An Act To Establish a Permanent Appointment of a Member of the Wabanaki Tribes to the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0453
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: NEWELL, MOORE, BAILEY, MILLETT, DAUGHTRY

Legislative Document
No. 453
H.P. 329
House of Representatives, February 16, 2021
An Act To Establish a Permanent Appointment of a Member of the 
Wabanaki Tribes to the Board of Trustees of the University of 
Maine System
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 11, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Education and Cultural Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative NEWELL of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
Cosponsored by Senator MOORE of Washington and
Representatives: BAILEY of Gorham, MILLETT of Cape Elizabeth, Senator: DAUGHTRY of 
Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  P&SL 1865, c. 532, §4, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1983, c. 799, §4, is 
further amended to read:
2.  Members appointed by the Governor.  Fourteen members shall must be appointed 
for 5-year terms by the Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and confirmation by the Legislature.  
Each term shall expire expires on May 26th of the appropriate year, except that the retiring 
member shall serve serves until a successor is appointed by the Governor and confirmed 
by the Legislature.  No A person accepting such an appointment under this subsection may 
not be a member of the State Board of Education.  In making appointments, the Governor 
shall strive to achieve a membership which that is representative of the population of this 
State.  In so far as feasible when selecting qualified nominees to the board, the Governor 
shall consider affirmative action criteria, professional education and experience and an 
equitable geographical representation among the members.  At least one member appointed 
by the Governor must be a member of the Wabanaki Tribes.  Trustees may serve a 
maximum of 2 terms, except that an individual appointed to fill an unexpired term of 3 
years or less is eligible for appointment to 2 full terms.  Vacancies shall must be filled by 
the Governor, subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over education matters and confirmation by the Legislature, for the unexpired 
balance of the term.  In order to restore and maintain rotation of terms of office of trustees, 
an incumbent trustee who was appointed for a term of 5 years at a time subsequent to the 
expiration of the term of his that trustee's predecessor in office shall be is deemed to have 
commenced his that trustee's 5-year term upon the date of the expiration of the term of 
office of his that trustee's predecessor rather than from the date of his that trustee's 
appointment and qualification.  Trustees shall serve without compensation, but may be 
reimbursed for travel and other expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.
SUMMARY
This bill requires that at least one member of the Board of Trustees of the University 
of Maine System be a member of the Wabanaki Tribes.