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Amend the bill by inserting after section 1 the following:
‘Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §4771, as amended by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. VVV, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§ 4771. Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
1.  Eligible institution.     "Eligible institution" means institutions of the University of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime Academy.
 
2.  Secondary school student.     "Secondary school student" means a student who is a Maine resident and is:
 
A.  Enrolled in a public secondary school;
 
B.  Enrolled in an adult education program as defined in section 8601-A, subsection 1;
 
C.  Participating in an approved home instruction program pursuant to section 5001-A, subsection 3, paragraph A, subparagraph (4); or
 
D.  Enrolled in a private school approved for the receipt of public funds pursuant to section 2951.
 
3.  Semester.    "Semester" means the fall, spring or summer term of an academic year.’
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 4, 5 and 6 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §4772-B  is enacted to read:
§ 4772-B. Postsecondary courses; student eligibility
 
1.  Student eligibility.     A secondary school student may be eligible to receive state subsidy for postsecondary courses as specified in section 4775 if all the requirements of subsection 2 are satisfied and the student:
 
A.  Is enrolled in grade 11 or higher in the student's school; or
 
B.  Maintains a minimum secondary school grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4.0, or the equivalent of a "B" average, as determined by the school, unless the student has been granted a waiver by the eligible institution.
 
2.  Postsecondary courses.     A student that meets the criteria pursuant to subsection 1 may be eligible to receive state subsidy for postsecondary courses as specified in section 4775 as long as:
 
A.  The eligible institution has space available for the secondary school student and not more than 1/3 of the students in a course are secondary school students;
 
B.  The eligible institution has determined that the student has satisfactorily completed all course prerequisites;
 
C.  The school administration approves;
 
D.  The student's parent approves; and
 
E.  The student has received a recommendation to take a postsecondary course or courses at an eligible institution from the student's school administration or one of the student's secondary school teachers following an assessment of the student by the school administration.
Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §§4774 and 4775, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 758, §2, are amended to read:
§ 4774.Credits
 
1. High school credit.   A school administrative unitadministration may grant academic credit toward a high school diploma to a student who successfully completes a course, including an online course, under this chapter. Prior to the student's enrollment in the course, the school administration shall inform the student of the extent to which credit will be awarded toward the high school diploma upon successful completion of the course.
 
2. Postsecondary credit.   The eligible institution shall grant full credit to any student who successfully completes a course, including an online course, at the eligible institution under this chapter. The course must apply to graduation requirements at the eligible institution in which it was taken or be transferable to another eligible institution on an equal basis with a course taken by any other student at the eligible institution.
§ 4775.Payment; appropriations
The department shall pay 50% of the in-state tuition for the first 36 credit hours taken each semester and up to 12 credit hours per academic year taken by a student eligible under section 4772-B at an eligible institution and up to 6 credit hours per academic year. The eligible institution may not make any additional tuition charges for the coursethose courses but may impose fees and charges, other than tuition, that are ordinarily imposed on students not covered by this chapter. The department may pay these fees and charges for a high school student eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Funds appropriated to the department to carry out the purposes of this chapter must be in addition to the customary and ongoing amounts appropriated for general purpose aid for local schools.
Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §4776, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. VVV, §2, is amended to read:
§ 4776.Distribution of available funding
Not more than 10% 5% of the total funding available to the department for postsecondary education, either through a direct appropriation for postsecondary education under this chapter or as part of the ongoing funds included in the appropriation for general purpose aid for local schools, may be used for secondary students to take a postsecondary course during the summer term.’
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 1 in the 3rd line (page 2, line 33 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "19" and inserting the following: '20'
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 1 in paragraph A in the first line (page 2, line 35 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Three" and inserting the following: 'Four'
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 1 in paragraph A in subparagraph (2) in the 2nd line (page 2, line 38 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "and"
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 1 in paragraph A in subparagraph (3) in the 2nd line (page 3, line 2 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "designee;" the following: 'and'
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 1 in paragraph A by inserting after subparagraph (3) the following:
‘
 
(4) The Chief Executive Officer of the Finance Authority of Maine or the chief executive officer's designee;
Amend the bill in section 7 in §4777 in subsection 3 by striking out all of paragraphs E and F (page 4, lines 5 to 8 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘E.  Establishing and overseeing an evaluation process of the early postsecondary programs; and
 
F. Making recommendations regarding funding to support the development and expansion of early postsecondary education programs.’
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 8 (page 4, lines 27 to 30 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §8406  is enacted to read:
§ 8406. Academic skills testing
Assessment tests to determine college-level academic skills must be administered at an approved site. A career and technical education center shall provide an approved site for the test.’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment makes several changes to the bill:
1. It adds the definition of "secondary school student" to the definitions in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, chapter 208-A in order for the definition to apply to the entire chapter and clarifies that "secondary school student" includes a student enrolled in an adult education program or participating in an approved home instruction program;
2. It requires that in order to be eligible to receive state subsidy for postsecondary courses, a secondary school student must be a Maine resident;
3. It limits the total number of secondary school students enrolled in a postsecondary school course to no more than 1/3 of the total number of students enrolled in the course;
4. It requires the school administrative unit to inform a student enrolled in a postsecondary school course of the extent to which high school credit will be granted toward graduation requirements as a result of successfully completing the course;
5. In current law, the department pays 50% of the in-state tuition for the first 3 credit hours taken each semister. The amendment doubles the amount to 6 credits;
6. It reduces the percentage of total funding available that can be used to support secondary school students enrolled in summer term courses; and
7. It increases the membership of the Commission on Expanding Early Postsecondary Access for High School Students from 19 to 20.