An Act To Implement Organizational Improvements to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council (AFfER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 2114
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MITCHELL, WESTON
Amends: 3 MRSA §168-A, 3 MRSA §168

Legislative Document 
No. 2114 
S.P.856 
In Senate, April 26, 2006 
An Act To Implement Organizational Improvements to the 
Legislative Youth Advisory Council 
(AFfER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator MITCHELL of Kennebec. 
Cosponsored by Senator: WESTON of Waldo. 
Prilllt:J (m recyc led paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-I. 3 MRSA §168-A, sub-§12 is enacted to read: 
12. 
Solicitation of funds prohibited without prior written 
APproval. 
No public or private entity may solicit or receive 
funds from any source on behalf of or for the benefit of the 
council without prior written approval of the Legislative Council 
or its executive director. 
All such funds, if approved and when 
received 
by 
the 
requesting 
entity. 
must 
be 
immediately 
transferred in full to the Legislature and 
reserved by the 
Legislature for use by the council. 
Sec. A-2. PL 2005, c. 414, §§3 to 5 are repealed. 
Sec. A-3. Commissioner of Education to fund 2 public forums of the 
Legislative Youth Advisory Council during fiscal year 2006-07. 
The 
Commissioner 
of 
Education 
shall 
use 
funds 
received 
by 
the 
Department of Education to support the Task Force on Citizenship 
Education, established pursuant to Resolve 2003, chapter 143, to 
pay all costs associated with 2 statewide public forums to be 
held by the Legislative Youth Advisory Council established in the 
Maine Revised Statute, Title 3, section l68-A. 
Furthermore, the 
department 
shall 
reimburse 
the 
Legislature 
for 
Legislator 
expenses incurred in participating in the public forums. 
At the 
conclusion of the 
forums 
and payment of related costs, 
the 
department 
shall 
provide 
the 
Executive 
Director 
of 
the 
Legislative Council with a detailed financial accounting for all 
expenses incurred for each public forum, including the sources of 
the funding. 
The 2 public forums must be held between July 1, 2006 and 
November 30, 2006, in high schools north and south of Augusta and 
must be for the purpose of soliciting input, suggestions and 
ideas for enhanced 
c~v~c education in the State's secondary 
school system. 
The commissioner shall provide at least one staff 
person to attend each public forum and prepare written summaries 
of the meetings. 
The Legislative Council shall also provide a 
staff person to attend each public forum. 
These 2 public forums 
of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council constitute 2 of the 6 
annual meetings of the council authorized under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 3, section l68-A, subsection 1. 
The Legislative 
Youth Advisory Council must include a summary of those public 
forums, 
along with 
any 
recommendations 
resulting 
from 
those 
forums, 
in a 
report submitted to the Legislative Council by 
January 15, 2007. 
Page l-LR3287(l) 
Completion of 
the 
public 
forums 
required under this 
section and full payment by the department of all associated 
costs constitutes fulfillment of the duties of the department and 
the Legislative Youth Advisory 
Council pertaining to public 
forums required under Resolve 2003, chapter 143, Part A, sections 
and 3. 
PARTB 
Sec. B·l. 3 MRSA §168·A, sub-§I,~, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
20, Pt. F, §2, is further amended to read: 
E. 
Report 
aBB~ally 
biennially 
to 
the 
be9i81a~~~e 
Legislative Council on its activities by 
P:e81F~alFy-~-el 
eaeA-yealF December- 1st preceding each second regular seuion 
of 
the 
Legislature. 
The 
council 
may 
submit 
proposed 
legislation 
as 
part of 
its 
report 
to 
the 
be9i81a~~lFe 
Legislatiye Council to implement its recommendations. 
Sec. B·2. 3 MRSA §168·A, sub·§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
481, §1 and c. 689, Pt. 
B, §6, is repealed and the following 
enacted in its place: 
3. 
JIeIIlbershi,p. 
The council consists of 20 yoting members 
who are Maine residents and appointed in accordance with this 
subsection. 
In appointing members. 
the appointing authorities 
shall 
consider 
geographic 
distribution. 
All 
youth 
and 
legislatiye appointments must be made within 60 days after the 
conyening of each new Legislature. 
All appointments are for the 
duration of the legislatiye term for 
which the members 
are 
appointed and expire upon the conyening of the next Legislature. 
The appointing authorities shall select youth members from youths 
recommended by principals. guidance counselors or administratiye 
heads 
of 
secondary 
or 
postsecondary 
school 
systems. 
representatiyes 
of 
equiyalent 
instruction 
programs 
or 
other 
organizations haying an interest in youth actiyities. 
Members 
may be reappointed to subsequent terms on the council as long as 
they are eligible at the time of their reappointment. 
A. 
The President of the Senate shall appoint the following 
members: 
(1) 
Seyen youths who haye attained 16 years of age and 
who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary 
school 
diploma 
or 
certificate 
of 
attendance 
or 
a 
general 
equiYalency diploma. 
enrolled in equiYalent 
instruction programs 
under Title 20-A. 
chapter 211. 
subchapter I-A or enrolled at postsecondary educational 
institutions located in the State: 
(2) 
One youth who has attained 16 years of age and is 
enrolled in an equiyalent instruction program under 
Title 20-A. chapter 211. subchapter I-A: and 
(3) 
Two.members of the Senate. 
B. 
The Speaker of the House shall appoint the following 10 
members: 
(1) 
Seyen youths who haye attained 16 years of age and 
who are enrolled in programs that lead to a secondary 
school 
diploma 
or 
certificate 
of 
attendance 
or 
a 
general 
equiyalency diploma. 
enrolled in equiyalent 
instruction programs 
under Title 20-A. 
chapter 
211. 
subchapter I-A or enrolled at postsecondary educational 
institutions located in the State: 
(2) 
One youth who has attained 16 years of age and who 
is enrolled in an equiYalent instruction program under 
Title 20 A. chapter 211. subchapter 1 A: and 
(3) 
Two members of the House of Representatiyes. 
Sec. B-3. 3 MRSA §168-A, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by 
PL 2003, c. 481, §2, is amended to read: 
4. 
Chairs. 
There is a legislative chair and a youth chair 
of the council. 
The legislative chair alternates every 2 years 
between 
the 
first-appointed 
member 
of 
the 
House 
of 
Representatives and the first-appointed member of the Senate, 
beginning in 2003 with the first-appointed member of the House of 
Representatives serving as the legislative chair for the 121st 
Legislature. 
The members shall elect one of their youth members 
to serve as the youth chair for a-~eFm-ef-eRe-yeaF that biennium. 
Sec. B-4. 3 MRSA §168-A, sub-§S, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 
439, Pt. PPPP, §1 and affected by §4, is amended to read: 
5. 
Integration with learninq results. 
The Department of 
Education may seek the cooperation of the council shaU--w&FlE 
eeepeFa~4ye*y-wi~~~~~~~-ge~ea~ieR on the integration 
of council experience into the learning results standards in 
student service and career preparation. 
Sec. 
B-S. 
Transition 
provisions; 
youth 
appointments. 
Notwithstanding the provision of the Maine 
Revised Statutes, 
Title 3, 
section 168-A, 
subsection 3, 
youth members 
of the 
Legislative 
Youth 
Advisory 
Council 
established in the 
Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 168-A who were appointed to 
the council prior to the effective date of this Act for a term of 
years 
may 
serve 
for 
the 
entire 
period 
of 
that 
2-year 
appointment. 
SUMMARY 
Part 
A 
repeals 
a 
requirement 
that 
the 
Department 
of 
Education transfer $30,000 to the Legislature to fund certain 
activities of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council. 
In lieu of 
that transfer, this bill instead requires that the Department of 
Education use existing Other Special Revenue funds to pay for 2 
statewide public forums of the council between July 1, 2006 and 
November 30, 2006. 
Completion of the 2 public forums required in 
this bill and payment by the department of all associated costs 
constitute fulfillment of the duties of the department and the 
council pertaining to public forums required under Resolve 2003, 
chapter 143, Part A, 
sections 2 and 3. 
A summary of these 
forums, along with any recommendations from those forums, will be 
included in the council's report to the Legislature in January 
2007. 
Part A also adds a provision prohibiting any public or 
private 
entity 
from 
seeking 
any 
outside 
funds 
to 
support 
activities of the council without first obtaining the prior 
written approval from the Legislative Councilor its executive 
director. 
Part 
B simplifies the 
appointment process, 
changes 
the 
council's reporting requirements from an annual report to the 
full Legislature to a biennial report to the Legislative Council, 
changes the number of youth members on the council from 18 to 16, 
requires youth members to be at least 16 years of age at the time 
of appointment and requires that all youths 
and legislative 
members be appointed or reappointed at the start of each new 
Legislature. 
Transition provisions 
are 
included that 
allow 
current youth members to serve the full 2-year term for which 
they were appointed under the previous law. 
FISCAL :\O[E REQUIRLiJ 
(See attached) 
Approved: 04126/06 ~ac::. 
LD d.-II Lf 
LR 3287(01) 
An Act to Implement Organizational Improvements to the Legislative Youth Advisory Council 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Original Bill 
Sponsor: Senator Mitchell 
Committee: Not Referred 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
The Department of Education received funds totaling $103,125 to support the Task Force on Citizenship Education in 
fiscal years 2004-05 and 2005-06. Of that amount, $46,320 has been expended to-date, resulting in a remaing balance 
of $56,805. The Department has indicated that these funds will be sufficient to support the costs of the 2 statewide 
public forums to be held by the Youth Advisory Council by November 30, 2006. 
LR3287(l) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1