Management Fund is deposited, shifting approximately $100,000 annually from the General Fund to Other Special Revenue Funds starting in FY 2025-26. This is a technical budget adjustment that preserves fund earnings within the deer management program while altering general state revenue streams, without creating new program costs.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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