An Act Regarding the State Workforce Board
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0087
Sponsors: ROEDER
Amends: 5 MRSA §13120-T, 26 MRSA §1401-A, 26 MRSA §2004-A, 26 MRSA §2006, 26 MRSA §2033, 26 MRSA §3209, 26 MRSA §3303, 26 MRSA §3304, 26 MRSA §3308, 35-A MRSA §10104

Legislative Document
No. 87
H.P. 51
House of Representatives, January 8, 2025
An Act Regarding the State Workforce Board
Submitted by the Department of Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 6, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Labor pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ROEDER of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §13120-T, sub-§4, ¶C, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 450, §2, is 
amended to read:
C.  One member from the Department of Labor or the State Workforce Development 
Board, established under Title 26, section 2006;
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1401-A, sub-§2, ¶I, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §10, is 
further amended to read:
I.  The State Workforce Development Board established in section 2006.
Sec. 3.  26 MRSA §2004-A, as amended by PL 2019, c. 246, §2, is further amended 
to read:
§2004-A.  Authority of Legislature
The Legislature has general authority to oversee implementation of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act, including, but not limited to, authority to:
1.  Review plans.  Review plans, policies and standards proposed by a local board, the 
State Workforce Development Board established in section 2006, the Governor or any 
other agency under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act before final approval 
by the responsible entity;
2.  Review evaluations.  Review the procedures and findings of evaluations of the 
effectiveness of the State's implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 
Act; and
3.  Receive reports.  Receive reports prepared by the State Workforce Development 
Board established in section 2006, a local board, the Governor or any agency in connection 
with implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, including the 
report required by section 3101‑A.
The State Workforce Development Board established in section 2006 shall submit the 
state workforce development plan to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over labor matters for the committee's review at the same time the plan is posted 
for public comment pursuant to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Sec. 4.  26 MRSA §2006, as corrected by RR 2023, c. 1, Pt. A, §24, is amended by 
amending the section headnote to read:
§2006.  Establishment of State Workforce Development Board
Sec. 5.  26 MRSA §2006, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §14 and c. 259, 
§§1 and 2, is further amended to read:
1.  Responsibilities.  The State Workforce Development Board, referred to in this 
section as "the board," is established to ensure that the State's workforce development 
system helps Maine people and businesses compete successfully in the global economy.  
Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:
A.  Performing all of the duties and responsibilities of the state board as defined in the 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;
B.  Recommending to the Governor a state workforce development plan designed to 
maximize utilization and effectiveness of state workforce development services;
C.  Monitoring agency and system-wide strategic goals based on the statewide 
workforce development policy and strategic plan and evaluating progress toward 
meeting those goals;
D.  Providing recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature that would 
improve system effectiveness and reduce system fragmentation;
E.  Creating greater coordination between economic development and human resource 
development and education programs;
F.  Ensuring a balance between rural and urban workforce development;
G.  Providing policy oversight and recommendations to ensure the effectiveness of 
vocational programs for people with disabilities in order to support efforts that reduce 
barriers to employment;
H.  Providing policy oversight and recommendations to ensure that self-employment, 
microenterprise and small business are part of the overall workforce development 
strategy;
I.  Providing policy recommendations to ensure the effectiveness of work-related 
programs and services for youth, including youth with disabilities;
J.  Providing policy recommendations to ensure the effectiveness of work-related 
programs and services for "at-risk" youth; and
K.  Supporting and tracking progress toward an attainment goal of increasing the 
percent of working-age adults holding a high-value certificate, college degree, 
vocational education or other industry-recognized credential to 60% by 2025 with a 
focus on meeting future workforce needs and reporting annually on progress to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and 
cultural affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over labor, business, research and economic development matters.
Sec. 6.  26 MRSA §2006, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 13, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2-A.  Membership.  The board consists of the Governor, or the Governor's designee, 
and, at a minimum, the following members:
A.  Representatives from business and industry, representatives from organized labor 
and representatives of other interests as determined by the Governor. These 
appointments are subject to review by the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over labor matters and confirmation by the Legislature; and
B.  The following ex officio members:
(1)  County commissioners designated by local boards appointed by the Governor;
(2)  The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee;
(3)  The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee;
(4)  The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the 
commissioner's designee; and
(5)  Other state, county or municipal officials as the Governor considers necessary 
appointed by the Governor.
The appointments of these members are not subject to review by the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters or confirmation by 
the Legislature.
Appointments must be consistent with the representation requirements of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Governor shall ensure that the board has sufficient 
expertise to effectively carry out the duties and functions of the board.  Members must 
represent diverse geographic areas of the State, including urban, rural and suburban areas.
Sec. 7.  26 MRSA §2033, sub-§4, ¶A, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §22, is 
further amended by amending subparagraph (2) to read:
(2)  Recommended by the State Workforce Development Board established in 
section 2006; and
Sec. 8.  26 MRSA §3209, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §26, is 
further amended by amending subparagraph (1) to read:
(1)  One representative of the State Workforce Development Board established in 
section 2006, appointed by the chair of the State Workforce Development Board;
Sec. 9.  26 MRSA §3209, sub-§4, ¶C, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §27, is 
further amended to read:
C.  Representing the Maine Apprenticeship Program to the State Workforce 
Development Board established in section 2006;
Sec. 10.  26 MRSA §3303, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §29, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Specific industry clusters.  The collaborative shall work with businesses, industry 
associations and organizations, workforce and economic development agencies, the State 
Workforce Development Board established in section 2006 and the boards of the local 
workforce investment areas designated pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act, Public Law 113-128 and economic development entities to define 
specific industry clusters based on the following criteria:
A.  Statistics showing the competitiveness of an industry cluster;
B.  Importance to the State's or a region's economic development;
C.  Identification of supply and distribution chains within an industry;
D.  Research studies on industry clusters; and
E.  Existing industry partnerships such as those of the health care workforce and 
associations of manufacturers.
Sec. 11.  26 MRSA §3303, sub-§5, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 110, §30, is 
amended to read:
B.  Recommended by the State Workforce Development Board established in section 
2006; and
Sec. 12.  26 MRSA §3304, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §32, is 
further amended to read:
B.  Create an industry partnership to advise the collaborative, the State Workforce 
Development Board established in section 2006 and the boards of the local workforce 
investment areas designated pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act, Public Law 113-128 on aligning state policies and leveraging 
resources across systems, including workforce development, education and economic 
development;
Sec. 13.  26 MRSA §3308, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. FFFFF, §1, is amended 
to read:
§3308.  Rulemaking
The Commissioner of Labor shall adopt rules for the operation of industry partnerships 
funded in whole or in part under this chapter.  Rules adopted pursuant to this section are 
major substantive routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2‑A.
Sec. 14.  35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2019, c. 298, §22, is 
further amended to read:
9.  Coordination with other entities.  Consistent with the requirements of this chapter 
and other applicable laws, the board shall coordinate with the activities and programs of 
state agencies and authorities that relate to the purposes of this chapter in order to align 
such activities and programs with the plans and programs of the trust.  For purposes of this 
subsection, activities and programs of state agencies and authorities that relate to the 
purposes of this chapter include but are not limited to energy efficiency programs relating 
to state facilities administered by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, 
Bureau of General Services, the adoption, amendment and maintenance of the Maine 
Uniform Building and Energy Code by the Technical Building Codes and Standards Board, 
established in Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 5‑A within the Department of Public 
Safety, energy efficiency or green energy workforce development activities of the 
Department of Labor or the State Workforce Development Board established in Title 26, 
section 2006, energy efficiency and weatherization programs administered by the Maine 
State Housing Authority and the activities of the nonwires alternative coordinator 
established pursuant to section 1701, subsection 2‑A.
SUMMARY
This bill changes the name of the State Workforce Board within the Department of 
Labor to the State Workforce Development Board for consistency with the federal 
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It amends the membership of the board by 
limiting membership to the members listed and by removing legislative review of member 
appointments. It clarifies that the recipient of an annual report from the board is the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters instead of the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, business, 
research and economic development matters.
The bill also changes rules related to industry partnerships for workforce development 
to routine technical rules.