A Waterville legislator is proposing a $10 million bond to help physicians meet a federal mandate to switch to electronic records by 2015.

Sen. Lisa Marrache, D-Waterville, has proposed the bond to establish a low-interest loan fund to help pay for the transition, according to Capitol News Service. Marrache said the federal government has done little to help pay for the electronic records switchover, and has instituted annual penalties after 2015 for doctors who have not made the transition that increase every year by a percentage point. Electronic medical records have been touted by experts as a way to save money and provide better patient care.

But the proposal has been met with opposition from Republicans. House Republican floor leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport, says his party will not support any bond initiatives this year. "If it's a good idea now, it can certainly be a good idea next January with the next governor and the next Legislature taking a look at what we should be responsibly borrowing for," he told the news service.