# Maine LD 1653: An Act to Develop Maine's Credentialed Workforce Maine LD 1653, An Act to Develop Maine's Credentialed Workforce, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Holly Sargent (Democratic); status became law, last action 2025-06-17 (ACTPUB Chapter 324); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1653-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 1653 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Develop Maine's Credentialed Workforce - Status: became law - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-04-15 - Last action: 2025-06-17, ACTPUB Chapter 324 - Sponsor: Holly Sargent (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 8 - Subjects: JOB TRAINING, JOB TRAINING - PROGRAMS - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 4 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Up to $100K toward student loans: benefit, high. The program pays up to $25,000 each year toward your eligible student loans. You can get payments for up to 4 years. Your total cannot be more than $100,000 or 50% of your eligible loan balance at application, whichever is less. - Yearly job check to get payment: cost, low. Before each annual payment, you and your employer must certify you worked in a priority occupation for the last 12 months. The Authority makes no payment until both certifications are received. - Maine launches priority jobs loan help: mixed, medium. The law creates the Maine Credentialed Workforce Program run by the Finance Authority of Maine. A dedicated fund can receive state, federal, and private money, earn interest, and keep unspent funds. The Authority can make routine rules and will publish priority jobs and application dates. The fund… - Who qualifies and 4-year job pledge: mixed, medium. To apply, you must have an associate, bachelor’s, graduate degree, or a credential within the last 5 years. You must have eligible student loan debt. You agree to work in a Maine priority occupation for at least 4 years. The Finance Authority of Maine sets detailed eligibility rules. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Holly Sargent (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Allison Hepler (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christina Mitchell (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Janice Dodge (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Joseph Rafferty (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Kelly Murphy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Laurie Osher (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael Brennan (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mike Tipping (Democratic), Senate ## Actions (7) - 2025-06-17: ACTPUB Chapter 324 - 2025-06-03: PASSED TO BE ENACTED, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-03: PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-06-03: Reports ReadOn motion by Senator RAFFERTY of York the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report ACCEPTED Bill READ ONCE Committee Amendment "A" (H-375) READ and ADOPTED. Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED by Committee Amendment "A" (H-375) in concurrence. (Senate) - 2025-06-02: Reports READ.On motion of Representative MURPHY of Scarborough, the Majority Ought to Pass as Amended Report was ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Committee Amendment "A" (H-375) was READ and ADOPTED.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (H-375). Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2025-04-15: The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS in concurrence (Senate) - 2025-04-15: Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered printed. The Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (H-375), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (H-375), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=HP1094&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1653-132 (as of 2026-10-17).