An Act To Support Rural Resilience And Emergency Response Through The Maine Service Fellows Program

LD 876 establishes ongoing funding of $700,000 annually to support 20 participants in the Maine Service Fellows Program, which connects volunteers with community service opportunities. The bill requires the Maine Commission for Community Service to collaborate with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to create a list of trained volunteers - including program participants and veterans - for emergency response during declared states of emergency. This list will be coordinated with the Maine Emergency Management Agency to support rapid deployment of trained individuals. The program must also submit an annual report to the Governor and Legislature by January 31 each year.