An Act To Propose a General Fund Bond Issue To Train Workers in High-demand Sectors and Support the State's 10-year Economic Plan Goal of Increasing Wages by 10 Percent
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0481
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: MILLETT, DAVIS, COREY

Legislative Document
No. 481
H.P. 355
House of Representatives, February 16, 2021
An Act To Propose a General Fund Bond Issue To Train Workers 
in High-demand Sectors and Support the State's 10-year Economic 
Plan Goal of Increasing Wages by 10 Percent
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 11, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Appropriations and Financial Affairs pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant 
to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MILLETT of Waterford.
Cosponsored by Senator DAVIS of Piscataquis and
Representative: COREY of Windham.
Preamble.  Two thirds of both Houses of the Legislature deeming it necessary in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 14 to authorize the issuance 
of bonds on behalf of the State of Maine to provide funds as described in this Act,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  Authorization of bonds.  The Treasurer of State is authorized, under the 
direction of the Governor, to issue bonds in the name and on behalf of the State in an 
amount not exceeding $80,000,000 for the purposes described in section 5 of this Act.  The 
bonds are a pledge of the full faith and credit of the State.  The bonds may not run for a 
period longer than 10 years from the date of the original issue of the bonds.
Sec. 2.  Records of bonds issued; Treasurer of State. The Treasurer of State 
shall ensure that an account of each bond is kept showing the number of the bond, the name 
of the successful bidder to whom sold, the amount received for the bond, the date of sale 
and the date when payable.
Sec. 3.  Sale; how negotiated; proceeds appropriated.  The Treasurer of State 
may negotiate the sale of the bonds by direction of the Governor, but no bond may be 
loaned, pledged or hypothecated on behalf of the State.  The proceeds of the sale of the 
bonds, which must be held by the Treasurer of State and paid by the Treasurer of State 
upon warrants drawn by the State Controller, are appropriated solely for the purposes set 
forth in this Act.  Any unencumbered balances remaining at the completion of the project 
in this Act lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of 
general obligation bonds.
Sec. 4.  Interest and debt retirement.  The Treasurer of State shall pay interest 
due or accruing on any bonds issued under this Act and all sums coming due for payment 
of bonds at maturity.
Sec. 5.  Disbursement of bond proceeds from General Fund bond issue.  The 
proceeds of the sale of the bonds authorized under this Act must be expended as designated 
in the following schedule under the direction and supervision of the agencies and entities 
set forth in this section.
MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM
Provides funding in 4 annual installments of $20,000,000, to train workers in high-
demand sectors and support the State's 10-year goal of increasing average annual wages 
in the State by 10%, as described in "Maine Economic Development Strategy 2020-
2029:  A Focus on Talent and Innovation."
Total
$80,000,000
Sec. 6.  Programmatic and return-on-investment goals.  Bond funds under 
section 5 must be released to the Maine Community College System in 4 annual 
installments of $20,000,000 each, except that funding in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years may be 
released only after the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
labor and housing matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs have accepted the annual report 
pursuant to this section that demonstrates the Maine Community College System has met 
the following programmatic and return-on-investment goals.
1.  In the first year, the Maine Community College System shall invest $15,000,000 in 
training, trainee stipends and training partners; $4,000,000 in mobile training units that will 
support construction, manufacturing and truck driving; and $1,000,000 in course 
developers and workforce partnership coordinators.  In the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, the 
Maine Community College System shall fund additional equipment through training 
investments that pass return-on-investment criteria that are reported annually.
2.  Using the funds provided, the Maine Community College System shall train 4,000 
people per year, provide to trainees credentials that may be used in predetermined pathways 
toward degree attainment, produce an investment analysis of direct training investments 
for every training commitment and require a minimum payback period of 3 years consistent 
with the current measures required by existing programs of the Maine Quality Centers 
under the Maine Revised Statues, Title 20-A, section 12725.  Participating employers must 
pay trained employees, at a minimum, a $2 premium over the State's minimum wage and 
commit to providing the trained employees with health care benefits.
The Maine Community College System shall deliver a report of the training 
investments described in this section annually to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over labor and housing matters and the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs.
Sec. 7.  Contingent upon ratification of bond issue.  Sections 1 to 5 do not 
become effective unless the people of the State ratify the issuance of the bonds as set forth 
in this Act.
Sec. 8.  Appropriation balances at year-end.  At the end of each fiscal year, all 
unencumbered appropriation balances representing state money carry forward.  Bond 
proceeds that have not been expended within 10 years after the date of the sale of the bonds 
lapse to the Office of the Treasurer of State to be used for the retirement of general 
obligation bonds.
Sec. 9.  Bonds authorized but not issued.  Any bonds authorized but not issued 
within 5 years of ratification of this Act are deauthorized and may not be issued, except 
that the Legislature may, within 2 years after the expiration of that 5-year period, extend 
the period for issuing any remaining unissued bonds for an additional amount of time not 
to exceed 5 years.
Sec. 10.  Referendum for ratification; submission at election; form of 
question; effective date.  This Act must be submitted to the legal voters of the State at 
a statewide election held in the month of November following passage of this Act.  The 
municipal officers of this State shall notify the inhabitants of their respective cities, towns 
and plantations to meet, in the manner prescribed by law for holding a statewide election, 
to vote on the acceptance or rejection of this Act by voting on the following question:
"Do you favor an $80,000,000 bond issue to provide funding to train 
workers in high-demand sectors and support the State's goal of increasing 
average annual wages in the State by 10%?"
The legal voters of each city, town and plantation shall vote by ballot on this question 
and designate their choice by a cross or check mark placed within a corresponding square 
below the word "Yes" or "No."  The ballots must be received, sorted, counted and declared 
in open ward, town and plantation meetings and returns made to the Secretary of State in 
the same manner as votes for members of the Legislature.  The Governor shall review the 
returns.  If a majority of the legal votes are cast in favor of this Act, the Governor shall 
proclaim the result without delay and this Act becomes effective 30 days after the date of 
the proclamation.
The Secretary of State shall prepare and furnish to each city, town and plantation all 
ballots, returns and copies of this Act necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
referendum.
SUMMARY
The funds provided by this bond issue, in the amount of $80,000,000, will be used to 
provide funding to train workers in high-demand sectors and support the State's goal of 
increasing average annual wages in the State by 10%.  The funding would be provided in 
$20,000,000 increments over 4 years in accordance with programmatic and return-on-
investment goals that must be met by the Maine Community College System.