An Act To Expand Skill Development Opportunities for Maine Youth
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1521
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: KEIM, KORNFIELD, POULIOT
Amends: 20-A MRSA §253, 26 MRSA §664

Legislative Document
No. 1521
S.P. 470
In Senate, April 9, 2019
An Act To Expand Skill Development Opportunities for Maine 
Youth
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator KEIM of Oxford.
Cosponsored by Representative KORNFIELD of Bangor and
Senator: POULIOT of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA §253, sub-§10 is enacted to read:
10. Internship program.  The commissioner shall administer an internship program
that may be implemented by educational entities governed by state law, including, but not 
limited to, school administrative units, public charter schools, private schools, career and 
technical education centers, adult education programs, Jobs for Maine's Graduates under 
chapter 226, the Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System.
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §664, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Internship participants.  Notwithstanding subsection 1, beginning August 1, 
2020, an employer who is a participant in an internship program under Title 20-A, section 
253, subsection 10 may pay a person who has not attained 24 years of age and is that 
employer's intern under the internship program set forth in Title 20-A, section 253, 
subsection 10 a minimum hourly training wage that is no less than the federal minimum 
wage.
Sec. 3.  Development of internship program.  The Department of Education, in 
consultation with the Department of Labor, shall develop an internship program for 
students who have not attained 24 years of age that may be implemented by an 
educational entity governed by state law, referred to in this section as "a local authority," 
including, but not limited to, a school administrative unit, a public charter school, a 
private school, a career and technical education center, an adult education program, Jobs 
for Maine's Graduates under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, chapter 226, the 
Maine Community College System and the University of Maine System.
1. Program.  The internship program developed by the department must:
A.  Include provisions for students who have learning barriers, who are at risk, who 
are disadvantaged or who are determined by the local authority to have a 
demonstrated need for mentoring;
B.  Require that each local authority's program have clearly defined, measurable and 
substantial educational and skill outcome goals for each contract between a student 
and an internship sponsor;
C.  Establish guidelines for internships, including oversight of programs, individual 
contracts and internship sponsors;
D.  Require the inclusion in individual contracts of the number of hours per week or 
month that the student will be interning;
E.  Include compensation options, in combination with a variable hourly wage that is 
equal to or greater than the federal minimum wage, that may include:
(1)  Academic credits;
(2)  Credentials of value;
(3)  Stackable credentials; and
(4)  Merit or skills achievement badges, as part of an existing recognized program 
or as defined by the local authority;
F. Include compensation guidelines that allow flexibility for regional variations, 
internship sponsor distinctions and student baseline capabilities;
G. Require local authorities to notify the department of the intent to participate in the 
internship program;
H. Require local authorities to maintain records of participation by students and 
internship sponsors and copies of individual contracts; and
I.  Require local authorities to make individual contracts available for inspection by 
or submission to the department or the Department of Labor, if requested.
2. Report; Department of Education.  The Department of Education shall submit a
report outlining the internship program developed in accordance with this section, 
together with any necessary implementing legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs by December 4, 2019.  Upon receipt and review of the 
report, the committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 129th 
Legislature.
3. Report; Department of Labor.  In order to facilitate participation in the Maine
Apprenticeship Program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3202, the 
Department of Labor shall calculate the amount of funding and the number of positions it 
would require in order to establish an apprenticeship coordinator at each career and 
technical education center in the State and shall report this information to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 4, 2019.  Upon 
receipt and review of the report, the committee may report out a bill to the Second 
Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of 
Labor, to develop an internship program for students who are 23 years of age or younger.  
The internship program developed by the department would authorize participants to 
receive compensation options, in combination with a variable hourly wage that is equal to 
or greater than the federal minimum wage, that may include academic credits, credentials 
of value and stackable credentials.  The Department of Education is directed to submit a 
report outlining the internship program developed, together with any necessary 
implementing legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural 
Affairs by December 4, 2019.
In addition, to facilitate participation in the Maine Apprenticeship Program 
established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3202, this bill directs the 
Department of Labor to calculate the amount of funding and the number of positions it 
would require in order to establish an apprenticeship coordinator at each career and 
technical education center in the State and report this information to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs by December 4, 2019.