The Legislature finds that the goal of integrating persons with disabilities into all aspects of community life is enhanced by providing expanded markets for products and services of work centers. The Legislature further believes that work centers provide a valuable means of transitional employment for the State's disabled population and for some, such as the most severely disabled persons, they may offer the only opportunities available for long-term, gainful employment. [2003, c. 515, §1(AMD).]
In order to assure continued opportunities for persons with disabilities to obtain this employment through work centers, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide reliable and steady income and job opportunities to work centers. It is the purpose of this section and sections 1826-B and 1826-C to ensure that some portion of state purchases for commodities and services be available to work centers. [RR 2015, c. 1, §1(COR).]
5 M.R.S. § 1826-A