APPROVED CHAPTER
JULY 8, 2021 420
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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S.P. 200 - L.D. 492
An Act To Create a Regional Grant Program To Help Rural Businesses Find
Qualified Staff
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13056-I is enacted to read:
§13056-I. Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Program
1. Program established. The Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant
Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the department
to provide grants for local economic development initiatives in rural regions of the State
that will assist rural businesses in those regions in locating, recruiting and retaining
qualified staff to meet workforce needs. For the purpose of this section, "rural regions of
the State" means Aroostook County, Piscataquis County, Somerset County and
Washington County.
2. Fund established. The Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Fund,
referred to in this section as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund within the
department for the purpose of providing funds for the program. The fund consists of money
appropriated to the fund by the Legislature and any funds received by the department for
the purposes of the program.
3. Rulemaking. The department shall establish by rule the criteria for eligibility for
grants from the program and the process of application. The rules must require that an entity
receiving a grant for an initiative secure matching funds for the initiative on a one-to-one
basis. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
4. Reporting. The department shall report by January 15th of each year to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development
matters on the program, including the number of grants given and the results achieved.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
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Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Fund N363
Initiative: Provides base allocations to authorize the expenditure of any funds received from
outside sources to provide grants for local economic development initiatives in rural
regions of the State.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2021-22 2022-23
All Other $500 $500
__________ __________
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $500 $500
Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Fund N363
Initiative: Provides one-time funds of $200,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 and fiscal year 2022-
23 only for eligible local economic development initiatives to advertise and promote jobs
in rural regions of the State and to locate and retain qualified staff. Funding appropriated
to this program does not lapse but must be carried forward into the next fiscal year to be
used only for the purpose for which it was provided.
GENERAL FUND 2021-22 2022-23
All Other $200,000 $200,000
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $200,000 $200,000
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2021-22 2022-23
GENERAL FUND $200,000 $200,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS $500 $500
__________ __________
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $200,500 $200,500
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