LD 2245

APPROVED  CHAPTER
  APRIL 16, 2026  740
  BY GOVERNOR  PUBLIC LAW
  STATE OF MAINE
  _____
  IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
  _____
  H.P. 1523 - L.D. 2245
  An Act to Reauthorize Funding of Collective Bargaining Agreements with
  Executive Branch Employees
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
    Sec. 1. PL 2025, c. 492, §1 is amended to read:
    Sec. 1. Adjustment of salary schedules for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27.
The salary schedules for the executive branch employees in bargaining units represented
by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Maine State
Troopers Association, the Maine State Law Enforcement Association, the Maine Service
Employees Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and, except for the Maine Service
Employees Association, any other certified bargaining representative for an executive
branch bargaining unit must be adjusted consistent with the terms of any collective
bargaining agreements ratified by December 31, 2025.
    Sec. 2. PL 2025, c. 492, §7 is amended to read:
    Sec. 7. Costs to General Fund and Highway Fund. Costs to the General Fund
and Highway Fund must be provided wholly or in part through a transfer of Personal
Services appropriations within and between departments and agencies from the Salary Plan
program, General Fund account in the Department of Administrative and Financial
Services in an amount up to the full amount the Salary Plan program, General Fund account
has accrued as of the date an agreement is reached with the respective bargaining agents to
implement the economic terms of the most recent collective bargaining agreements, as
specified in sections 1, 2 and 3 of this Act, entered into by the State and the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Maine State Troopers
Association, the Maine State Law Enforcement Association, the Maine Service Employees
Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and, except for the Maine Service Employees
Association, any other certified bargaining representative for an executive branch
bargaining unit to provide equitable treatment of employees excluded from collective
bargaining pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 979-A, subsection 6,
paragraph F and, notwithstanding Title 26, section 979-D, subsection 1, paragraph E,
subparagraph (3), to implement equitable adjustments for confidential employees.
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   Sec. 3. Adjustment of salary schedules for fiscal year 2026-27; Maine
Service Employees Association. The salary schedules for the executive branch
employees in bargaining units represented by the Maine Service Employees Association
must be adjusted consistent with the terms of any collective bargaining agreements ratified
by December 1, 2026.
    Sec. 4. New, temporary and seasonal employees; similar and equitable
treatment. The Governor is authorized to grant similar and equitable treatment consistent
with this Act for employees in classifications included in bargaining units subject to
collective bargaining agreements described in section 6 of this Act who are excluded from
collective bargaining pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 979-A,
subsection 6, paragraph F.
    Sec. 5. Confidential employees; similar and equitable treatment. The
Governor is authorized to grant similar and equitable treatment consistent with this Act for
confidential employees. For the purposes of this section, "confidential employees" means
those employees within the executive branch, including probationary employees, who are
in positions excluded from collective bargaining units pursuant to the Maine Revised
Statutes, Title 26, section 979-A, subsection 6, paragraphs B, C, D, I and J.
    Sec. 6. Employee salaries subject to Governor's adjustment or approval.
The Governor is authorized to grant similar and equitable treatment consistent with this
Act for those unclassified employees whose salaries are subject to the Governor's
adjustment or approval.
     Sec. 7. Costs to General Fund and Highway Fund. Costs to the General Fund
and Highway Fund related to the collective bargaining agreements reached with the Maine
Service Employees Association must be provided wholly or in part through a transfer of
Personal Services appropriations within and between departments and agencies from the
balance in the Salary Plan program, General Fund account in the Department of
Administrative and Financial Services after consideration of the economic terms of the
most recent collective bargaining agreements as specified in section 3 of this Act and Public
Law 2025, chapter 492, sections 1 and 2, entered into by the State and the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Maine State Troopers
Association, the Maine State Law Enforcement Association, the Fraternal Order of Police
and any other certified bargaining representative for an executive branch bargaining unit to
provide equitable treatment of employees excluded from collective bargaining pursuant to
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 979-A, subsection 6, paragraph F and,
notwithstanding Title 26, section 979-D, subsection 1, paragraph E, subparagraph (3), to
implement equitable adjustments for confidential employees as well as consideration of
any other legislatively authorized uses of the Salary Plan program, General Fund account
in the Department of Administrative and Financial Services during this same timeframe.
   Sec. 8. Transfer of Personal Services appropriations between programs
and departments; General Fund. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title
5, section 1585 or any other provision of law to the contrary, available balances in the
General Fund for Personal Services in fiscal year 2025-26 and fiscal year 2026-27 may be
transferred by financial order between programs and departments within the General Fund
upon recommendation of the State Budget Officer and approval of the Governor to be used
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for costs associated with collective bargaining agreements for state employees, as specified
in section 3 of this Act.
    Sec. 9. Transfer from Salary Plan program and special account funding.
The Salary Plan program, General Fund account in the Department of Administrative and
Financial Services may be made available as needed in allotment by financial order upon
the recommendation of the State Budget Officer and approval of the Governor to be used
for the implementation of the collective bargaining agreements for state employees, as
specified in section 3 of this Act, and for other economic items contained in this Act in
fiscal year 2026-27. Positions supported from sources of funding other than the General
Fund and the Highway Fund must be funded from those other sources.
   Sec. 10. Transfer of Personal Services allocations between programs and
departments; Highway Fund. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5,
section 1585 or any other provision of law to the contrary, available balances in the
Highway Fund for Personal Services in fiscal year 2026-27 may be transferred by financial
order between programs and departments within the Highway Fund upon recommendation
of the State Budget Officer and approval of the Governor to be used for costs associated
with collective bargaining agreements for state employees, as specified in section 3 of this
Act.
   Sec. 11. Authorization for reimbursement of costs associated with contract
resolution. The Department of Administrative and Financial Services may be reimbursed
from the Salary Plan program, General Fund account in the Department of Administrative
and Financial Services for the costs of contract resolution, administration and
implementation and other costs required by the process of collective bargaining and
negotiation procedures.
   Sec. 12. Retroactivity. Those sections of this Act that amend Public Law 2025,
chapter 492 apply retroactively to September 24, 2025.
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