131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1608		LR 661(02)
	An Act to Address Teacher Shortages Through Financial Assistance and Career Advancement Opportunities
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2023-24	FY 2024-25	Projections  FY 2025-26	Projections  FY 2026-27
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$1,000,000	$1,000,000	$1,000,000
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations of $1,000,000 per year beginning in fiscal year 2024-25 to the Educational and General Activities program within the University of Maine System to support the Maine Teacher Residency Program at the University of Southern Maine.
	The bill requires the Maine Education Policy Research Institute to study the development of career ladders for educators and report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by December 6, 2023. Maine Revised Statutes Annotated, Title 20-A, section 10 established the Education Research Institute to collect and analyze education information and perform targeted education research for the Legislature.  The Legislature contracts with the University of Maine System to maintain the institute and ongoing General Fund appropriations of $250,000 per year are included in the Learning Systems Team program account within the Department of Education to support the work of the institute.  This fiscal note assumes that the intent is that the study be paid for with the funding included in the Learning Systems Team budget for fiscal year 2023-24 and enacted in Public Law 2023, chapter 17 and that the cost of the study will not exceed the $250,000 already appropriated for fiscal year 2023-24.  Given these assumptions, no additional General Fund appropriations are included in this bill for this purpose.