HP1253
LD 1746		 Session - 126th Maine Legislature
 
 LR 2238
Item 1
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

An Act To Facilitate Informed Planning for Higher Education and Careers

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§10-E  is enacted to read:

10-E.   
Education State Education and Employment Outcomes Commission Expenses Only 20-A MRSA §12901

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§7-D  is enacted to read:

7-D.   
Education Education and Employment Outcomes Technical and Data Working Group Not Authorized 20-A MRSA §12902

Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA c. 437  is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 437

STATE EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES COMMISSION

§ 12901.  State Education and Employment Outcomes Commission

1.  Commission established.   The State Education and Employment Outcomes Commission, established in Title 5, section 12004-G, subsection 10-E and referred to in this chapter as "the commission," is established to develop procedures to maintain and disseminate information and data from the Department of Labor's educational outcome database, referred to in this chapter as "the database," on education results, program completion, graduation, credentials earned, loans and loan defaults and costs as well as employment and earnings outcomes for graduates of postsecondary educational institutions in the State over time.
2.  Membership.   The commission consists of 24 members appointed as follows:
A.  Seven members appointed by the President of the Senate as follows:

(1) Two members of the Senate, one from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;

(2) A representative from the University of Maine System;

(3) A representative from a private postsecondary educational institution in the State;

(4) A representative from the Maine School Management Association or a successor organization;

(5) A person having experience in kindergarten to grade 12 education, school counseling and student loan financing, economics or marketing; and

(6) A person who is a student attending a secondary school or postsecondary educational institution in the State;

B.  Seven members appointed by the Speaker of the House as follows:

(1) Two members of the House of Representatives, one from each of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;

(2) A representative from the Maine Community College System;

(3) A representative from a private postsecondary educational institution in the State;

(4) A representative from an organization with expertise in state and national higher education policy;

(5) A person having experience in kindergarten to grade 12 education, school counseling and student loan financing, economics or marketing; and

(6) A person who is a student attending a secondary school or postsecondary educational institution in the State;

C.  Seven members appointed by the Governor as follows:

(1) A representative from the Maine Maritime Academy;

(2) A representative from a private postsecondary educational institution in the State;

(3) A person having experience in kindergarten to grade 12 education, school counseling and student loan financing, economics or marketing;

(4) A representative from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce or a successor organization;

(5) A representative from a regional chamber of commerce;

(6) A person with expertise in state and national higher education policy; and

(7) A small business owner;

D.  The Commissioner of Education or the commissioner's designee;
E.  The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee; and
F.  The administrator of the database or the administrator's designee.
3.  Chairs.   The first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair of the commission.
4.  Terms of appointment.   Nonlegislative members of the commission are appointed for terms of 3 years and may serve beyond their designated terms until their successors are appointed. Terms of appointment of Legislators coincide with their respective legislative terms of office.
5.  Staffing.   The Department of Education and the Department of Labor shall provide staff assistance to the commission.
6.  Duties.   The commission shall:
A.  Develop procedures to maintain and disseminate information regarding the anticipated career lifetime earnings of graduates of postsecondary educational institutions in the State based on the database, their anticipated monthly cumulative student loan payments and the terms of their loans and available incentives;
B.  Create procedures for the use of the information provided in the database by state agencies, higher education organizations that have partnerships with the commission, local school systems and the public;
C.  Make recommendations regarding the design and content of a website jointly hosted by the Department of Education and the Department of Labor that provides maximum information to the public regarding higher education and employment;
D.  Identify a viable long-term funding method to maintain the database;
E.  Produce recommendations for the Department of Education on how to provide information to secondary school students who are making higher education decisions;
F.  Address any issues that may arise from the use or impact of the database; and
G.  Prepare annual work plans.
7.  Reports; legislation.   The commission shall report to both the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters each year on the status of the database. The reports must include a description of where funding is coming from for the database and the sustainability of that funding, how the website under subsection 6, paragraph C is used, including by whom and how frequently they use it, and efforts to incorporate its use into secondary schools and any other issues the commission determines necessary. The commission may submit with the reports legislation required to implement its recommendations.

§ 12902.  Education and Employment Outcomes Technical and Data Working Group

The Education and Employment Outcomes Technical and Data Working Group, established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 7-D and referred to in this chapter as "the group," advises the commission on matters related to this chapter.

1.  Membership; terms; meetings.   The group consists of 6 members appointed by the commission. The members include the administrator of the database or the administrator's designee, a representative of a statewide organization representing school guidance counselors, a representative of a statewide organization representing school principals, a representative of the University of Maine System, a representative of the Maine Community College System and a representative of a private postsecondary educational institution in the State.

The commission shall convene the first meeting of the group. The members shall elect a chair from the membership by majority vote of the membership at the first meeting of the group. The chair serves for the duration of that member's term unless a majority of the membership elects another chair. At the end of the chair's term as member, the membership shall elect a succeeding chair by majority vote of the membership. Members serve for a term of 3 years. The group shall meet semiannually to conduct business and may meet and report at other times as needed. A quorum consists of 4 members.

2.  Duties of group.   The group shall make recommendations to the commission regarding:
A.  The operation and use of the database and the information the database contains;
B.  The commission's duties regarding the website under section 12901, subsection 6, paragraph C and integration of the information on the website into the State's secondary schools;
C.  Funding methods for the database;
D.  Additional data for inclusion in the database; and
E.  Any question or issue that the commission has charged the group with.

Sec. 4. Staggered terms. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 12901, subsection 4, terms of members of the State Education and Employment Outcomes Commission are as follows.

1. Of the initial nonlegislative members appointed by the President of the Senate, 2 must be for terms of 3 years, 2 must be for terms of 2 years and one must be for a term of one year.

2. Of the initial nonlegislative members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2 must be for terms of 3 years, 2 must be for terms of 2 years and one must be for a term of one year.

3. Of the initial gubernatorial appointments, 3 must be for terms of 3 years, 2 must be for terms of 2 years and 2 must be for terms of one year.

Sec. 5. Staggered terms. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 12902, subsection 1, 3 members of the Education and Employment Outcomes Technical and Data Working Group must serve for a term of 3 years, 2 must serve for a term of 2 years and one must serve for a term of one year.

summary

This bill establishes the State Education and Employment Outcomes Commission to develop procedures to maintain and disseminate information and data on education results, program completion, graduation, credentials earned, loans and loan defaults and costs as well as employment and earnings for graduates of postsecondary educational institutions in the State. The bill also establishes the Education and Employment Outcomes Technical and Data Working Group to make recommendations to the commission regarding the operation and use of the Department of Labor's educational outcome database and the information the database contains, the duties of the commission regarding a website jointly hosted by the Department of Labor and the Department Education and integration of the information on the website into the State's secondary schools, funding methods for the database, additional data for inclusion in the database and any question or issue that the commission has charged the group with.

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