Resolve, To Establish the Task Force To Study Higher Education Attainment and Completion Goals
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0043
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: MILLETT, PIERCE, DILL, KATZ, LANGLEY, MAKER, VITELLI, DAUGHTRY, JORGENSEN, KORNFIELD

Legislative Document
No. 43
S.P. 23
In Senate, January 10, 2017
Resolve, To Establish the Task Force To Study Higher Education 
Attainment and Completion Goals
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MILLETT of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative PIERCE of Falmouth and
Senators: DILL of Penobscot, KATZ of Kennebec, LANGLEY of Hancock, MAKER of 
Washington, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representatives: DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, 
JORGENSEN of Portland, KORNFIELD of Bangor.
Sec. 1.  Statutory college attainment goal; task force.  Resolved:  That 
notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the Task Force To Study Higher Education Attainment 
and Completion Goals, referred to in this section as "the task force," is established to 
study college attainment and degree completion goals; and be it further 
Sec. 2.  Membership; chairs. Resolved:  That the task force consists of 17 
members as follows: 
1.  Six members appointed by the President of the Senate, including not more than 2 
members from the party holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature, as follows: 
A.  One member of the Senate who serves on the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs, who serves as a cochair of the task force; 
B.  One member of the Senate who serves on the Joint Standing Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs; 
C.  One member of the Senate who serves on the Joint Standing Committee on Labor, 
Commerce, Research and Economic Development; 
D.  One member who serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine Development 
Foundation; 
E.  One member who serves on the Board of Directors of Educate Maine; and 
F.  One member who serves on at least one of the Action and Policy Committees of 
the Maine School Management Association; 
2.  Seven members appointed by the Speaker of the House, including not more than 2 
members from the party holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature, as follows: 
A.  Two members of the House of Representatives who serve on the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, the first-named of whom serves as a 
cochair of the task force; 
B.  One member of the House of Representatives who serves on the Joint Standing 
Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs; 
C.  One member of the House of Representatives who serves on the Joint Standing 
Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development; 
D.  One member who serves on the Board of Directors for the Maine State Chamber 
of Commerce; 
E.  One member who serves on the Advisory Council of New Ventures Maine; and 
F.  One member who serves on the Board of Directors of the Maine Education 
Association; 
3.  The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee; 
4.  The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee; 
5.  The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the 
commissioner's designee; and 
6.  One public member appointed by the Governor; and be it further 
Sec. 3.  Appointments; convening of task force. Resolved:  That all 
appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this 
resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative 
Council once all appointments have been completed. Within 15 days after appointment of 
all members, the cochairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the task force, which 
must be no later than 30 days following the appointment of all members.  The task force 
may meet 5 times; and be it further 
Sec. 4.  Duties. Resolved:  That the study conducted by the task force must 
include, but is not limited to: 
1.  A review of the college completion findings and recommendations included in the 
December 2014 report submitted by the Commission To Study College Affordability and 
College Completion to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs, 
including the college attainment goals proposed to the commission by Educate Maine, the 
attainment goals established by the Lumina Foundation and the "40-40-20" aspirational 
goal for all levels of education established by the State of Oregon; 
2.  A review of the statewide postsecondary education attainment goals included in 
the December 2016 comprehensive statewide plan prepared by the Maine Development 
Foundation on behalf of the Project Management Team of Maine's Workforce and 
Education Coalition that includes the Maine Development Foundation's partnership with 
the Finance Authority of Maine, Educate Maine, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, 
the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System; 
3.  An examination and review of the secondary and postsecondary education 
attainment metrics contained within: 
A.  The Department of Education's Maine Statewide Longitudinal Data System 
developed pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6005; 
B.  The Department of Labor's Maine Workforce Data Quality Initiative; 
C.  Educate Maine's Education Indicators for Maine annual report; 
D.  The Maine Development Foundation's Measures of Growth annual report; and 
E.  The initiatives, research and data conducted and compiled by regional, national 
and state associations or agencies related to the establishment of postsecondary 
education attainment goals, as well as the review and monitoring of the 
postsecondary education attainment metrics related to the established goals; 
4.  A review of the initiatives proposed by the public and independent colleges and 
universities in the State as part of the March 2014 "Improving College Affordability and 
Completion in Maine" report submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Education 
and Cultural Affairs; 
5.  A discussion with the public and independent colleges and universities in the State 
to recognize the extent to which Maine's institutions of higher education may support 
proposed state policies and strategies to enable more college and university students to 
complete degree programs and certificate programs and graduate from Maine institutions 
of higher education; and 
6.  An analysis of other policies and strategies that a majority of the task force 
members agree to include in this study; and be it further 
Sec. 5.  Staff assistance. Resolved:  That the University of Maine System, the 
Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy shall provide 
necessary staffing services to the task force.  The Department of Education, the 
Department of Labor, the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College 
System, the Maine Maritime Academy and the Finance Authority of Maine shall provide 
the task force with access to any nonconfidential aggregate information in their student 
record databases for postsecondary education students in the State necessary to carry out 
the duties of the task force.  The Office of Policy and Legal Analysis shall provide 
drafting assistance to the task force; and be it further 
Sec. 6.  Report. Resolved:  That the task force shall submit a report containing its 
findings and recommendations, including any necessary implementing legislation, to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 15, 2017.  The 
findings and recommendations submitted by the task force must relate to at least the 
following proposals: 
1.  The development of policies and strategies to increase the graduation rate of 
students enrolled in state-supported public institutions of higher education; 
2.  The establishment of a statutory postsecondary education attainment goal for the 
proportion of the State's adult population holding an associate degree or baccalaureate 
degree that is not lower than 50% by 2025; 
3.  The establishment of a permanent commission to oversee the implementation of 
the structure and scope of the workforce development and postsecondary education 
attainment policies included in the findings, recommendations and proposed legislation in 
the task force's report; and 
4.  The development of annual or biennial review procedures to be conducted by the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and 
cultural affairs for monitoring the secondary and postsecondary education attainment 
metrics contained within the Department of Education's Maine Statewide Longitudinal 
Data System, the Department of Labor's Maine Workforce Data Quality Initiative, 
Educate Maine's Education Indicators for Maine annual report and the Maine 
Development Foundation's Measures of Growth annual report. 
The joint standing committee may submit a bill related to this report to the Second 
Regular Session of the 128th Legislature; and be it further 
Sec. 7.  Outside funding. Resolved:  That the task force shall seek outside 
funding to fully fund all costs of the task force and in accordance with the policy of the 
Legislative Council with regard to outside funding.  If sufficient outside funding has not 
been received by the task force by 30 days after the effective date of this resolve to fully 
fund all costs of the task force, no meetings are authorized and no expenses of any kind 
may be incurred or reimbursed. 
SUMMARY 
This resolve establishes the Task Force To Study Higher Education Attainment and 
Completion Goals.  The task force membership consists of Legislators, representatives of 
quasi-governmental and business entities, state agency commissioners and one member 
of the public.  The task force's duties include examination and review in the areas of 
college completion, statewide postsecondary education attainment goals and metrics, 
college affordability and completion initiatives and college and university support of state 
policies and strategies to enable college completion and support workforce development.  
The task force is required to submit a report containing its findings and recommendations, 
including any necessary implementing legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs by December 15, 2017.