An Act To Establish a Community College System in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0597
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: BRENNAN, CUMMINGS, BROMLEY, DAGGETT, DOUGLASS, EDMONDS, STRIMLING, DUDLEY, MURPHY, NORBERT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §12701, 20-A MRSA §12702

Legislative Document 
No. 597 
S.P.206 
In Senate, February 11, 2003 
An Act To Establish a Community College System in Maine 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator BRENNAN of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative CUMMINGS of Portland and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BROMLEY of Cumberland, President DAGGETT of Kennebec, DOUGLASS of 
Androscoggin, EDMONDS of Cumberland, STRIMLING of Cumberland, Representatives: 
DUDLEY of Portland, MURPHY of Kennebunk, NORBERT of Portland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA c. 431 is amended by repealing the chapter 
headnote and enacting the following in its place: 
CHAPTER 431 
MAINE CCHruHITY COLLEGE SYSTEM 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §12701. as amended by PL 1989, c. 878, Pt. 
I, §§1 and 2, is further amended to read: 
§12701. Definitions 
As 
used 
in this 
chapter, 
unless 
the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. 
1. 
Administrative council. "Administrative council" means 
the 
administrative 
council 
of 
the 
system 
as 
established 
in 
section 12713. 
2. 
Board of trustees. "Board of trustees" means the board 
of trustees of the system. 
3. 
President. 
"President" 
means 
the 
president 
of 
a 
~eehBieal community COllege. 
4. 
President of the system. "President of the system" means 
the President of the Maine ~eehBieal Community College System. 
5. 
College. 
"College" means a 
~eehBieal community college 
as established in section 12714. 
6. 
System. 
"System" means the Maine 
~eehBieal Community 
College System. 
7. 
Community 
president 
staff, as 
Maine Community College System Office. 
"Maine ~eelmieal 
College 
System 
Office" 
means 
the 
office 
of 
the 
of the system, together with the offices of supporting 
established in section 12710. 
Sec .. 3. 20-A MRSA §12702. as amended by PL 1989, c. 443, §34, 
is further amended to read: 
§12702. System established 
There is established the Maine 
~eehBieal Community College 
SystemL 
which 
sha~~--ge is a body corporate and politic and a 
public instrumentality of the State and the exercise of the 
powers conferred by this chapter sRall-Be are deemed and held to 
Page l-LR0069 (1) 
be 
the 
performance of essential governmental 
functions. 
The 
system 
sRa±±--eeBsis~ consists of the board of trustees, 
the 
~eeRaiea± Community 
College Support Office 
and 
the 
~eeRaiea± 
community colleges. 
Sec. 4. 20·A MRSA §12710, as amended by PL 1989, c. 443, §46, 
is further amended to read: 
§12710. Maine Community College System Office 
The Maine 
~eeRaiea± Community College System Office shall 
implement the policies of the board of trustees and shall provide 
staff and technical assistance to each college and state-level 
coordination and leadership to the system. 
Sec. 5. Maine Revised Statutes amended; revision clause. 
Wherever 
in the Maine Revised Statutes the words "Maine Technical College 
System" or "technical college system" appear or reference is made 
to that entity or those words, they are amended to read and mean 
"Maine Community College System" or "community college system." 
Sec. 
6. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
MAINE TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM, 
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE 
Maine Technical College System/ 
Board of Trustees of the 
The 
following 
Ini tiative: 
Provides funds for additional faculty and equipment 
necessary to support an increase in the annual enrollment of the 
colleges by 4,000 students and to accomplish the transition from 
a technical college system to a community college system. 
General Fund 
All Other 
General Fund Total 
MAINE TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM, 
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
2003-04 
$4,000,000 
$4,000,000 
2003-04 
$4,000,000 
$4,000,000 
2003-04 
2004-05 
$6,300,000 
$6,300,000 
2004-05 
$6,300,000 
$6,300,000 
2004-05 
GENERAL FUND 
$4,000,000 
$6,300,000 
SECTIOH TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
$4,000,000 
$6,300,000 
SUMMARY 
This bill transforms the Maine Technical College System into 
the Maine Community College System and provides funds necessary 
to support the transition to a 
comprehensive community college 
system. 
..