An Act to Strengthen Maine's Workforce Through Preapprenticeship Training Programs (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2280
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: TIPPING, TALBOT ROSS, DAUGHTRY, DUSON, ROTUNDO, ROEDER
Amends: 26 MRSA §2033, 26 MRSA §3209, 26 MRSA §3213

Legislative Document
No. 2280
S.P. 995
In Senate, March 25, 2024
An Act to Strengthen Maine's Workforce Through 
Preapprenticeship Training Programs
(AFTER DEADLINE)
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205.
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TIPPING of Penobscot.
Cosponsored by Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland and
Senators: DAUGHTRY of Cumberland, DUSON of Cumberland, ROTUNDO of 
Androscoggin, Representative: ROEDER of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §2033, sub-§1, ¶A-1, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 184, §2, is 
amended to read:
A-1.  "Certified Registered preapprenticeship training program" means a 
preapprenticeship training program certified registered by the Maine Apprenticeship 
Program pursuant to section 3213.
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §2033, sub-§6, ¶A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 184, §5, is further 
amended by amending the last blocked paragraph to read:
Registered apprentices and individuals participating in a plan that includes a certified 
registered preapprenticeship training program approved pursuant to subsection 4 are 
eligible for services under this subsection, including those necessary to participate in 
any on-the-job learning component of the program, as long as the registered 
apprentices and individuals meet the requirement of subsection 5, paragraph C.
Sec. 3.  26 MRSA §3209, sub-§4, ¶A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 705, §11, is 
further amended to read:
A.  Developing, approving and registering new apprenticeship programs and certifying 
registering preapprenticeship training programs;
Sec. 4.  26 MRSA §3213, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 705, §12, is amended to read:
§3213.  Preapprenticeship training programs
1.  Application; eligibility.  A sponsor may apply with the Maine Apprenticeship 
Program for review and certification registration of a preapprenticeship training program.
2.  Eligibility.  To be eligible for certification registration, a preapprenticeship training 
program must:
A.  Meet the requirements of this section and any rules adopted by the department 
under this section;
B.  Have a documented outreach plan to increase registered apprenticeship 
opportunities for underrepresented, disadvantaged or low-skilled individuals and 
members of historically marginalized communities;
C.  Conform to standards identified by the United States Department of Labor for a 
quality framework for preapprenticeship;
D.  Comply with state and federal law regarding equal employment opportunity in 
apprenticeship and training;
E.  Have a training program and curriculum based on industry standards and approved 
by the Maine Apprenticeship Program, upon recommendation by the Maine 
Apprenticeship Council, that will prepare individuals with the skills and competencies 
needed to enter a registered apprenticeship program;
F.  Have supervised hands-on training and workplace safety training; and
G.  Have a formalized agreement with a registered apprenticeship sponsor that enables 
preapprenticeship graduates to enter directly into a registered apprenticeship program 
and includes articulation agreements for earning credit for skills and competencies 
already acquired.
3.  Certification Registration.  The Maine Apprenticeship Program shall review an 
application for certification registration of a preapprenticeship training program and shall 
give a preapprenticeship training program that meets the standards for certification 
registration a provisional certification registration for a period of one year.  The Maine 
Apprenticeship Program shall review a preapprenticeship training program for quality and 
conformity with the requirements of this section at the end of the first year after certification 
registration.  A program that conforms to the requirements may have its provisional 
certification registration made permanent or may continue to be provisionally certified 
registered through the first full training cycle.
4.  Evaluation.  The Maine Apprenticeship Program shall evaluate the performance of 
a certified registered preapprenticeship training program.  The evaluation must include:
A.  An assessment of the preapprenticeship training program's educational content;
B.  A review of the preapprenticeship training program's compliance with state and 
federal law regarding equal employment opportunity in apprenticeship and training;
C.  A review of the preapprenticeship training program's efforts to achieve equity goals 
for recruitment and training of preapprentices from historically marginalized 
communities; and
D.  A summary of completion rates and rates of enrollment in and graduation from 
registered apprenticeship programs following completion of the preapprenticeship 
training program.
5.  Decertification Deregistration.  The Maine Apprenticeship Program may decertify 
deregister a preapprenticeship training program upon a finding of reasonable cause or by 
request of the program.
6.  Funding.  As funds are available, the Maine Apprenticeship Program, through the 
department, shall make available grants to support registered preapprenticeship training 
programs under this section.  A registered preapprenticeship training program shall use the 
grants to provide meaningful support and stipends to facilitate enrollment and participation 
in the program.  Support may include funding for child care, transportation, training 
materials, tools, personal protective equipment and reimbursement of other expenses that 
may be incurred by a student an individual to facilitate the student's individual's attendance 
and participation in the program and funding to facilitate an individual's readiness to 
commence on-the-job learning in a registered apprenticeship program.  Stipends may 
include cash payments.  In allocating grants among registered preapprenticeship training 
programs, the Maine Apprenticeship Program shall give priority to programs that have 
demonstrated successful engagement and enrollment of students and completion by 
individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered preapprenticeship 
training programs and successful placement and enrollment of and completion by 
individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered apprenticeship 
programs.
7.  Rulemaking.  The department shall adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 
5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A to implement the provisions of this section.
Sec. 5.  Requirements for funding.  
1.  Administration; directed to certain training programs.  Funding provided by 
this Act for grants to support registered preapprenticeship training programs is subject to 
the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3213, subsection 6 and must:
A.  Be administered and awarded to registered preapprenticeship training programs 
with strong direct entry links with registered apprenticeship programs through a 
competitive process administered by the Department of Labor through the Maine 
Apprenticeship Program; and
B.  Be directed to registered preapprenticeship training programs that train individuals 
for priority sectors for high-wage, in-demand jobs.
2.  Majority of funding for certain training programs.  At least 51% of the funding 
provided by this Act for grants to support registered preapprenticeship training programs 
must support registered preapprenticeship training programs that have:
A.  Demonstrated successful engagement and enrollment of and completion by 
individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered preapprenticeship 
training programs and successful placement and enrollment of and completion by 
individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered apprenticeship 
programs;
B.  Consistently placed individuals in registered apprenticeship programs that result in 
a total package value, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 3201, 
subsection 23-A, of no less than $40 per hour upon graduation from the registered 
apprenticeship program, based on Maine Apprenticeship Program evaluations as 
required in Title 26, section 3204, subsection 2.  On January 15, 2025 and each January 
15th thereafter, the minimum total package value amount under this paragraph then in 
effect must be increased by the increase, if any, in the cost of living. The increase in 
the cost of living must be measured by the percentage increase, if any, as of August of 
the previous year over the level as of August of the year preceding that year in the 
Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, CPI-W, for the 
Northeast Region, or its successor index, as published by the United States Department 
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics or its successor agency, with the amount of the 
minimum total package value increase rounded to the nearest multiple of 5¢; and
C.  Demonstrated the provision of strong, comprehensive support services essential to 
ensure success.
Funding provided by this Act for grants to support registered preapprenticeship training 
programs may also be used for registered preapprenticeship training program development, 
support and staffing for grantees.
Sec. 6.  Transfer from General Fund unappropriated surplus; Department 
of Labor, Maine Apprenticeship Program, fiscal year 2024-25.  Notwithstanding 
any provision of law to the contrary, the State Controller shall transfer $12,000,000 from 
the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Maine Apprenticeship Program, 
Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of Labor on or before June 
30, 2025 to support grants for registered preapprenticeship training programs.
Sec. 7.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Apprenticeship Program Z375
Initiative: Allocates one-time funds for grants to support registered preapprenticeship 
training programs.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2023-24
2024-25
All Other
$0
$11,887,635
__________
__________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
$0
$11,887,635
Maine Apprenticeship Program Z375
Initiative: Allocates ongoing funds for one Program Manager Employment & Training 
position to manage the grants to support registered preapprenticeship training programs.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
2023-24
2024-25
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT
0.000
1.000
Personal Services
$0
$101,865
All Other
$0
$10,500
__________
__________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL
$0
$112,365
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2023-24
2024-25
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS
$0
$12,000,000
__________
__________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$0
$12,000,000
SUMMARY
This bill provides for the registration of preapprenticeship training programs.  Current 
law provides for the certification of these programs.  The bill provides that registered 
preapprenticeship training programs may use grants from the Maine Apprenticeship 
Program for tools and personal protective equipment and for funding to facilitate an 
individual's readiness to commence on-the-job learning in a registered apprenticeship 
program.  In allocating grants among registered preapprenticeship training programs, the 
Maine Apprenticeship Program must give priority to programs that have demonstrated 
successful engagement and enrollment of and completion by individuals from historically 
marginalized communities in registered preapprenticeship training programs and 
successful placement and enrollment of and completion by individuals from historically 
marginalized communities in registered apprenticeship programs.
The bill allocates a total of $12,000,000 in fiscal year 2024-25 for grants to support 
registered preapprenticeship training programs and for one position in the Department of 
Labor to manage the grants to support registered preapprenticeship training programs.  
These funds must be administered and awarded to registered preapprenticeship training 
programs with strong direct entry links with registered apprenticeship programs through a 
competitive process administered by the Department of Labor through the Maine 
Apprenticeship Program.  These funds must be directed to registered preapprenticeship 
training programs that train individuals for priority sectors for high-wage, in-demand jobs 
and may be used for registered preapprenticeship training program development, support 
and staffing for grantees.  At least 51% of these funds must support registered 
preapprenticeship training programs that have demonstrated successful engagement and 
enrollment of and completion by individuals from historically marginalized communities 
in registered preapprenticeship training programs and successful placement and enrollment 
of and completion by individuals from historically marginalized communities in registered 
apprenticeship programs; that have consistently placed individuals in registered 
apprenticeship programs that lead to jobs that pay no less than $40 per hour, including 
benefits, indexed for inflation; and that have demonstrated the provision of strong, 
comprehensive support services essential to ensure success.