An Act To Address Maine's Immediate Workforce Needs
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1489
Committee Amendment CA_A_S194 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDlvlENT "A" to S.P. 554, L.D. 1489, Bill, "An Act To 
Address Maine's Immediate Workforce Needs" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRS A c. 383, sub-c. 2, art. 2-C is enacted to read: 
ARTICLE 2-C 
MAINE WORKFORCE OPPORTUNITIES PROGRAM 
§13063-R. Maine WorkforcE: Opportunities Program 
1. Definitions. As used in this article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following tenns have the foll01m.ng meanings. 
A. "Departments" means the Department of Economic and Community Development 
and the Department of Labor. 
B. "Fund" means the Maine Workforce Opportunities Marketing Fund established in 
subsection 5. 
C. "Program" means the Maine Workforce Opportunities Program established in 
subsection 2. 
D. "Qualified employee" means an employee qualified to participate in the program 
and listed in the qualified employee registry created pursuant to subsection 3. 
E. "Qualified employee registly" means the electronic registry that contains a list of 
qualified employees created pursuant to subsection 3. 
F. "Qualified employer" means an employer who has registered with the program in 
accordance with rules adopted under subsection 4. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 554, L.D. 1489 
G. "Qualified employer registry" means the electronic registry that contains a list of 
qualified employers created pursuant to subsection 4. 
2. 
Program established. 
The Maine Workforce Opportunities Program is 
established as a pilot project that seeks to match qualified employees with positions at 
companies in the State representing industries with significant unmet demand for skilled 
labor by promoting incentives, including a tax credit for an employee's education costs, 
when applicable, through the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program 
established in Title 20-A, section 12542 and through other programs or initiatives 
operated by the State that seek to attract new employees to businesses in this State. The 
program is designed to achieve the following goals: 
A. Promote economic opportunity and growth by providing an incentive to those 
individuals with certain skills and experience in occupations when there exists a 
demonstrable gap between the number of available jobs requiring those skills and 
experience and a smaller number of individuals willing and able to accept and 
succeed in those jobs; 
B. 
Assist businesses by providing them with a registry of skilled and available 
individuals; 
C. 
Offer incentives to individuals to pursue educational, training and retraining 
opportunities; 
D. Keep individuals in the State through education tax credits and the opportunity to 
secure jobs in industries with significant demand; and 
E. Provide immediate support for economic development in the State during a period 
during which comprehensive long-term workforce development solutions are 
implemented. 
3. Creation of qualified employee registry. Working with the Maine Community 
College System, the University of Maine System, career centers, private postsecondary 
educational institutions, relevant trade associations and other entities as appropriate, the 
Department of Labor, in accordance with rules adopted by the departments, shall create 
an electronic registry of qualified employees. 
The Department of Economic and Community Development shall manage the qualified 
employee registry and shall coordinate with the Department of Labor when supplying 
information from the qualified employee registry to qualified employers. 
4. 
Creation of qualified employer registry. 
Working with employers, the 
Department of Labor, the Maine Community College System. the University of Maine 
System, private postsecondary educational institutions, relevant trade associations and 
other entities as appropriate, the Department of Economic and Community Development, 
in accordance with rules adopted by the departments, shall create an electronic registry of 
qualified employers. 
The Department of Economic and Community Development shall manage the qualified 
employer registry and shall coordinate with the Department of Labor when supplying 
information from the qualified employer registry to qualified employees. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 554, L.D. 1489 
5. 
Fund established. 
The Maine Workforce Opportunities Marketing Fund is 
established to receive contributions from public and private entities. 
A. Payments from the fund must be used solely for the purpose of financing the 
marketing and promotion of the program to prospective employees, employers and 
tourists visiting this State and to a national and international audience. 
B. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall administer 
the fund. The commissioner may adopt routine technical rules, as defined in chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A, to implement this subsection. 
6. Eligibility limited. A qualified employee becomes ineligible for the program if: 
A. The qualified employee leaves the emplovrnent of the qualified employer first 
employing the qualified employee; 
B. 
The qualified employee is employed in a different position with a qualified 
employer; or 
C. The qualified employee's qualified employer opts out of the program. 
7. Monitoring, evaluation and annual report. For any year in which the program 
is funded, the departments shall use an independent nonpartisan reviewer to complete a 
comprehensive evaluation of the program, using both quantitative and qualitative data 
and including an analysis of the return on investment of the program. The evaluation 
must consider, at a minimum, the effectiveness of education tax credits as a catalyst for 
employment, the effect on employee productivity and performance and the impact on the 
demand for skilled workers in industries in the State. The evaluation must measure the 
results of the program over time, including a longitudinal analysis that captures 
productivity and other outcomes related to the program and a determination of the impact 
on the addition of net new jobs to the State. The departments shall jointly submit a report 
to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters 
by February 1st of each year on the status of the program and on the evaluation data 
collected and analyzed. 
8. Rules. The departmems shall adopt rules to implement this article. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
9. Insufficient funding. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if the 
State does not receive sufficient funds to fund this program or if funds are deappropriated 
so as to result in insufficient fUnding, the State is not obligated to make payments under 
this program. 
10. Repeal. This section IS repealed March 31, 2021. 
Sec. 2. Marketing of Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity 
Program; report. The Department of Economic and Community Development shall 
be the lead state agency in marketing to employers and employees the Job Creation 
Through Educational Opportunity Program established in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 20-A, section 12542, as well as any other program or initiative funded in whole or in 
part by the State that provides incentives to attract new employees to businesses in 
Maine. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall report on 
COMMJ'TTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'An to S.P. 554, L.D. 1489 
the results of the marketing efforts required by this section by January 15, 2014 to the 
Joint Select Committee on Maine's Workforce and Economic Future and the Joint 
Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development. 
Separately, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall study 
what the effect would be of including reimbursement of a qualified employee's housing 
costs as an incentive through the Maine Workforce Opportunities Program established in 
Title 5, chapter 383, subchapter 2, article 2-C. The commissioner shall report to the joint 
select committee the results of this analysis and assessment by January 15,2014. 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Electronic Monitoring Fund - State Board of Corrections N160 
Initiative: Provides funds to create and maintain qualified employee and employer 
registries and to market the Job Creation Through Educational Opportunity Program. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and does the following: 
2013-14 
$175,000 
$175,000 
2014-15 
$50,000 
$50,000 
1. It changes the name of the program created under the bill from the Maine Skills 
Gap Program to the Maine Workforce Opportunities Program; 
2. 
It requires the Department of Economic and Community Development, in 
coordination with the Department of Labor, to create and maintain qualified employee 
and employer registries; 
3. 
It charges the Department of Economic and Community Development with 
leading the marketing efforts to employers and employees of the Job Creation Through 
Educational Opportunity Program, as well as all other existing incentive programs that 
are aimed at attracting new employees to Maine businesses; 
4. It requires the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to report 
to the Joint Select Committee on Maine's Workforce and Economic Future and the Joint 
Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development on the 
results of the marketing effort no later than January 15, 2014. 
It also requires the 
commissioner to study what the effect would be of including reimbursement of a 
qualified employee's housing costs as an incentive; and 
5. It adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/30/13 hac.. 
LD 1489 
LR493(02) 
An Act To Addres~~ Maine's Immediate Workforce Needs 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '.!\ . .'(S-lqL\-) 
Committee: Maine's Workforce and Economic Future 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
$175,000 
$50,000 
$175,000 
$50,000 
Projections 
FY 2015-16 
$50,000 
$50,000 
Projections 
FY 2016-17 
$50,000 
$50,000 
This bill includes a General Fund appropriation of$175,000 in fiscal year 2013-14 and ongoing appropriations of 
$50,000 beginning in fiscal year 2014-15 to the :\1aine Workforce Opportunities Marketing Fund established within 
the Department of Economic and Community D'~velopment for the costs associated with establishing and maintaining 
the qualified employee and qualified employer r,~gistries and for marketing the Jobs Creation through Educational 
Opportunity Program through March 31, 2021. 
Additional costs to the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Department of 
Labor can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0493(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1