An Act To Strengthen Certain Student Support Services within the Maine Community College System
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1030
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: NORTON, CAIN, GOLDMAN
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-G, 20-A MRSA §12731, 20-A MRSA §12732, 20-A MRSA §12733, 20-A MRSA §12734

Legislative Document 
No. 1030 
H.P.715 
House of Representatives, March 1,2005 
An Act To Strengthen Certain Student Support Services within the 
Maine Community College System 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative NORTON of Bangor. 
'111~ 1n.7l/P£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: CAIN of Orono, GOLDMAN of Cape Elizabeth. 
PrinteJ on rct,;ydeJ paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§26-A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
392, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §12731, as amended by PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. 
00, §2 and affected by §4, is further amended to read: 
§12731. Administration and purpose 
The Maine Community College System in cooperation with the 
Department of Education aBQ-tBe-~epa~tmeB~-eE-baBe~ is authorized 
to provide comprehensive administrative and financial services to 
the Maine 
Career 
Advantage 
program, 
a--BeBp~eEit--eeFpeFa~ieB 
e~~aBiseQ-~--tBe--~-e~--~&&-~~~-~~-~~-~e-~~i~-aB 
aQQitieBa±--~~~~-~~r--~B~e~~B--~--~~r~~--BetweeB 
B~siBess-aRQ-€B~£~~~e£7-~~-~i~~~~~~-aB4-Y~~B~-aa~±~6 
~e--~B~aiB-~~~-~~~-~-~-e£-~£€-~e~-~£aiBiB~--~RaE 
~~e~a~es-~heffi-B~~€£~~Y-~~-~~~~~~~~~ym&a~-eF-eeBt±B~ea 
eQ~ea~ieB to assist high school students in making a successful 
transition from secondary school to college and careers through a 
combination 
of 
s~holarships, 
college 
transition 
assistance 1 
career exploration and planning services ang internships. 
The 
se±e purpose of the Maine Career Advantage 
J2.LQ~, referred to 
in this 
chapter 
as 
"the 
program," 
is 
to 
assist 
the 
Maine 
Community College 
System, 
public secondary schools 
and other 
publicly supported educational institutions in the State hi by 
providing 
a--eemB±BaEieB--eE--aeaQem±e--±ea~BiB~--aBQ--SE~~e~~~ee 
we~*-BaSeQ--±ea~BiB~--a~--B~siBesses--iB--EBe-·-SEaEe--Ee--s~~aeBE6 
eB~e±±eQ-~~-~~-~emm~BiEy--G~~~~e-~~-~~£~~~~~€£7--p~B±±e 
seeeBaa~y--~l~--e~--~~---p~B±±e±y--~~~--ea~eaE±eBal 
±BSE±E~E±eB6 additional resources and support for students who 
have not traditionally gone on to higher education and who mgy 
need assistance in developing educational ang career goals and in 
pursuing those goals. 
The Maine Community College System is authorized to receive 
and 
administer 
on 
behalf 
of 
the 
program 
any 
grants, 
fees, 
charges, 
appropriations and other funds 
from whatever source. 
The program shall retain its name unless and until the Board of 
Trustees of 
the 
Maine 
Community College 
System authorizes 
a 
change in the program name. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §12732, sub-§I, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 
392, §2, is amended to read: 
1. 
Education and training. 
To provide 
a-£€~~eREia± higher 
education and training 
~~e~~am-~-ha-t--eBBaBees opportunities for 
youth in this State to become highly skilled and productive 
members of the work force; 
Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §12733, as amended by PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. 
00, §2 and affected by §4, is repealed and the following enacted 
in its place: 
§12733. 
Activities 
To 
assist 
the 
State 
in 
increasing 
higher 
education 
attainment and developing a skilled workforce, the program shall 
provide career and college transition services to young adults 
who are not currently enrolling in higher education and who could 
benefit :(rom enroLling in a 
community college. 
These services 
may 
include 
scholarships, 
internships 
and 
other 
work-based 
learning experiences; career exploration and planning; assistance 
in completing the community college application and financial aid 
p_rocessesj 
academic 
planning; 
and 
information 
related 
to 
continuing higher education beyond the certificate, diploma and 
~ssociate 
degree 
levels, 
consistent 
with 
the 
student's 
educational 
and 
career 
objectives. 
These 
services 
must 
be 
provided either directly by the program or through referrals to 
_Qt.her_J2£ograms an4 services available within the Maine Community 
College System or by other education and service providers. 
To 
;~2 
participate in any- of 
these 
services, 
young 
adults 
must 
be. 
enrolled in 
a 
public 
secondary 
school 
or 
a 
state 
community 
college or have recently completed a public secondary education 
QKQgram. 
The program shall provide those activities and services 
that. best serve the goals of the program as defined in this 
chapter and the needs of students and the State and that are 
consistent with the Maine Community College System's goals and 
resources. 
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §12734. as amended by PL 1995, c. 515, §3, 
is repealed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill eliminates the Skill Standards Board. 
This bill 
also amends the Maine Career Advantage Program by enhancing its 
services to better meet the 
intended to 
reach, 
those 
considered college bound. 
needs of the students the program was 
students that are not traditionally