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LD 1956

An Act To Amend The Law Governing The Competitive Skills Scholarship Program And Establish The Community Workforce Connections Program

132nd Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Matt Beck and 8 co-sponsors

Creates the Community Workforce Connections Program in Maine's Department of Labor and allows CSSP funds to support it; no new state dollars, minor uptick in civil filings.

Signed by Governor
#competitiveskillsscholarshippro #jobtraining #programs
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Bill Summary · LD 1956

Summary — LD 1956

An Act To Amend the Law Governing the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program and Establish the Community Workforce Connections Program

Overview

LD 1956 creates a new Community Workforce Connections (CWC) Program within the Maine Department of Labor and amends existing law governing the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program (CSSP) to allow CSSP Fund resources to be used to support the new program. The bill was enacted (as amended) and signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.

Key provisions

  • Establishes the Community Workforce Connections Program in the Department of Labor (text of program duties not provided in the fiscal note).
  • Amends CSSP law to permit funds in the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program Fund to be used to support the newly established CWC Program.
  • Enacted as amended by Committee Amendment “A” (S‑304) (committee amendment text not included in the available documents).

Fiscal and legal impacts

  • Fiscal note (approved 05/27/25 and updated 06/10/25) indicates a current biennium cost increase to the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program Fund beginning in FY 2025‑26 due to allowable support for the CWC Program.
  • The CSSP Fund is reported to have sufficient budgeted resources to absorb the increased costs; no additional state allocations are required.
  • The bill may cause a minor increase in civil suits filed in the court system; workload increase is judged minimal and does not require new judicial funding. Any additional court filing fees would produce minor General Fund revenue increases.

Who is affected

  • Maine Department of Labor — will host/operate the new Community Workforce Connections Program.
  • CSSP Fund and program stakeholders — the fund will be an allowable funding source for the new program and will experience higher expenditures.
  • Training providers, employers, jobseekers and community organizations — likely participants/partners in a workforce connections program (specific program mechanics not detailed in available documents).
  • Judicial system — a possible small rise in civil filings.

Legislative history and timeline

  • Introduced: May 7, 2025 (referred to Committee on Labor).
  • Committee work and amendment: Work session May 14; Committee Amendment “A” (S‑304) adopted.
  • Passed Legislature: June 10–11, 2025 (Roll call 415: Yeas 79, Nays 66, Absent 4, Excused 2).
  • Signed by Governor: June 20, 2025.

Notes / Limitations

The available documents consist of fiscal notes and legislative actions; the full bill text and the contents of Committee Amendment “A” (S‑304) were not provided here. Specific operational details for the Community Workforce Connections Program (eligibility, services, grant/contract mechanisms, performance metrics, or funding caps) are therefore not summarized.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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