An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government Oversight Committee To Improve the Development of a Long-range Strategic Plan for Economic Improvement in the State
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0050
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Commerce
Sponsors: MASTRACCIO, HERBIG, AUSTIN, DAUGHTRY, DENNO, HARRINGTON
Amends: 10 MRSA §929-A, 10 MRSA §929-B, 10 MRSA §929-C, 10 MRSA §929-D, 10 MRSA §929-E, 10 MRSA §929-F, 12 MRSA §8876

Legislative Document
No. 50
H.P. 51
House of Representatives, January 9, 2019
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Government 
Oversight Committee To Improve the Development of a Long-range 
Strategic Plan for Economic Improvement in the State
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Commerce suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford.
Cosponsored by Senator HERBIG of Waldo and
Representatives: AUSTIN of Gray, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, DENNO of Cumberland, 
HARRINGTON of Sanford.
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-A, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 420, §5, is 
further amended to read:
A.  Thirteen members having a broad range of expertise in areas including but not 
limited to: labor, environment, large and small business and education;
Sec. 3.  10 MRSA §929-B, as amended by PL 1999, c. 272, §3, is repealed.
Sec. 4.  10 MRSA §929-C, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 420, §6, is repealed.
Sec. 5.  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, 2020, 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, educational, science 
and technology and infrastructure factors.  The council shall update the plan by December 
31, 2022 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, 2024 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 the State's 
comparative, competitive and absolute advantages, including, but not limited 
to, the impact of tax policy, energy costs and regulation on competitiveness;
(d)  Other relevant studies and evaluations in the private and public sectors 
regarding the long-term economic growth of the State;
(e)  The quantity, quality and demographic composition 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)  Optimization of 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 economic opportunity and 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 and actions 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, 2022 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, 2021, 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 economic development matters, 
the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor 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 submitted under 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. 6.  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 strategic plan's goals, objectives and benchmarks shall provide information 
requested by the council.
Sec. 7.  10 MRSA §929-F is enacted to read:
§929-F.  Authority to submit legislation
The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic 
development matters may submit to the Legislature legislation it considers necessary to 
improve the required elements of the long-range strategic economic improvement plan as 
described in section 929-D, subsection 1 or the process through which it is developed, 
maintained or communicated.
Sec. 8.  12 MRSA §8876, last ¶, as amended by PL 1997, c. 720, §9; 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. 9.  Maine Economic Growth Council to develop review criteria.  The 
Maine Economic Growth Council shall develop proposed review criteria for use by the 
joint standing committees of the Legislature when committees are considering legislative 
proposals that may affect the long-range strategic economic improvement plan developed 
by the council pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 929-D, subsection 
1.  The council shall report its findings and recommendations relating to the proposed 
review criteria to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic 
Advancement and Commerce by January 15, 2020.  The committee may report out a bill 
to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature based on the report of the council.
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.