An Act To Monitor and Maintain Maximum Levels of Assistance in the General Assistance Program
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0367
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRENNAN, PINGREE, BARTLETT, COWGER, PERRY, SCHNEIDER, STRIMLING, O'BRIEN
Amends: 22 MRSA §4305

Legislative Document 
No. 367 
S.P. 114 
In Senate, January 25,2005 
An Act To Monitor and Maintain Maximum Levels of Assistance in 
the General Assistance Program 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BRENNAN of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative PINGREE of North Haven and 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: BARTLETT of Cumberland, COWGER of Kennebec, PERRY of Penobscot, 
SCHNEIDER of Penobscot, STRIMLING of Cumberland, Representative: O'BRIEN of 
Lewiston. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4305. sub-§3-B. as amended by PL 1993, c. 
410, Pt. AAA, §3, is further amended to read: 
3-B. 
Temporary maximum levels. 
Notwithstanding subsection 
3-A, municipalities shall establish an aggregate maximum level of 
assistance that is 110'"0 of the applicable existing housing fair 
market rents as established by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 
Code of Federal 
Regulations, Section 888.115, applying the zero-bedroom level for 
one person, the one-bedroom level for 2 persons, the 2-bedroom 
level for 3 persons, the 3-bedroom level for 4 persons and the 
4-bedroom level for 5 persons. 
For each additional person, the 
aggregate maximum level increases by $75. 
For the purposes of 
this subsection, 
municipalities with populations greater 
than 
10,000 
are 
deemed 
Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas 
in 
those counties for which there are 2 fair market rent values and 
the 
aggregate 
maximum 
level 
of 
assistance 
for 
all 
Standard 
Metropolitan Statistical Areas is the average of the fair market 
rental values for the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas and 
areas that are not Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas for 
each county in which there are 2 fair market rental values. 
Beginning October 
2005 
and annually thereafter, 
the aggregate 
maximum level of assistance must be established at the greater of 
110'"0 of the fair market rents as determined in this subsection 
and the amount achieved by annually increasing the most recent 
aggregate maximum level of assistance by the percentage increase 
in the federal poverty level of the current year over the federal 
poverty level of the prior year. 
For the purposes of this subsection, 
"federal poverty level" 
means that measure defined by the federal Department of Health 
and Human Services and updated annually in the Federal Register 
under authority of 42 United States Code, Section 9902(2). 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires that beginning October 2005 and annually 
thereafter, 
the aggregate maximum level of general assistance 
must be established at the greater of 110°" of the fair market 
rents and the amount achieved by annually increasing the most 
recent 
aggregate 
maximum 
level of general 
assistance 
by 
the 
percentage increase in the federal poverty level of the current 
year over the prior year. 
Page l-LR1952 (1)