Maine Revised Statutes Title 5. Administrative Procedures and Services § 13056-I. Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Program

1. Program established. The Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Program, referred to in this section as “the program,” is established within the department to provide grants for local economic development initiatives in rural regions of the State that will assist rural businesses in those regions in locating, recruiting and retaining qualified staff to meet workforce needs. For the purpose of this section, “rural regions of the State” means Aroostook County, Piscataquis County, Somerset County and Washington County.

2. Fund established. The Rural Workforce Recruitment and Retention Grant Fund, referred to in this section as “the fund,” is established as a nonlapsing fund within the department for the purpose of providing funds for the program. The fund consists of money appropriated to the fund by the Legislature and any funds received by the department for the purposes of the program.

3. Rulemaking. The department shall establish by rule the criteria for eligibility for grants from the program and the process of application. The rules must require that an entity receiving a grant for an initiative secure matching funds for the initiative on a one-to-one basis. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

4. Reporting. The department shall report by January 15th of each year to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over economic development matters on the program, including the number of grants given and the results achieved.