APPROVED CHAPTER
JUNE 22, 2023 247
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
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H.P. 269 - L.D. 436
An Act to Provide Career and Technical Education Students with Credit
Toward High School Graduation for Work Completed in Career and
Technical Education Centers and Regions
Mandate preamble. This measure requires one or more local units of government
to expand or modify activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local
revenues but does not provide funding for at least 90% of those expenditures. Pursuant to
the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, 2/3 of all of the members elected to each
House have determined it necessary to enact this measure.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §4722, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 571, §10, is further
amended to read:
3. Satisfactory completion. A secondary school student may earn a diploma if the
student has satisfactorily completed all diploma requirements in accordance with the
academic standards of the school administrative unit and this section. A school
administrative unit shall award a high school diploma to a child with a disability, as defined
in section 7001, subsection 1‑B, who satisfies the local diploma requirements in the manner
specified by the child's individualized education plan. Career and technical students may
satisfy the requirements of subsection 2 through separate or integrated study within the
career and technical school curriculum, including through courses provided pursuant to
section 8402 or 8451‑A, on the approval of the commissioner and the local school board or
in accordance with an equivalency agreement pursuant to section 8404, subsection 3,
paragraph B or section 8457, subsection 2.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §8404, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2011, c. 679, §15, is
further amended to read:
B. Shall develop a cooperative agreement delineating the duties and powers of the
advisory committee. A cooperative agreement or any amendment to the agreement
must be ratified by the school board of each unit or affiliated unit served by the center.
A cooperative agreement must be reviewed annually by the advisory committee and
submitted by the center and its affiliated units to the commissioner. Beginning with the
school year starting after June 30, 2025, the cooperative agreement must include an
Page 1 - 131LR1244(03)
 equivalency agreement for credit gained through a career and technical education
program to be accepted as a core credit toward a high school diploma for each of the
school administrative units governing or affiliated with the center; and
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §8457, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1991, c. 518, §25, is further
amended to read:
2. Cooperative agreement. The cooperative board shall adopt a cooperative
agreement incorporating at a minimum each of the items listed under section 8452,
subsection 1. The cooperative board, with the superintendents' advisory committee, shall
annually review the cooperative agreement. The cooperative board may amend the
agreement, subject to approval by a majority of the school boards of the units served by the
region. A copy of the cooperative agreement and any amendments to the agreement must
be filed with the commissioner. Beginning with the school year starting after June 30, 2025,
the cooperative agreement must include an equivalency agreement for credit gained
through a career and technical education program to be accepted as core credit toward a
high school diploma for each of the school administrative units located in the region.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 247: 20-A.4722, 20-A.8404, 20-A.8457