An Act to Allow a Legislator to Choose to Be Paid on an Annual Basis

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STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
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H.P. 1033 - L.D. 1575
An Act to Allow a Legislator to Choose to Be Paid on an Annual Basis
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §2, first ¶, as amended by PL 2023, c. 446, §1, is further amended
to read:
Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives, beginning with the first
Wednesday of December 2000 until the day before the first Wednesday of December 2024,
is entitled to $10,815 in the first year and $7,725 in the 2nd year of each biennium, except
that if a Legislator who is a recipient of retirement benefits from the federal Social Security
Administration files a written request with the Executive Director of the Legislative
Council within one week after the biennium commences, the Legislator is entitled to $9,270
in each year of the biennium. Beginning with the first Wednesday of December 2024, each
member of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to $25,000 in the first year
and $20,000 in the 2nd year of each biennium, except that if a Legislator who is a recipient
of retirement benefits from the federal Social Security Administration files a written
request with the Executive Director of the Legislative Council within one week after the
biennium commences, the Legislator is entitled to $22,500 in each year of the biennium.
Each member of the Senate and the House of Representatives must receive a cost-of-living
adjustment in annual legislative salary, except that the percentage increase may not exceed
5% in any year, and except that the percentage increase may not exceed 3% beginning with
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. Beginning December 1, 2001, the salary for each
legislative session must be adjusted each December 1st by the percentage change in the
Consumer Price Index for the most recently concluded fiscal year; except that a member of
the Senate or the House of Representatives may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in
annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature, and
except that a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives may not receive a cost-
of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the
125th Legislature and the First Regular Session and the Second Regular Session of the
126th Legislature, and any percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the fiscal
years ending June 30, 2011, June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 may not be applied to the
base salary. In addition, each Legislator is entitled to be paid mileage for travel at each
legislative session to and from that Legislator's place of abode at a rate of 55¢ per mile or
APPROVED
JULY 1, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
482
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR1256(03)
the federal standard mileage rate, whichever is lower, the mileage to be determined by the
most reasonable direct route, except that Legislators may be reimbursed for tolls paid for
travel on the Maine Turnpike as long as they have a receipt for payment of the tolls, such
tolls to be reimbursed when Legislators use the Maine Turnpike in traveling to and from
sessions of the Legislature or in performance of duly authorized committee assignments.
Each Legislator is entitled to mileage on the first day of the session, and those amounts of
salary and expenses at such times as the Legislature may determine during the session, and
the balance at the end of the session, except that, effective January 1, 2026, a Legislator
may choose to be paid the salary for each year of the biennium to which that Legislator is
entitled pursuant to this section in approximately equal payments over that corresponding
year of the biennium, and a Legislator who chooses this option must do so prior to the
beginning of each regular session.