An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee To Develop a Long-range Strategic Plan for Economic Improvement in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0367
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Amends: 10 MRSA §929-A, 10 MRSA §929-B, 10 MRSA §929-C, 10 MRSA §929-D, 10 MRSA §929-E, 12 MRSA §8876

Legislative Document
No. 367
H.P. 273
House of Representatives, February 2, 2017
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government 
Oversight Committee To Develop a Long-range Strategic Plan for 
Economic Improvement in the State
Reported by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford for the Government Oversight 
Committee pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 997, subsection 2.
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  10 MRSA §929-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. MMM, §1, 
is amended to read: 
1.  The Maine Economic Growth Council; establishment.  The Maine Economic 
Growth Council, referred to in this section and section 929-B chapter as "the council," is 
established to develop, maintain and evaluate a long-term long-range economic plan for 
the State. 
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §929-B, as amended by PL 1999, c. 272, §3, is repealed. 
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §929-C, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 420, §6, is repealed. 
Sec. 4.  10 MRSA §929-D is enacted to read: 
§929-D.  Powers and duties 
1.  Develop and maintain a long-range strategic plan for the State's economy.  
By December 31, 2018, the council shall develop a long-range strategic economic 
improvement plan for a sustainable state economy in accordance with this subsection.  
The plan must be sufficiently broad in scope to address relevant state, national and 
international economic, financial, demographic, natural resources and infrastructure 
factors.  The council shall update the plan by December 31, 2020 and every 4 years 
thereafter.  Plan updates may include, but are not limited to, adjustments to objectives, 
action items, timelines or benchmarks in response to changing economic conditions and 
market trends and taking into account current progress on planned efforts.  The council 
shall complete a full review and revision of the plan by December 31, 2022 and every 4 
years thereafter.  Plan revisions may include, but are not limited to, reconsideration and 
revision of the State's overall long-range economic improvement strategy and related 
goals. 
A.  In developing and revising the plan, the council shall: 
(1)  Employ a continuous process with a 5-year to 10-year planning horizon; 
(2)  Include consideration of: 
(a)  The types of industries and jobs with significant growth potential in the 
State; 
(b)  The State's evolving industrial base; 
(c)  The dynamic regional, national and international markets and Maine’s 
comparative, competitive and absolute advantages; 
(d)  Other relevant studies and evaluations in the private and public sectors 
regarding the long-term economic growth of the State; 
(e)  The quantity and quality of the State's workforce; 
(f)  Discrepancies in challenges and opportunities among different regions in 
the State; 
(g)  Opportunities and challenges for small businesses; and 
(h)  Maximizing the return on investment in the State; 
(3)  Use a public and private partnership approach that is objective and 
nonpartisan with appointment of working groups and advisory committees as 
necessary to represent stakeholders; and 
(4)  Use a transparent public process that allows for public input as appropriate. 
B.  The plan must consist of: 
(1)  Goals and objectives for the long-term economic improvement of the State 
that support a high quality of life for all people in the State; 
(2)  Specific, quantifiable and measurable benchmarks against which progress 
toward accomplishing the goals and objectives of the plan can be measured; 
(3)  Strategies to accomplish the benchmarks based upon the best practices in this 
State, other states and other countries; and 
(4)  Recommendations with respect to allocation of resources. 
2.  Monitor progress.  The council shall regularly assess progress toward 
achievement of the strategic plan goals, objectives and benchmarks and produce a written 
progress report by December 31, 2020 and every 2 years thereafter. 
3.  Submit and present plans and reports.  The council shall: 
A.  Submit the strategic plan, progress reports, updated plans and revised plans 
developed pursuant to subsections 1 and 2 in writing to the Governor and Legislature 
by the dates set forth in subsections 1 and 2.  The council may distribute the plans 
and reports to those additional entities it considers appropriate, including state and 
quasi-state agencies, public institutions of higher education in the State, regional 
economic development agencies and other stakeholders; and 
B.  By January 31, 2019, present the initial strategic plan developed pursuant to 
subsection 1 in public meetings to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs, the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce and economic 
development matters and other joint standing committees whose policy areas are 
captured in key components of the plan.  Annually thereafter, the council shall brief 
these committees on the current status of the plan, including presentation of any 
progress reports, updated plans or revised plans required by paragraph A. 
4.  Fiscal agent.  The Department of Economic and Community Development shall 
serve as the council's fiscal agent providing regular financial reports to the council on 
funds received and expended and an annual audit.  The council shall seek funds and 
accept gifts, if necessary, to support the council's objectives. 
5.  Staff support.  The council shall contract with the Maine Development 
Foundation for project management, contracted services and staff support for carrying out 
the purposes of this section. 
Sec. 5.  10 MRSA §929-E is enacted to read: 
§929-E.  Strategic plan implementation 
1.  Consideration of strategic plan.  The Governor, the Legislature and agencies 
receiving the initial strategic plan, progress reports and updated and revised plans 
pursuant to section 929-D, subsection 3, paragraph A shall consider the goals, objectives, 
benchmarks and recommendations contained in the plans and reports when planning, 
administering and budgeting resources for programs and activities intended to, or with the 
potential to, affect the State's economy. 
2.  Progress reports.  To assist the council in preparing the progress reports pursuant 
to section 929-D, subsection 2, state agencies with responsibilities, programs or activities 
relevant to the plan's goals, objectives and benchmarks shall provide information 
requested by the council. 
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §8876, last ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 720, §9 and PL 2011, 
c. 657, Pt. W, §7 and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §23, is further amended to read: 
The director shall coordinate the efforts of this program fully with ongoing bureau 
and federal forestry program planning efforts and with the efforts of the Maine Economic 
Growth Council to develop a long-term long-range plan for the State's economy pursuant 
to Title 10, section 929-B 929-D. 
Sec. 7.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF 
Maine Economic Growth Council 0727 
Initiative:  Provides one-time funds for the initial development of a strategic long-range 
economic plan for the State.  Funds appropriated for this purpose may not lapse but must 
be carried forward to be used to complete the development of the strategic economic plan 
authorized by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 929-D. 
Maine Economic Growth Council 0727 
Initiative:  Provides funds for the ongoing costs of monitoring, assessing and revising the 
strategic long-range economic plan for the State.  Funds appropriated for this purpose 
may not lapse but must be carried forward to be used to complete the development of the 
strategic economic plan authorized by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 
929-D. 
GENERAL FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$150,000
$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$150,000
$0
SUMMARY 
This bill provides additional clarity, requirements and resources for the Maine 
Economic Growth Council's efforts to fulfill its current statutory mandate to develop, 
monitor and maintain a long-range strategic economic improvement plan for the State. It 
also includes provisions to support the State's achievement of the goals and objectives in 
that plan by establishing requirements for the Governor, Legislature and agencies with 
relevant programs and activities to consider the long-range strategic economic 
improvement plan and provide information to the Maine Economic Growth Council at the 
request of the council.  This bill would increase the annual General Fund appropriation to 
the Maine Economic Growth Council from its current $55,000 to $175,000 and would 
provide a one-time additional appropriation of $150,000 for development of the initial 
plan in order to meet the timelines required in this bill.  
GENERAL FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$120,000
$120,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$120,000
$120,000
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF  
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
2017-18
2018-19
GENERAL FUND 
$270,000
$120,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$270,000
$120,000