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An Act To Preserve and Grow Maine Jobs
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13070-P  is enacted to read:
§ 13070-P.  Return of public funds to the State
A business that has received an economic development incentive from the State, as defined by section 13070-J, subsection 1-D, that goes out of business and relocates its business to another location inside or outside of the State, consolidates and closes one of its facilities or consolidates into a single facility, leaving another facility vacant and that had a minimum of 100 employees during the 3-year period immediately preceding the time of the business closure, must either:
 
1.  Reimburse State.     Reimburse the State for the full amount of economic development incentives distributed to the business; or
 
2.  New owner or new business.     Work in good faith with the Governor and the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to find a new owner for the business or locate a new business to take its place in the same area of the State.
 
If the Governor determines that the business has failed to work in good faith to find a new owner or locate a new business to take its place within 2 months following the business closure or consolidation, the Governor may request that the parties enter mediation. If the Governor determines that the business has not worked in good faith to satisfy the requirements of paragraph 2, the Governor may require the business to reimburse the State for the full amount of economic development incentives distributed to the business.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires a business that is closing and relocating to another part of the State or consolidating and closing its facilities or leaving a facility vacant, and that has received an economic development incentive from the State and had a minimum of 100 employed workers during the 3-year period immediately preceding the time of the business closure to either reimburse the State for the full amount of economic development incentives the State has distributed to the business or work in good faith with the Governor and the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development to find a new owner for the business or locate a new business to take its place in the same area of the State.