An Act Establishing a Review Process for Measures with a Potential Economic Impact and Directing the Department of Economic and Community Development To Develop a Strategic Economic Plan
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1833

Legislative Document
No. 1833
H.P. 1304
House of Representatives, June 4, 2019
An Act Establishing a Review Process for Measures with a Potential 
Economic Impact and Directing the Department of Economic and 
Community Development To Develop a Strategic Economic Plan
Reported by Representative DAUGHTRY of Brunswick for the Joint Standing Committee 
on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business pursuant to Joint Order 
2019, H.P. 1252.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  1 MRSA c. 34 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 34
REVIEW OF MEASURES WITH ECONOMIC IMPACTS
§2801.  Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Measure with potential economic impact.  "Measure with potential economic 
impact" means a proposed statute that includes a measure to:
A.  Grow the State's workforce; or
B.  Advance innovation in the private business sector.
2.  Review committee.  "Review committee" means the joint standing committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over innovation, development, economic advancement 
and business matters.
§2802.  Review process
1.  Procedures before legislative committees.  Whenever a measure with potential 
economic impact is proposed, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over the measure shall hold a public hearing and determine the level of 
support for the measure among the members of the committee.  If there is support for the 
measure among a majority of the members of the committee, the committee shall request 
the review committee to review and evaluate the measure pursuant to subsection 2 and to 
report back to the committee of jurisdiction.  A measure with potential economic impact 
may not be enacted into law unless a review and evaluation pursuant to subsection 2 has 
been completed.
2.  Review and evaluation.  Upon referral of a measure with potential economic 
impact from the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over the 
measure, the review committee shall conduct a review and evaluation of the measure and 
shall report in a timely manner to the committee of jurisdiction.  The review committee 
shall determine pursuant to the review and evaluation whether the measure is consistent 
with the current strategic plan produced by the Department of Economic and Community 
Development.
3.  Report.  The review committee shall report its findings and recommendations 
pursuant to subsection 2 on whether the proposed measure with potential economic 
impact should be enacted to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over the measure.
4.  Review; repeal.  The review committee shall review this section in the Second 
Regular Session of the 130th Legislature and may report out a bill regarding this section 
to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.  This section is repealed effective 
days following the adjournment of the Second Regular Session of the 130th 
Legislature.
Sec. 2.  Strategic economic plan.  The Department of Economic and Community 
Development, in collaboration with public and private constituents, shall facilitate the 
creation of a 10-year strategic economic plan, referred to in this section as "the strategic 
plan," that recommends breakthrough strategies for increased economic prosperity for all 
citizens of the State in all regions, ultimately measured by increased household income, a 
growing workforce and sustainable business development.
The strategic plan must extend broadly from the Maine Innovation Economy 
Advisory Board's 2017 innovation economy action plan created pursuant to the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 949 and seek to leverage private and federal 
investment, particularly in areas of scientific research and commercialization.  The 
strategic plan's strategic goals must include the following:
1.  To drive the value-added contribution per job from $87,160 to a goal identified by 
the Department of Economic and Community Development;
2.  To equitably grow the annual median wage per job from $31,550 to a goal 
identified by the Department of Economic and Community Development; and
3.  To grow the workforce from 700,000 workers to a goal identified by the 
Department of Economic and Community Development.
The strategic plan must include sufficient assignments of accountability to ensure 
execution of the plan with sufficient metrics for effective management.
The strategic plan must include an analysis of gaps in funding and policy and 
recommendations that ensure dependable continuity of access to capital across business 
start-up stages from equity investments, seed capital tax credits, start-up grants and direct, 
revolving and commercial loans with clear benchmarks, rigorous accountability, public 
transparency and risk mitigation that protect public benefits.
Following a comprehensive assessment and trend analysis of research and 
development and business and commercial assets in the State, the Department of 
Economic and Community Development shall ensure that the strategic plan includes 
consideration of but is not limited to directing policy supports that suit economic 
development in the emerging sectors of: life sciences and biomedical technology, 
environmental and renewable energy technology, information technology, advanced 
technologies for forestry and agriculture, aquaculture and marine technology, composites 
and advanced materials and precision manufacturing.
The strategic plan must complement and support other concurrent and parallel state 
planning initiatives on energy and broadband connectivity such as the comprehensive 
state energy plan pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 2, section 9, subsection 3, 
paragraph C, the Statewide Broadband Action Plan of the Department of Economic and 
Community Development dated March 2018 and the Detailed 2019-2021 Strategic Plan 
for Broadband Service in Maine created by the ConnectME Authority in February 2019.
The Department of Economic and Community Development shall establish a steering 
committee composed of representatives from the Department of Economic and 
Community Development, the Finance Authority of Maine and the Department of Labor 
and the State Economist; the steering committee shall guide the development of the 
strategic plan.
The Department of Economic and Community Development shall establish a work 
team, and the work team shall develop the content of the strategic plan.  The work team 
must include, but is not limited to, the members of the steering committee and 
representatives from a state business organization, the Maine Technology Institute, the 
Maine Development Foundation, a venture capital fund operating in the State, the office 
of the President of the University of Maine and a state building and trades organization.
The content of the strategic plan must be informed by the work team and developed 
in consultation with individuals and agencies, including, but not limited to, those with 
qualifications and experience related to: scientific research leading to creation of 
intellectual property, entrepreneurship and successful development of start-up and spin-
off businesses; evaluating and underwriting successful business start-ups; technology 
transfer and capitalization of intellectual property; evaluating or completing successful 
projects funded in partnership with institutions such as the National Science Foundation, 
the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of 
Health and National Institute of General Medical Sciences and the Maine Experimental 
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, established in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 5, section 13110, federal small business innovation research and small business 
technology transfer programs, national research laboratories and the Maine Technology 
Institute's technology asset fund.
The strategic plan must also be informed by input from, without limitation, the 
Finance Authority of Maine, the Maine Technology Institute, the Governor's office of 
innovation and the future, the Department of Economic and Community Development, 
the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, the office of the President of the 
University of Maine, the office of the Chancellor of the University of Maine System, the 
ConnectME Authority, an organization representing the energy sector, a venture capital 
fund operating in the State, organizations in the State dedicated to entrepreneurship, an 
organization in the State dedicated to biomedical research excellence and the State's 
congressional delegation.
The Department of Economic and Community Development shall establish within 
the strategic plan a schedule for periodic review of the plan goals and progress made 
pursuant to those goals.  The Department of Economic and Community Development 
shall also include within the strategic plan a strategy for continuation of the strategic plan 
following the expiration of the 10-year plan period.
By December 31, 2019, the Department of Economic and Community Development 
shall provide a report on the strategic plan to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, 
Development, Economic Advancement and Business and shall provide copies of the 
strategic plan to all members of the Legislature.  The Joint Standing Committee on 
Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business may report out a bill 
based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a process in statute by which the Joint Standing Committee on 
Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business reviews all legislative 
measures with potential economic impact.  The bill authorizes the committee to report out 
legislation regarding this provision in the Second Regular Session of the 130th 
Legislature pursuant to a sunset review.  This provision is repealed 90 days following the 
adjournment of the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
The bill directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to 
develop a strategic plan to recommend strategies for increased economic prosperity in the 
State.  The bill establishes goals for the plan and directs the department to include an 
analysis of gaps in funding and policy in the plan.  The bill requires that the department 
establish a steering committee and a work team to guide the development of the plan.  
The bill requires the department to report on the plan to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business and provides the 
committee permission to report out related legislation in the Second Regular Session of 
the 129th Legislature.