Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3788, sub-§10, śC, as amended by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §26, is further amended to read:

C. Education Except for participants who are accepted into the Parents as Scholars Program established under section 3790, education, training and treatment is limited to a maximum of 24 months, starting with the first day of participation in any allowable and approved job skills or occupational skills training activity. The 24-month period may be extended by the commissioner or the designee of the commissioner for good cause shown.

The department may approve a job skills or occupational training activity longer than 24 months provided the participant agrees to perform a minimum of 20 hours a week of work site experience by no later than the end of the 24- month period. Qualifying work site experience may include, but is not limited to, paid employment, workforce- MaineServe, ASPIRE-Plus, work study, training-related practicums or any other such work site approved by the department. The 24-month period does not include periods of nonactivity in which good cause has been determined.

For individuals who are satisfactorily participating in an education or training program prior to the work evaluation, the department must determine the acceptability of the activity for purposes of meeting the participation requirements of this chapter using the same criteria as is used for any individual in the ASPIRE-TANF program.

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3788, sub-§12, as amended by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §26, is further amended to read:

12. Developing resources. To assist the department in its efforts to encourage job placement opportunities and provide the services necessary to ensure self-support to recipients of TANF assistance, the department may contract with public and private agencies to establish job placement opportunities.

In order to assist in the development of job placement opportunities, the department in cooperation with the Department of Labor and other state agencies shall explore the feasibility of developing a shared approach to technology to support access to information talent banks, national job banks, Maine's job listings and any other job opportunity listings, to facilitate linking program resources listings and to coordinate case service providers.