An Act to Support College Student Participation as Policy Interns for State Legislators
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1016
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: OSHER, GROHOSKI, CRAFTS, MILLIKEN, RANA, ROEDER, SARGENT, SAYRE, WARREN, TIPPING
Amends: 3 MRSA §162, 20-A MRSA §10911

Legislative Document
No. 1016
H.P. 652
House of Representatives, March 7, 2023
An Act to Support College Student Participation as Policy Interns 
for State Legislators
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative OSHER of Orono.
Cosponsored by Senator GROHOSKI of Hancock and
Representatives: CRAFTS of Newcastle, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, RANA of Bangor, 
ROEDER of Bangor, SARGENT of York, SAYRE of Kennebunk, WARREN of Scarborough, 
Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  3 MRSA §162, sub-§18, as amended by PL 1997, c. 43, §2, is further 
amended to read:
18.  Out-of-state travel report.  To submit to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs a quarterly report 
on out-of-state travel activity of the Legislature.  The report must be submitted within 15 
days after the end of each quarter and must include, for each individual who has been 
authorized to travel, the destination, purpose and cost by funding source of each trip; and
Sec. 2.  3 MRSA §162, sub-§19, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 43, §3, is amended to 
read:
19.  Legislative information available through the Internet.  To make the following 
information available through the Internet:  legislative documents, committee hearing 
schedules, work session schedules, status of legislation, voting records of Legislators, the 
laws of Maine, study reports and reports of other study groups established by the 
Legislature and any other information designated by the Legislative Council.; and
Sec. 3.  3 MRSA §162, sub-§20 is enacted to read:
20.  Policy interns.  To establish an internship program.  The program must provide 
for placement of policy interns, coordinated by the placement coordinator established under 
Title 20-A, section 10911, with Legislators to assist the Legislators with their legislative 
work.   The program must provide an appropriate hourly wage to each policy intern for the 
internship work.  Under the program, policy interns may not work more than 10 hours in 
any week.  Under the program, a policy intern must either be a student at an accredited 
institution of higher education in this State or be a resident of this State and a student at an 
accredited institution of higher education in another state.  No more than 185 policy interns 
at any one time may be placed under the program.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §10911 is enacted to read:
§10911.  Policy intern coordinator
The university, in coordination with the Legislative Council, shall designate or 
establish a coordinator within the university to oversee the placement of policy interns with 
Legislators under the internship program established under Title 3, section 162, subsection 
20.
SUMMARY
This bill provides authority for the Legislative Council to establish an internship 
program.  The program must provide for the placement of policy interns with Legislators 
to assist the Legislators with their legislative work.  The program must also provide an 
appropriate hourly wage to each policy intern for the internship work.  Under the program, 
policy interns may not work more than 10 hours in any week.  Under the program, a policy 
intern must either be a student at an accredited institution of higher education in this State 
or be a resident of this State and a student at an accredited institution of higher education 
in another state.  No more than 185 policy interns at any one time may be placed under the 
program. 
The bill also directs the University of Maine System, in coordination with the 
Legislative Council, to designate or establish a coordinator within the system to oversee 
the placement of policy interns with Legislators under the internship program.