An Act to Enhance Businesses' Understanding of Labor Standards
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1748
Committee: Labor
Sponsors: BECK

Legislative Document
No. 1748
H.P. 1166
House of Representatives, April 22, 2025
An Act to Enhance Businesses' Understanding of Labor Standards 
and Grow Maine's Energy Economy Through a Training Program
Reference to the Committee on Labor suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BECK of South Portland.
Cosponsored by Representatives: ARCHER of Saco, GEIGER of Rockland, MACIAS of 
Topsham, ROEDER of Bangor, SKOLD of Portland, WARREN of Scarborough, WEBB of 
Durham, Senator: TIPPING of Penobscot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA c. 51 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 51
ENERGY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
§3901. Energy Project Development Training Program
1.  Training program.  The Department of Labor, in partnership with the Governor's 
Energy Office and the Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future, or successor 
governmental departments and offices having jurisdiction over energy matters, shall 
develop a training program based on state labor laws, rules and priority selection 
opportunities applicable to entities that are developing or plan to develop energy projects 
in the State.  The training program must: 
A. Be based on and incorporate information included in the department's workplace 
safety training on wage and hour compliance, with a focus on state labor and workforce 
requirements and benchmarks related to energy projects and programs; 
B. Meet or exceed labor standards, benchmarks and other necessary commitments 
required by the State, the Public Utilities Commission, the Maine Connectivity 
Authority, the University of Maine System and any other entity responsible for 
administering energy generation and transmission projects and programming in the 
State to receive preference or priority selection related to requests for proposals;
C. Clearly outline the statutory labor requirements of contractors and subcontractors 
performing work on energy projects, including making clear the developer's 
responsibility to ensure all contractors and subcontractors who are performing or are 
scheduled to perform work are informed of applicable requirements; 
D. Include information on statutory obligations of employers, the department's 
enforcement procedures and penalties for violations; and
E. Be administered no less than twice per calendar year and made available both 
in-person and online.  Online attendees shall attest, under penalty of perjury, that the 
individual who registered for the training is the individual who completed the training. 
The Commissioner of Labor shall, as practicable, notify appropriate federal agencies of the 
scheduling of the training and provide an opportunity for federal agencies to coordinate the 
offering of a companion information session about federal programming that requires the 
adherence to certain relevant labor standards.
2.  Energy sector labor standards training advisory board.  The Commissioner of 
Labor, at the commissioner's discretion, may assemble an energy sector labor standards 
training advisory board to inform and assist with the development and administration of 
the training program under subsection 1.  The board must consist of:
A. One member from a labor organization representing workers in the construction 
industry; 
B. One member from an organization representing employers in the construction 
industry; 
C. One member from an organization representing the energy development 
community; and
D. One member from an organization promoting environmental protection issues.
3.  Certificate of completion of training; public list.  At the conclusion of the training 
program under subsection 1, attendees must receive a certificate of completion, which must 
be posted conspicuously at each applicable job location and made available for public 
inspection.  Certificates of completion may not be valid for more than 2 years from the date 
of issuance.  The department shall maintain and make public a list of developers who have 
received a certificate of completion.
4.  Training required.  An entity that plans to develop an energy project in this State 
must complete the training program under subsection 1 and must hold a valid certificate of 
completion under subsection 3.
5.  Fee.  The department shall charge a fee of no less than $250 and no more than $500 
for the issuance of the certificate of completion pursuant to subsection 3.  Funds collected 
for the issuance of a certificate of completion must be allocated to implement this section.
6.  Fine; penalties.  The Commissioner of Labor shall impose the following fines and 
penalties for violations of this section:
A. A developer that is required to hold a certificate of completion pursuant to 
subsection 4 that fails to hold a certificate of completion may be fined no less than 
$1,000 per project; and
B. In addition to penalties incurred for a violation of the provisions chapters 7 and 15, 
in the event a developer under this section violates chapter 7 or 15 and fails to hold a 
certificate of completion pursuant to subsection 4, the developer may be fined no less 
than $2,000 per aggrieved worker per violation.  Additional remedies outlined in 
section 639 apply to this paragraph.  If the developer demonstrates possession of a valid 
certificate of completion, the developer may be fined a reduced amount of no less than 
$500 per aggrieved worker per violation.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Labor, in partnership with the Governor's Energy 
Office and the Office of Policy, Innovation and the Future, or successor governmental 
departments and offices having jurisdiction over energy matters, to develop a training 
program based on labor laws and rules applicable to entities that plan to develop energy 
projects in the State.  The bill establishes criteria for the training program, fees for the 
certificate of completion and penalties for failure to hold a certificate of completion for 
those required to do so.  The bill also allows the Commissioner of Labor to establish an 
energy sector labor standards training advisory board to inform and assist with the 
development and administration of the training program.