Resolve, To Establish a Committee To Examine Issues Relating to the Administration of Municipal General Assistance Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting in its place the following: Sec. I. General assistance committee established. Resolved: That the Department of Human Services shall convene a general assistance committee, referred to in this resolve as the committee," composed of persons interested in the administration of municipal general assistance. The committee must include, but is not limited to, representatives of the Department of Human Services, the Maine Municipal Association, municipal general assistance administrators and persons with low incomes; and be it further Sec. 2. Committee duties. Resolved: That the committee shall examine and make recommendations regarding the following issues: 1. Whether the administration of municipal general assistance can be simplified and access to general assistance for those in need can be improved; Page 1-LR1124(2) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1066
Committee Amendment CA_A_H738 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "if" to H.P. 784, L.D. 1066, Bill, 
Act to Address the Temporary Maximum Levels of Assistance 
General Assistance Established in 1991" 
"An 
for 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'Resolve, To Establish a Committee To Examine Issues Relating to 
the Administration of Municipal General Assistance' 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
title and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
'Sec. I. General assistance committee established. Resolved: That 
the 
Department 
of 
Human 
Services 
shall 
convene 
a 
general 
assistance 
committee, 
referred 
to 
in 
this 
resolve 
as 
"the 
committee," composed of persons interested in the administration 
of municipal general assistance. 
The committee must include, but 
is not limited to, representatives of the Department of Human 
Services, 
the 
Maine 
Municipal 
Association, 
municipal 
general 
assistance administrators and persons with low incomes; and be it 
further 
Sec. 2. Committee duties. Resolved: That the committee shall 
examine and make recommendations regarding the following issues: 
1. 
Whether 
the 
administration 
of 
municipal 
general 
assistance can be simplified and access to general assistance for 
those in need can be improved; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "ff: to H.P. 784, L.D. 1066 
2. The potential for regional general assistance offices, 
cooperative 
agreements 
among 
towns 
and other initiatives to 
reduce 
administrative 
costs 
of 
providing 
municipal 
general 
assistance and to improve access to general assistance; 
3. 
Ways 
in 
which 
federal 
housing 
assistance 
can 
be 
maximized 
to assist 
low-income 
residents of 
the State. 
The 
committee shall meet with representatives of federal and state 
housing 
agencies 
to evaluate whether fair market 
rents, 
as 
established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 
are representative of the rental market in each 
region of the State. If the committee determines that the fair 
market rents are not representative of actual rental values, the 
commi ttee shall make recommendations to address the issue. 
The 
committee shall also examine the housing data that is collected 
in 
the 
State 
and 
make 
recommendations 
for 
additional 
data 
collection to improve the State's ability to m.aximize federal 
housing assistance; and 
4. 
How to improve the State's collection of data regarding 
general assistance in order to better understand how municipal 
programs 
are 
functioning. 
The 
committee 
shall 
make 
recommendations to ensure adequate data collection, including, 
but not limited to, data concerning the number of applications 
and the number of people granted and denied assistance; and be it 
further 
Sec. 3. Reports. Resolved: That the committee shall submit a 
progress report no later than January 15, 
2005 
and a 
final 
report, including suggested legislation, no later than January 
15, 
2006 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction over 
human 
services 
matters. 
Following 
receipt and review of the final report, 
the joint standing 
committee of 
the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
human 
services matters may report out legislation based on the report 
to the Second Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and makes it a resolve. The 
amendment requires the Department of Human Services to convene a 
general assistance committee composed of persons interested in 
the 
administration 
of 
municipal 
general 
assistance. 
The 
amendment 
directs 
the 
committee 
to 
examine 
and 
make 
policy 
recommendations regarding general assistance and to report to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over human services matters. 
FISCAL :\OTE REQURED 
(See~~t!ached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 02/23/04 ;:!;PaC!. 
Office of Fiscal and Program Review 
LD 1066 
An Act to Address the Temporary Maximum Levels of Assistance for 
General Assistance Established in 1991 
LR 1124(02) 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" " 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Any additional costs to the Department of Human Services to implement this resolve can be absorbed by the 
department utilizing existing budgetary resources. 
LRl124(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1