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Amend the bill in section 1 in §4771 by striking out all of the last sentence (page 1, lines 8 and 9 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 'Except for the Maine Maritime Academy, an eligible institution may not begin the fall semester before the official Labor Day holiday of each year.'
Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 1 by striking out all of the 2nd sentence (page 1, lines 13 and 14 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 'Except as provided in paragraph F, instructional days for students may not begin before the official Labor Day holiday of each year.'
Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 1 by inserting after paragraph E the following:
 
‘F. The commissioner may approve a request by a school administrative unit to begin instructional days prior to the Labor Day holiday if the calendar proposed by the school administrative unit includes a fall recess to allow students to participate in the harvest of an agricultural crop.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following:
‘Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE MAINE
 
Maine Community College System - Board of Trustees 0556
 
Initiative: Provides one-time funds for the administrative and printing costs associated with requiring classes within the Maine Community College System not commence until after Labor Day.

GENERAL FUND	2009-10	2010-11	
All Other	$150,000	$0	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$150,000	$0	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs. It allows the Maine Maritime Academy to begin the fall semester before Labor Day. It also authorizes the Commissioner of Education to allow a school administrative unit to begin school before Labor Day if a harvest recess is proposed in that school administrative unit's school calendar. The amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)