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131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2023
Legislative Document No. 1155H.P. 727House of Representatives, March 14, 2023
An Act to Address Legislative Salaries
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WOODSOME of Waterboro.
Cosponsored by Representatives: BRIDGEO of Augusta, MOONEN of Portland, OSHER of
Orono, TERRY of Gorham, Senator BRENNER of Cumberland and
Representatives: FREDERICKS of Sanford, LANIGAN of Sanford, SAMPSON of Alfred. Page 1 - 131LR1149(01)
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2 as amended by PL 2023, c. 2, §2, is further amended
3 to read:
4 Each member of the Senate and House of Representatives, beginning with the first
5 Wednesday of December 2000 and thereafter until the day before the first Wednesday of
6 December 2024, is entitled to $10,815 in the first year and $7,725 in the 2nd year of each
7 biennium, except that if a Legislator who is a recipient of retirement benefits from the
8 federal Social Security Administration files a written request with the Executive Director
9 of the Legislative Council within one week after the biennium commences, the Legislator
10 is entitled to $9,270 in each year of the biennium. Beginning with the first Wednesday of
11 December 2024, each member of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to
12 $25,000 in the first year and $20,000 in the 2nd year of each biennium, except that if a
13 Legislator who is a recipient of retirement benefits from the federal Social Security
14 Administration files a written request with the Executive Director of the Legislative
15 Council within one week after the biennium commences, the Legislator is entitled to
16 $22,500 in each year of the biennium. Each member of the Senate and the House of
17 Representatives must receive a cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary,
18 except that the percentage increase may not exceed 5% in any year, and except that the
19 percentage increase may not exceed 3% beginning with the fiscal year ending June 30,
20 2014. Beginning December 1, 2001, the salary for each legislative session must be adjusted
21 each December 1st by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the most
22 recently concluded fiscal year; except that a member of the Senate or the House of
23 Representatives may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in annual legislative salary for
24 the Second Regular Session of the 124th Legislature, and except that a member of the
25 Senate or the House of Representatives may not receive a cost-of-living adjustment in
26 annual legislative salary for the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature and the
27 First Regular Session and the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature, and any
28 percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2011,
29 June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 may not be applied to the base salary. In addition, each
30 Legislator is entitled to be paid mileage for travel at each legislative session to and from
31 that Legislator's place of abode at a rate of 55¢ per mile or the federal standard mileage
32 rate, whichever is lower, the mileage to be determined by the most reasonable direct route,
33 except that Legislators may be reimbursed for tolls paid for travel on the Maine Turnpike
34 as long as they have a receipt for payment of the tolls, such tolls to be reimbursed when
35 Legislators use the Maine Turnpike in traveling to and from sessions of the Legislature or
36 in performance of duly authorized committee assignments. Each Legislator is entitled to
37 mileage on the first day of the session, and those amounts of salary and expenses at such
38 times as the Legislature may determine during the session, and the balance at the end of the
39 session.
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41 This bill, starting with the 132nd Legislature, increases the salary of Legislators to
42 $25,000 in the first year of each biennium and to $20,000 in the 2nd year of each biennium.
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