LD2109 • 2025

An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State

Education

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Representative Michael Brennan
Last action: 2026-04-03
Official status: Signed by the Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State

An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State Sponsor: Representative Michael Brennan Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Governor action: Signed by the Governor

What This Bill Does

An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State Sponsor: Representative Michael Brennan Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Governor action: Signed by the Governor

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

C-A (H-838)

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR2619(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

Page 1 - 132LR2619(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
2109 2 Date: (Filing No.
H- ) 3EDUCATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS 4 Reproduced and distributed under the direction of the Clerk of the House.
5STATE OF MAINE 6HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 7132ND LEGISLATURE 8SECOND REGULAR SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

2026-04-03 Governor
Signed by the Governor
2026-03-24 Senate
PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.
2026-03-19 House
PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.
2026-03-09 Committee
Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP
2026-02-18 Committee
Work Session Held
2026-02-18 Committee
Voted; Divided Report
2026-01-07 Committee
Referred to Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State
Sponsor:
Representative Michael Brennan
Reference committee:
Education and Cultural Affairs
Governor action:
Signed by the Governor

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Page 1 - 132LR2619(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
H.P. 1424 - L.D. 2109
An Act to Define "Public Education" and Clarify That a Private School
Receiving Approval for Public Tuition Must Be Located in the State
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §1, sub-§23-C is enacted to read:
23-C. Public education. "Public education" means education that:
A. Is provided primarily at public expense;
B. Meets all state and federal requirements for education for enrolled students;
C. Is provided to students for free in every grade level from kindergarten to grade 12;
and
D. Is provided in accordance with section 1001, subsection 8.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §2951, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1985, c. 797, §25, is further
amended to read:
3. Incorporated; located within State. Is incorporated under the laws of the State of
Maine or of the United States and, notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, if
the instructional facility and administrative offices are located within the State;
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §15689-F, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 581, §11, is
further amended to read:
3. Casino revenues. If the annual funding for public education instruction for children
in public preschool programs and public education for children in kindergarten and grades
one to 12 is supported by casino revenues credited to the department pursuant to Title 8,
section 1036, the department shall journal expenditures from the General Purpose Aid for
Local Schools, General Fund account to the K-12 Essential Programs and Services, Other
Special Revenue Funds account to meet financial obligations and for purposes of cash flow.
Sec. 4. Approval for receipt of public funds by private schools not located
within State; students currently enrolled. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised
Statutes, Title 20-A, section 2951, subsection 3, a private school that is not located within
the State that was approved for tuition purposes pursuant to Title 20-A, section 2951 prior
APPROVED
APRIL 3, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
632
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR2619(03)
to the effective date of this Act at which a student from the State is enrolled pursuant to
Title 20-A, section 5204, subsection 4 as of the effective date of this Act may continue to
receive the tuition rate for that student as calculated pursuant to Title 20-A, section 5806
until the student has completed the student’s secondary school education at the private
school, as long as the private school continues to meet all requirements for approval under
Title 20-A, section 2951 other than the requirements of Title 20-A, section 2951, subsection
3.