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LD628 • 2025

An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma

An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma

Education
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Representative Michael Brennan
Last action
2025-06-15
Official status
Became Law without Governor's Signature
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 Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma

An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma Sponsor: Representative Michael Brennan Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

What This Bill Does

  • An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma Sponsor: Representative Michael Brennan Reference committee: Education and Cultural Affairs Governor action: Became Law without Governor's Signature

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.

Adopted by House & Senate

Plain English: Page 1 - 132LR0910(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.

  • Page 1 - 132LR0910(02) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 1 L.D.
  • 628 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 8FIRST SPECIAL SESSION 9 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “ ” to H.P.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-15 Governor

    Became Law without Governor's Signature

  2. 2025-06-02 House

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  3. 2025-06-02 Senate

    PASSED TO BE ENACTED , in concurrence.

  4. 2025-05-28 Committee

    Reported Out; OTP-AM/ONTP

  5. 2025-03-25 Committee

    Work Session Held

  6. 2025-03-25 Committee

    Voted; Divided Report

  7. 2025-02-20 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs.

Official Summary Text

An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education Diploma
Sponsor:
Representative Michael Brennan
Reference committee:
Education and Cultural Affairs
Governor action:
Became Law without Governor's Signature

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Page 1 - 132LR0910(03)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 396 - L.D. 628
An Act Regarding Eligibility to Apply for a Department of Education
Diploma
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §257-A, sub-§1-A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 171, §1, is
further amended to read:
1-A. Eligibility for students impacted by COVID-19 pandemic. Notwithstanding
the eligibility requirements in subsection 1, a student is eligible to apply for a Department
of Education diploma if that student is a 4th year secondary school student and is unable to
satisfy the requirements for a diploma from a school administrative unit because the student
experienced a significant interruption to the student's education as a result of the COVID‑19
pandemic and civil emergency during the student's secondary school education history.
This subsection is repealed on September 1, 2026.
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §257-A, sub-§1-C is enacted to read:
1-C. Exception for disruption to student's education conditions. A student is
eligible to apply for a Department of Education diploma if that student is at least a 4th year
secondary school student and is unable to satisfy the requirements for a diploma from a
school administrative unit because of a disruption to the student's education during the
student's secondary school education history. A disruption to the student's education may
include, but is not limited to, conditions described in section 5161, subsection 2-A.
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §5161, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 445, §3, is
further amended to read:
2-A. Education disruption. "Education disruption" means disruption of the
educational program of an elementary or secondary school student as a result of:
A. Homelessness or, foster care placement or another housing disruption;
B. Absence for 10 or more consecutive school days due to placement in an interim
program more than 10% of the school days in a school year due to unforeseen
circumstances, including, but not limited to, placement in an interim program,
unplanned hospitalization or serious medical condition;
LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S
SIGNATURE

JUNE 15, 2025
CHAPTER
312
PUBLIC LAW
Page 2 - 132LR0910(03)
C. Enrollment in 3 2 or more schools or educational programs in a single school year
during the student's secondary school education; or
D. The student's being an immigrant student or a migrant student.
"Education disruption" does not include an absence for 10 or more consecutive school days
as a result of a planned absence for a reason such as a family event or a medical absence
for a planned hospitalization or recovery or pursuant to a superintendent's determination
developed in accordance with section 5205, subsection 2.