RULEMAKING

Public Input for Rules Notices are published each Wednesday to alert the public regarding state agency rulemaking. You may obtain a copy of any rule by notifying the agency contact person. You may also comment on the rule, and/or attend the public hearing. If no hearing is scheduled, you may request one - the agency may then schedule a hearing, and must do so if 5 or more persons request it. If you are disabled or need special services to attend a hearing, please notify the agency contact person at least 7 days prior to it. Petitions: you can petition an agency to adopt, amend, or repeal any rule; the agency must provide you with petition forms, and must respond to your petition within 60 days. The agency must enter rulemaking if the petition is signed by 150 or more registered voters, and may begin rulemaking if there are fewer. You can also petition the Legislature to review a rule; the Executive Director of the Legislative Council (115 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333, phone (207) 287-1615) will provide you with the necessary petition forms. The appropriate legislative committee will review a rule upon receipt of a petition from 100 or more registered voters, or from "...any person who may be directly, substantially and adversely affected by the application of a rule..." (Title 5 §11112). WorldWide Web: Copies of the weekly notices and the full texts of adopted rule chapters may be found on the internet at: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules. There is also a list of rulemaking liaisons (http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/liaisons.html), who are single points of contact for each agency. NOTICE AGENCY: 29-250 - Department of Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions RULE TITLE OR SUBJECT: Request for Comments on the Maine Administrative Procedure Act (APA) CONCISE SUMMARY: By the end of January, 2021, the Secretary of State must file an annual report to the Governor and the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government on the Administrative Procedure Act. The purpose of this ad is to solicit, from state agencies and the public, recommendations for improvements to the rulemaking process. We will include a summary on these recommendations in the report. Please submit comments via email or U.S. postal. STATUTORY AUTHORITY: 5 MRS §8056-A PUBLIC HEARING: None DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS: January 25, 2021 AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Don Wismer, APA Coordinator, Department of Secretary of State, 101 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 624-7650. Fax: (207) 287-6545. Email: Don.Wismer@Maine.gov . WEBSITE: http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/index.html . PROPOSALS AGENCY: 01-015 - Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF), Maine Milk Commission (MMC) CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 3, Schedule of Minimum Prices, Order #02-21 TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2020-P243 BRIEF SUMMARY: The principal reason for this rule is the need to respond to Federal Order changes and to certain other conditions affecting prevailing Class I, II and III milk prices in Southern New England in accordance with 7 MRS §2954 PUBLIC HEARING: January 21, 2021, Thursday, starting at 4:00 p.m. Because of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and pursuant to 1 MRS §403-A, enacted by PL 2020 c. 617 part G (eff. Mar. 18, 2020), this hearing could be held remotely by telephonic conference. Directions on how to attend the hearing telephonically will be posted on the Milk Commission website and sent to the interested persons list in advance of January 21, 2021. If the civil emergency is not extended the meeting will be held in Room 101, Deering Building, Augusta, Maine. COMMENT DEADLINE: January 21, 2021 CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION / MLC RULEMAKING LIAISON: Tim Drake, Maine Milk Commission, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333. Telephone: (207) 287-7521. FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: None AGENCY: 18-125 - Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), Maine Revenue Services (MRS) CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 301, Sales for Resale and Sales of Packaging Materials TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2020-P244 BRIEF SUMMARY: Rule 301 establishes procedures for making sales for resale, certain sales to lessors and service providers, and sales of packaging materials without collecting sales tax, and sets forth requirements for certification of such sales. Rule 301 is being amended to reflect that MRS no longer issues a "provisional" resale certificate. Additionally, the language in the rule is clarified throughout to reflect that a sale for resale is not an "exemption," but rather an exclusion from retail sale, and therefore sales tax need not be collected on such sales, provided the selling retailer receives the appropriate documentation from the purchaser. PUBLIC HEARING: N/A COMMENT DEADLINE: February 9, 2021 CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION / MRS RULEMAKING LIAISON: Alex Weber, General Counsel, Maine Revenue Services, 24 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0024. Telephone: (207) 624-9712. Email: Alexander.J.Weber@Maine.gov . FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: N/A AGENCY: 18-125 - Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS), Maine Revenue Services (MRS) CHAPTER NUMBER AND TITLE: Ch. 302, Sales to Governmental Agencies and Exempt Organizations TYPE OF RULE: Routine Technical PROPOSED RULE NUMBER: 2020-P245 BRIEF SUMMARY: Rule 302 establishes administrative rules regarding tax-exempt sales and explains the circumstances under which a retailer or service provider will be relieved of its burden of proving that sales to an entity described in 36 MRS §§ 1760 or 2557, including an agency or instrumentality of the federal government or of the State of Maine, are exempt from Maine sales, use, or service provider tax. MRS is proposing to amend Rule 302 to specifically address the Bureau's authority to periodically review exemption certificates and revoke certificates if needed. PUBLIC HEARING: N/A COMMENT DEADLINE: February 9, 2021 CONTACT PERSON FOR THIS FILING / SMALL BUSINESS IMPACT INFORMATION / MRS RULEMAKING LIAISON: Alex Weber, General Counsel, Maine Revenue Services, 24 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0024. Telephone: (207) 624-9712. Email: Alexander.J.Weber@Maine.gov . FINANCIAL IMPACT ON MUNICIPALITIES OR COUNTIES: N/A ADOPTIONS Pursuant to Ch. 380 of the Public Laws of 2011, notice of the adoption of rules will no longer be published in the newspaper rulemaking notices; our Wednesday web notices will continue to carry them, however. Information on rules adopted through the Maine Administrative Procedure Act as well as the full text of adopted rules is available on the internet at http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules .