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Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Support Efforts To Attract and Retain Young People in the State's Workforce’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 2. 10 MRSA §917-A, sub-§6  is enacted to read:
 
6.  Attract and retain youth in the State.     The Maine Development Foundation shall establish and oversee an initiative to develop, recommend and implement specific strategies and efforts to attract and retain youth in this State. For the purposes of this subsection, "youth" means persons 20 to 40 years of age. The initiative must be guided by an independent steering committee selected by the Maine Development Foundation Board of Directors that is composed of youth with a diverse representation of gender, race, geography, professional sector and education and including representation from regional young persons groups and networks across the State. The Maine Development Foundation shall perform activities to advance this initiative, including but not limited to:
 
A.  The support of regional efforts in this State to connect, attract and retain youth. Areas of support include professional and leadership development, social networking and community building and collaboration between regional groups for the purpose of promoting best practices;
 
B.  The support and promotion of existing and emerging economic development, public policy and community initiatives that expand opportunities for youth in this State; and
 
C.  The development and oversight of a comprehensive website linking youth to professional, educational, social, recreational, cultural and civic opportunities in this State.
Sec. 3. Report. By February 1, 2009, the Maine Development Foundation shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over business, research and economic development matters on the progress made pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 917-A, subsection 6 to attract and retain young people in this State and to support regional efforts in this State to connect, attract and retain people 20 to 40 years of age and the foundation's use of any state funds appropriated to support these efforts across the State.
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, MAINE
 
Development Foundation 0198
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funds to support and increase activities, programs and outreach to attract and retain young people in the State within the Maine Development Foundation's responsibilities pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 917-A, subsection 6. The foundation may use the appropriated funds to support any of these efforts, provided that not less than 50% of the funds be used to support regional efforts across the State.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$100,000	$100,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$100,000	$100,000	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment replaces section 2 of the bill with new language describing the Maine Development Foundation’s responsibility to establish and oversee an initiative to develop, recommend and implement specific strategies and efforts to attract and retain youth in Maine. It also requires the foundation to report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over business, research and economic development matters by February 1, 2009 on the progress made pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 917-A, subsection 6 to attract and retain young people in Maine and to support regional efforts in Maine to connect, attract and retain people 20 to 40 years of age and the foundation's use of any state funds appropriated to support these efforts across the State. It also amends the initiative section of the appropriations and allocations section to require the foundation to use the appropriated funds to support any of these efforts to provide programs and outreach to attract and retain young people in Maine, provided that not less than 50% of the funds be used to support regional efforts across the State.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)