An Act To Amend Certain Requirements in the ASPlRE-TANF Program
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1746
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MARTIN, O'BRIEN, MILLER
Amends: 22 MRSA §3788, 22 MRSA §3789-B, 22 MRSA §3789-C

Legislative Document 
No. 1746 
S.P.663 
In Senate, December 30, 2005 
An Act To Amend Certain Requirements in the ASPlRE-TANF 
Program 
Submitted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 28,2005. Referred to the Committee 
on Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to 
Joint Rule 401. 
Presented by Senator MARTIN of Aroostook. 
Cosponsored by Representative O'BRIEN of Lewiston and 
Representative: MILLER of Somerville. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3788, sub-§10, ,C, as amended by PL 1997, c. 
530, Pt. A, §26, is further amended to read: 
C. 
EaHsat:ieB 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 
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 
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 1n 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. 
In addition, all public and private agencies are subject to the 
following requirements. 
A. 
All 
agencies 
that 
receive 
funds 
from 
any 
state 
department 
or 
division 
must 
provide 
at 
least 
one 
workforce-Maine Serve 
opportunity 
for 
an 
ASPIRE-TANF 
participant. 
B. 
All state agencies that provide funding for child care 
or transportation services must require that recipients of 
TANF 
be given priority for those services. 
C. 
All agencies that receive funds from any state agency 
for the treatment of drug or alcohol abuse must require that 
recipients of TANF be given priority for those services. 
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Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §3788. sub-§14. as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, 
Pt. A, §26, is repealed. 
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §3789-B, as corrected by RR 2003, c. 2, §7 5, 
is repealed. 
Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §3789-C, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 418, Pt. 
A, §36, is repealed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill accomplishes the following: 
1. 
It clarifies 
that 
participants 
in 
the 
Parents 
as 
Scholars Program are not limited to a maximum of 24 months of 
education, training and treatment in the ASPIRE-TANF program; 
2. 
It eliminates a 
never-used provision for contracting 
with 
agencies 
to 
eliminate 
multiple 
barriers 
to 
achieving 
employment; 
3. 
It eliminates a provision to implement an intensive peer 
education project to increase family planning services to TANF 
recipients; 
4. 
It 
repeals 
the 
provision 
establishing 
the 
Interdepartmental Welfare Reform Committee; and 
5. 
It eliminates the committee of staff and recipients 
addressing application and case maintenance issues.