An Act to Establish the Maine Science, Technology, Engineering,
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1740
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: SAYRE

Legislative Document
No. 1740
H.P. 1158
House of Representatives, April 22, 2025
An Act to Establish the Maine Science, Technology, Engineering, 
Arts and Mathematics Matching Grant Program
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SAYRE of Kennebunk.
Cosponsored by Representatives: DUCHARME of Madison, GERE of Kennebunkport, KUHN 
of Falmouth, NUTTING of Oakland, ROBERTS of South Berwick, SARGENT of York, 
Senator: CURRY of Waldo.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 335 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 335
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATHEMATICS 
EDUCATION MATCHING GRANT PROGRAMS
§9941. Definitions 
For the purposes of this chapter, unless context indicates otherwise, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1.  Grant program.  "Grant program" means the Science, Technology, Engineering, 
Arts and Mathematics Education Matching Grant Program established in section 9942. 
2.  STEAM.  "STEAM" means an activity or program of study involving science, 
technology, engineering, the arts or mathematics. 
§9942. Program established; administration; department to develop criteria; 
rulemaking authority 
The Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Education Matching 
Grant Program is established within the department for the purpose of providing grant 
funding for activities and programs offering hands-on learning experiences in science, 
technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics for students in this State in kindergarten 
to grade 12. 
1.  Administration.  The department shall administer the grant program. In 
administering the grant program, the department may consult with:
A. A nonprofit organization representing and advocating for manufacturers in this 
State; and 
B. A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing opportunities to middle school and 
high school students to explore robotics in a competitive and supportive environment. 
2.  Developing criteria; review other state programs.  The department shall develop 
criteria and procedures for eligibility, the application process, applicant selection and 
awarding grants consistent with the requirements of this chapter.  In developing criteria, 
the department shall review and evaluate comparable programs in other states. 
3.  Rulemaking authority.  The department may adopt rules to implement this chapter. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
§9943. Eligibility and award selection 
The department shall award grants through the grant program to eligible applicants. 
1.  Eligible applicants.  The department shall award grants through the grant program, 
for an activity or program as described in subsection 2, to entities and organizations 
including, but not limited to: 
A. Schools serving students in any of the grades between kindergarten and grade 12; 
B. Public libraries; 
C. Museums; 
D. Local groups within a nationwide network of youth development and engagement 
organizations; 
E. Community groups; and 
F. Nonprofit organizations. 
2.  Qualifying STEAM activities or programs.  Grants may be awarded only to 
support activities or programs that offer hands-on learning experiences in science, 
technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics for students in this State in kindergarten 
to grade 12.  Grants may support both activities and programs that are noncompetitive and 
activities and programs that include a competitive component under which a team attends 
a competition on a specific date and presents a specific completed project.  Grant funds 
may be used to support both formal and informal activities and programs as long as those 
activities or programs otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.  Activities or 
programs that may be supported by the grant program include, but are not limited to: 
A. Robotics competition teams, including those that incorporate robot design and 
building and other engineering challenges; 
B. Interconnecting toy-block building competitions designed to guide youth in STEAM 
learning; 
C. Competitive teams that promote creativity, problem solving and teamwork and 
challenge children to think critically and solve open-ended problems with a STEAM 
focus; 
D. One-act play competition teams; 
E. Film competitions with a STEAM focus, including a STEAM film challenge hosted 
by the University of Maine; and
F. Competition programs with a STEAM focus that explore innovation with ocean 
resources and in the ocean economy. 
3.  Matching funds required.  A grant recipient is required to match 33% of the 
amount of the grant received through the grant program.  The matching funds must be used 
for the same purposes for which the grant would be awarded if the applicant is selected.  
To be eligible for the grant program, an applicant must demonstrate on the application for 
the grant program the applicant's commitment to providing the required matching funds.  
An applicant may satisfy the matching requirement by any combination of the following: 
A. Documentation of funds already raised; and 
B. Incorporating into the program budget submitted with the application the applicant's 
intention to provide funding for certain expenses, mitigate certain expenses using 
existing resources or receive additional funds, including, but not limited to: 
(1) Payment of insurance, federal payroll taxes and other expenses associated with 
retaining coaches or other educators or supervisors administering the STEAM 
activity or program; 
(2) Provision of travel to competitions via school transportation; 
(3) Providing a space for the program to operate within an existing space within 
the applicant's organization; and
(4) Sponsorship from a local business. 
4.  Applicant selection; first priority.  When selecting an eligible applicant for the 
award of a grant under the grant program, the department must give first priority to: 
A. Newly established activities or programs; and 
B. Activities or programs that are based in a municipality or county of greater economic 
need, as measured by the percentage of households in that municipality or county that 
have an income below the federal poverty level or the supplemental poverty measure 
determined by the United States Department of Commerce, United States Census 
Bureau or are considered asset-limited, income-constrained, employed households by 
an international charitable fund-raising network. 
5.  Applicant selection; additional priorities.  After consideration of the factors in 
subsection 4, the department may consider and give priority to a program that: 
A. Provides access to STEAM programs to underserved and underrepresented 
populations; 
B. Provides STEAM opportunities for students in free or reduced-price lunch 
programs; 
C. Has committed supporters, such as businesses, institutions of higher education or 
parent or teacher volunteers; 
D. Has a proven sustainability plan; or 
E. Has a clear and appropriate budget outline. 
6.  Grant distribution.  Using the criteria as directed in subsections 4 and 5, the 
department shall award an equal number of grants to applicants from each of the State's 2 
congressional districts. 
§9944. Use of grant funds; recipient reporting requirements 
The following provisions govern the use of grant funding received through the grant 
program and reporting obligations applying to the recipients of those funds. 
1.  Use of grant funds.  Funds received through the grant program must be used by a 
grant recipient for the activity or program for which the grant was awarded to cover costs 
associated with any of the following: 
A. Operating a competitive team, including supporting the team's advancement in a 
competition; 
B. Operating a noncompetitive program; 
C. Registration fees for events; 
D. Materials and equipment needed for a specific project; 
E. Transportation costs associated with travel to and from any competitions; 
F. Developing a scholarship fund to assist students with the cost of participation; 
G. Stipends provided to coaches, mentors or other supervisors; 
H. Professional development; and 
I. Any costs associated with using a space for the operation of an activity or program 
supported by the grant that are in excess of the cost the grant recipient customarily 
expends for use of the space. 
2.  Reporting requirements.  A grant recipient must submit to the department, 
according to a time frame established by the department, a report that includes the 
following: 
A. An outline of the budget of the activity or program for which the grant was awarded, 
including a report of how the grant funds were used; 
B. A written summary of the results of the competition season, if applicable; and
C. Basic demographic information of the students who participated in the activity or 
program.  This paragraph does not require the inclusion of any student's personal 
identifying information.
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Education Matching 
Grant Program N520
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for grants to entities and organizations that offer 
hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, the arts and 
mathematics for students in this State from kindergarten to grade 12.  Funds appropriated 
in fiscal year 2025-26 do not lapse but must be carried forward into fiscal year 2026-27 to 
be used for the same purpose.
GENERAL FUND
2025-26
2026-27
All Other
$3,000,000
$0
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$3,000,000
$0
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics 
Education Matching Grant Program within the Department of Education to provide grant 
funding to schools, museums and other entities that apply to support programs that offer 
hands-on learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, the arts and 
mathematics for students in this State in kindergarten to grade 12.  Applicants for the grant 
program are required to demonstrate ability to provide matching funds in the amount of 
33% of the grant requested.  The bill provides methods by which the matching fund 
requirement can be satisfied and outlines the types of expenses that a grant recipient can 
cover with the grant funds. 
The bill outlines criteria that the department must apply when awarding grants.  The 
department is required to develop further criteria and procedures for eligibility, the 
application process, applicant selection and awarding grants.  The department is authorized 
to adopt routine technical rules to implement the program. 
The bill provides a nonlapsing appropriation in the amount of $3,000,000 to the 
program for fiscal year 2025-26, any unused portion of which must be carried forward to 
fiscal year 2026-27.