An Act To Provide Educational Opportunities for Family Members of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1297
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
Sponsors: BROOKS, LIBBY, CLOUTIER, CRAVEN, DUNPHY, FECTEAU, CLAXTON

Legislative Document
No. 1297
H.P. 953
House of Representatives, March 30, 2021
An Act To Provide Educational Opportunities for Family Members 
of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BROOKS of Lewiston.
Cosponsored by Senator LIBBY of Androscoggin and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, CRAVEN of Lewiston, DUNPHY of Old Town, 
Speaker FECTEAU of Biddeford, Senator: CLAXTON of Androscoggin.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 441 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 441
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRANT PROGRAM FOR FAMILY 
MEMBERS OF DECEASED VETERANS, FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTH 
CARE WORKERS
§12941. Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of Deceased 
Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers
1.  Definitions.  As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Authority" means the Finance Authority of Maine.
B.  "First responder" has the same meaning as in Title 22, section 832-A, subsection 1, 
paragraph E.
C.  "Fund" means the Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of 
Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers Fund under section 
12942.
D.  "Program" means the Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members 
of Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers under subsection 2.
E.  "Public postsecondary educational institution" means the University of Maine 
System, the Maine Community College System or the Maine Maritime Academy.
2.  Program.  The Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of 
Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers is established within and 
administered by the authority.  The program provides a grant to an eligible person to cover 
the cost of tuition, room and board, books and other required educational materials and 
other fees and expenses related to attending a public postsecondary educational institution 
typically paid for by financial aid. 
3.  Eligibility.  A person is eligible to receive a grant under the program if:
A.  The person is a child or spouse of a veteran, first responder or health care worker 
who during the course of employment as a military service member, first responder or 
health care worker dies or contracts an illness or condition that leads to the death of the 
veteran, first responder or health care worker;
B.  The person or the deceased veteran, first responder or health care worker under 
paragraph A is a resident of the State at the time of the death or contraction of the 
illness or condition leading to the death of the veteran, first responder or health care 
worker; and
C.  The person is accepted to a course of study in a public postsecondary educational 
institution.
4.  Number of grants allowed.  A person eligible under subsection 3 may receive a 
grant under the program for every semester the person is eligible until the person receives 
a degree from a public postsecondary educational institution.
5.  Funding.  The program is funded by the fund.
6.  Rules.  The authority shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this chapter.  
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
§12942. Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of Deceased 
Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers Fund
The Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of Deceased 
Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers Fund is established within and 
administered by the authority to fund grants under and administer the program.  The fund 
is funded by appropriations, allocations or grants or donations by public or private sources, 
including a resource for postsecondary student financial aid that is related to a service or 
profession of the deceased parent or spouse under section 12941, subsection 3, paragraph 
A.  The authority may engage in the solicitation of a grant or donation to be deposited into 
the fund. The authority shall deposit with the Treasurer of State to the credit of the fund 
money in the fund not currently needed by the authority to carry out the purposes of the 
fund, which may be invested as provided by law.  Interest earned on investment of money 
under this section must be credited to the fund. Balances in the fund do not lapse but must 
be carried over to the next fiscal year.  The authority may use principal of the fund to pay 
for the authority's reasonable expenses in administering the fund.
SUMMARY
This bill creates the Educational Opportunity Grant Program for Family Members of 
Deceased Veterans, First Responders and Health Care Workers, administered by the 
Finance Authority of Maine, to provide postsecondary education grants to eligible children 
and spouses of veterans, first responders and health care workers who die or contract a 
condition or illness that leads to their death.  The program is funded by a fund that may 
accept appropriations, allocations, grants or donations from public and private sources, 
including financial aid resources, and the authority may solicit private donations for the 
fund.