Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

APPROVED                 CHAPTER
                                                                JUNE 22, 2023                 68
                                                               BY GOVERNOR               RESOLVES
                                 STATE OF MAINE
                                          _____
                          IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
                      TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-THREE
                                          _____
                                 H.P. 758 - L.D. 1198
    Resolve, Directing the Commissioner of Economic and Community
Development to Convene an Advisory Council to Improve the State's 10-year
                     Economic Development Strategy
     Sec. 1. Statewide economic development strategy. Resolved: That the
Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, referred to in this resolve as
"the commissioner," shall update the State's economic development strategy to ensure that
it provides a 10-year plan for economic development statewide. In updating the economic
development strategy, the commissioner shall consult with the advisory council described
in section 2. The plan may also be updated periodically, based on the input provided to the
commissioner by the advisory council.
    Sec. 2. Economic development strategy advisory council. Resolved: That the
commissioner shall establish an advisory council to assist the commissioner in updating
the State’s economic development strategy. The advisory council must consist of members
who have knowledge and experience in economic and community development in the State
and must include, but is not limited to, the following:
    1. The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner’s designee;
    2. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection or the commissioner’s designee;
    3. The Commissioner of Transportation or the commissioner’s designee;
    4. One member who is a representative of the University of Maine System;
    5. One member who is a representative of the Maine Community College System;
    6. The president of the Maine Development Foundation;
    7. The Director of the Maine Arts Commission;
   8. One member who is a representative of a statewide business association representing
employers in the State;
    9. One member who is a representative of an organization that serves as a regional
planning agency serving the communities of Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties;
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    10. One member who is a representative of an organization working to serve the social
and economic interests of federally recognized Indian tribes in the State;
    11. One member who is a representative of an organization working to promote
investment in agriculture, aquaculture and biopharmaceuticals;
    12. One member who is a representative of an organization working to support people
with resources through strategic giving, community leadership, personalized service, local
expertise and strong investments; and
    13. One member who is a representative of an organization that provides health care
services in the State.
   The commissioner shall also reach out to each member of the Maine Congressional
Delegation and invite the member to join the advisory council.
    Sec. 3. Duties of the advisory council. Resolved: That the advisory council
established under section 2 shall meet periodically, as determined by the commissioner, to
consider and develop improvements to the State’s economic development strategy,
including, but not limited to:
    1. The development of workforce skills;
    2. The attraction and retention of a diverse workforce;
    3. The creation and retention of quality jobs that add economic value or bring in money
from outside the State;
    4. The attraction of out-of-state investment and venture capital and how the State can
successfully compete with other states for investment and venture capital;
    5. The attraction of research and development opportunities;
    6. The connection to and development of sectors essential for sustainable future growth
including sectors involved in cutting-edge technologies;
   7. Providing education that produces career-ready or college-ready graduates for the
workforce continuum in the State and supports appropriate lifelong learning;
    8. The best ways to promote stability and certainty in the economic environment;
    9. Incentives and penalties that should be put in place to attract and support jobs;
    10. Potential solutions to the economic disparity between the urban and rural areas of
the State; and
    11. Identifying the strategy's potential impacts on taxes, regulation, health care, energy
costs and labor laws, as well as anything that affects the State's ability to compete for
innovative companies and jobs that add economic value or bring in money from outside
the State.
    Sec. 4. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 6, 2023, the commissioner
shall submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development,
Economic Advancement and Business that includes a summary of the current economic
development strategy and the commissioner’s progress in implementing the requirements
of this resolve. The Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic
Advancement and Business may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the
131st Legislature based on the information provided in the report.
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