Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §12703-A is enacted to read:

§12703-A.__Coordination of higher education planning and business

sector needs

1.__Collaborative process.__The board of trustees, in collaboration with the Trustees of the University of Maine System, shall develop and implement a formal process to work with public and private sector representatives of business, industry and economic development to coordinate higher education planning and resource allocation decisions with the needs of the State's economy and business sector.

2.__Comprehensive plan.__The board of trustees, in collaboration with the Trustees of the University of Maine System, shall develop a comprehensive plan that coordinates higher education planning with the needs of the business sector. The board of trustees shall consult with the Future for Youth in Maine State Work Action Tactics Team established in Title 5, section 13161 in development of the plan.__At a minimum, the plan must address the needs of the business sector with respect to research and development, the commercialization of new products and services, business development and workforce training.

3.__Report.__The board of trustees, in conjunction with the Trustees of the University of Maine System, shall report on the collaborative process and comprehensive plan outlined in this section to the Future for Youth in Maine State Work Action Tactics Team established in Title 5, section 13161, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over business matters no later than January 15, 2005 and annually thereafter.

Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, śW, as amended by PL 1991, c. 780, Pt. TT, §1, is further amended to read:

W. Pursuant to the purpose of the Act to provide housing assistance to persons of low income and in accordance with rules adopted under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act,