Sec. 1. 5 MRSA c. 20 is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 20

COUNTY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

§471. Creation

There is established the County and Local Government Internship Program, administered by the Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy within the University of Maine System referred to in this chapter as "the program," for attracting and placing qualified undergraduate and graduate college students temporarily within county and local governments.

§472. Purposes

The purposes of this program are:

1.__Selection. To attract and select college students with ambition and talent for temporary internships within county and local governments;

2.__Placement. To place each program intern in a position of some responsibility where the intern can contribute ideas, enthusiasm and ingenuity while completing a project under the direction of a responsible county or local administrator;

3.__Liaison. To encourage liaisons between county and local governments and the various institutions of higher learning located within the State; and

4.__Recommendations. To formulate recommendations for improving the program and for attracting college graduates with outstanding potential into permanent positions of employment within county and local governments.

§473. Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the program, a student must:

1.__College.__Have completed at least 2 years of college or have graduated from college within the past year; and

2.__Residence.__Be a state resident or attend a college in the State.

§474. Duties of the Margaret Chase Smith Center for Public Policy