An Act To Facilitate Veterans' and Their Spouses' Access to Employment, Education and Training
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1137
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: GRAHAM, CAIN, BEAUDOIN, BRIGGS, COTTA, FREDETTE, KNIGHT, NUTTING
Amends: 10 MRSA §8010, 20-A MRSA §10010

Legislative Document 
No. 1137 
H.P. 802 
House of Representatives, March 21, 2013 
An Act To Facilitate Veterans' and Their Spouses' Access to 
Employment, Education and Training 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative GRAHAM of North Yarmouth. 
Cosponsored by Senator CAIN of Penobscot and 
Representatives: BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BRIGGS of Mexico, COTTA of China, 
FREDETTE of Newport, KNIGHT of Livermore Falls, NUTTING of Oakland. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §8010 is enacted to read: 
§8010.  Veterans and military spouses 
By January 1, 2014, each board, commission and agency within the department listed 
in section 8001 or affiliated with the department under section 8001-A shall adopt a 
process to facilitate qualified returning military veterans and qualified spouses of 
returning military veterans or of active duty service members to qualify for professional 
licenses granted by those boards, commissions and agencies in an expeditious manner.  
Procedures adopted pursuant to this section supersede general licensing requirements of 
those boards, commissions and agencies.  For the purposes of this section, "returning 
military veteran" means a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been 
discharged from active duty within the previous 12 months.  The department shall adopt 
rules providing uniform standards for procedures that may be used by the boards, 
commissions and agencies to comply with this section, including the following options. 
1.  Endorsement.  The board, commission or agency may permit a returning military 
veteran or a spouse of a returning military veteran or of an active duty service member 
who holds a comparable license in another state to acquire a license by endorsement in 
this State for the remainder of the term of the license from the other state or until a license 
is obtained in this State. 
2.  Temporary license.  The board, commission or agency may permit a returning 
military veteran or a spouse of a returning military veteran or of an active duty service 
member who holds a comparable license in another state to obtain a temporary license in 
this State for a period of time necessary to obtain a license in this State. 
3.  Acceptance of military credentials.  The board, commission or agency shall 
permit a returning military veteran whose military training formed the basis for enabling 
the veteran to perform a function that requires a license in this State to acquire a 
temporary license until a license is obtained in this State. 
4.  Continuing education requirements.  The board, commission or agency may not 
require evidence of continuing education for initial relicensure of a returning military 
veteran or the spouse of a returning military veteran or of an active duty service member.  
Evidence of completion of continuing education requirements may be required for a 
subsequent license or renewal.  A board, commission or agency shall provide that 
continuing education requirements may be met by comparable military training or 
experience. 
Rules adopted under this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §10010, as amended by PL 2009, c. 463, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
§10010.  Veterans 
Regardless of the state of residence, a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United 
States using the benefits under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 
2008 must receive a waiver from the tuition that remains after the application of all 
payments from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, including payments under the 
Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program in the Post-9/11 Veterans 
Educational Assistance Act of 2008, and the application of other nonrepayable resources 
for which the veteran may be eligible.  The amount of the tuition waiver received by a 
veteran under this section may not exceed an amount that lowers the tuition to less than 
the in-state tuition charged by the institution.  This section applies to all veterans enrolled 
at any campus of the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System 
or Maine Maritime Academy in an undergraduate program of education.  A nonresident 
student entitled to a waiver under this section must be considered eligible for in-state 
tuition. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires each board, commission and agency under the oversight of or 
affiliated with the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to adopt a 
process to facilitate qualified returning military veterans and qualified spouses of 
returning military veterans or of active duty service members to qualify for professional 
licenses granted by those boards, commissions or agencies in an expeditious manner.  
The bill also provides that nonresident students receiving certain federal assistance with 
education costs for veterans must be considered eligible for in-state tuition for purposes 
of the state waiver.