Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §934-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §1, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

1.__Major policy-influencing position.__The Deputy Commissioner is a major policy-influencing position within the Department of Economic and Community Development.__The Deputy Commissioner is appointed by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development and serves at the commissioner's pleasure.__ Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this position and its successor position is subject to this chapter.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §3327, sub-§1, ¶G, as amended by PL 2003, c. 9, §1, is further amended to read:

G. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the commissioner's designee;

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §13033, as amended by PL 2003, c. 681, §5, is further amended to read:

§13033. Membership

The commission consists of 10 members: the Chief Executive Officer of the Finance Authority of Maine or the chief executive officer's designee; the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the commissioner's designee; the House and Senate chairs of the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over business, research and economic development matters, who are ex officio, nonvoting members; the chair of the Small Business Development Centers Advisory Council; the District Director of the United States Small Business Administration's Maine District Office; and a designee from the administrative unit and 3 public members with expertise and knowledge in small business and entrepreneurship, appointed by the commissioner.

Sec. 4. 5 MRSA c. 383, sub-c. 1-B, as amended, is repealed.

Sec. 5. 5 MRSA §13105, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 673, Pt. M, §8, is amended to read:

1. Office established. The commissioner shall establish the Office of Innovation, referred to in this subchapter as "the office." The office shall encourage and coordinate the State's research and development activities to foster collaboration among the State's higher education and nonprofit research institutions and the business community. The commissioner shall appoint the