An Act To Create Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1910
Committee Amendment CA_A_H938 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ",~" 
To 
Create 
Employment 
to H.P. 1351, L.D. 1910, Bill, "An 
Opportunities 
for 
People 
with 
Disabilities" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of Part A and Part B. 
Further amend the bill in Part C by inserting at the end the 
following: 
'Sec. C-2. Disability employment services activities and functions. 
The Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau 
of 
Human 
Resources, 
based on the availability of 
financial 
resources, 
shall 
reinstate 
the 
activities 
and 
functions 
previously associated with the position of Disability Employment 
Services Coordinator to provide oversight and facilitation of the 
duties of the State ·relative 'to the employment of workers with 
disabilities in all state agencies and to continue certification 
and appointment policies for such employees pursuant to existing 
state policies and rules.' 
Further amend the bill by striking out all of Part D and 
Part E and inserting in their place the following: 
'PARTD 
Sec. D-l. Report. 
The Department of Labor jointly with the 
Department of Health and Human Services shall submit, no later 
than January 1, 2007, to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature 
having 
jurisdiction over 
labor 
matters 
a 
report 
regarding 
employment 
opportunities 
for 
individuals 
with 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
{~~. 
~~ 
.. ". 
, 
. ~'. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1351, L.D. 1910 
developmental disabilities. 
The departments shall produce the 
report in consultation with the Maine Jobs Council's Standing 
Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, established 
in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 2006; 
Speaking 
Up For Us of Maine; the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council; 
the Disability Rights Center of Maine; the Maine Association of 
Community Service Providers; 
the Brain Injury Association of 
Maine; and other interested parties. 
The report must address the 
following issues: 
1. 
Ways to enhance access to employment opportunities for 
adults with developmental disabilities and a strategy to make 
supportive 
employment 
services 
the 
primary 
form 
of 
support 
services available to adults with developmental disabilities, 
especially when they graduate from high school; 
2. 
Data 
on 
the 
number 
of 
individuals 
who 
receive 
freestanding 
day 
habilitation 
funding 
versus 
supportive 
employment funding and the amount of funding involved, including 
state grant funds, 
state seed funds and federal funds. 
The 
report also must address data on the number of newly graduating 
high 
school 
students 
who 
received 
services 
through 
the 
freestanding day habilitation entitlement in each of the past 2 
years, the cost associated with this entitlement, the projected 
cost of this entitlement in fiscal year 2006-07 and fiscal year 
2007-08 and the location within the budget where funds for this 
entitlement are 19cated; 
3. 
The 
possibility 
of 
using 
currently 
earmarked 
freestanding day habilitation funds for supportive employment, 
including the possibility of converting the state match for the 
current day habilitation services to a new jobs program under a 
new Medicaid waiver; 
4. 
The relative merits of administering state supportive 
employment 
services 
to 
individuals 
with 
developmental 
disabilities through the Department of Labor as opposed to the 
Department of Health and Human Services; 
5. 
The extent to which individuals who receive supportive 
employment 
services 
have 
a 
plan 
for 
achieving 
self-support 
approved by the Social Security Administration; 
6. 
A review of other states' policies regarding supportive 
employment, including the State of Washington; 
7. 
The reasons for and against implementing a 
new state 
policy modeled after the State of Washington policy that mandates 
supportive employment services for the class of 2007 high school 
graduates; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
,;~~}~~ 
t·\, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'l~" to H.P. 1351, L.D. 1910 
8. 
The resources that need to be available to existing 
providers of supportive employment and day habilitation services 
in order to successfully shift their emphasis to job development 
for adults with developmental disabilities. 
PARTE 
Sec. E-l. Report. 
No later than January 31, 2007, the Maine 
Jobs Council's Standing Committee on Employment of People with 
Disabilities, working jointly with the Department of Labor and 
the 
Department of 
Economic 
and 
Community 
Development, 
shall 
submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction 
over 
labor 
matters 
a 
report 
identifying 
the 
resources necessary for the development and implementation of a 
media 
campaign 
designed 
to 
increase 
statewide 
awareness 
of 
employment-related issues affecting individuals with disabilities 
and an employer outreach campaign designed to engage employers in 
discussions and information exchange about issues, services and 
support systems related to the employment of individuals with 
disabilities, including, but not limited to, the following: 
1. 
Presentations 
to 
business 
groups 
and 
associations, 
including chambers of commerce. 
These presentations must include 
participation 
by 
individuals 
with 
disabilities 
who 
are 
successfully employed and local service provider agencies that 
can 
assist 
employers 
in 
recruiting, 
training 
and 
retaining 
individuals with disabilities in employment: 
2. 
Information sessions and training workshops presented at 
conferences and other meetings where employers are in attendance 
and employment issues are addressed: 
3. 
The 
events 
that 
opportunities 
disabili ties: 
planning and convening of other business-oriented 
focus 
on 
the 
needs, 
benefits, 
supports 
and 
related to 
the 
employment 
of 
individuals with 
and 
4. 
The 
development 
of 
a 
library 
of 
business-oriented 
promotional materials to 
be 
used in public 
information 
and 
awareness sessions and available to employers by request at any 
time. 
The report shall include recommendations for funding and 
implementing the 2 campaigns.' 
Further amend the bill by 
nonconsecutive 
Part 
letter 
consecutively. 
relettering 
or 
section 
or renumbering any 
number 
to 
read 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
<:.):?j<t 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. n 
.. to H.P. 1351, L.D. 1910 
SUMMARY 
The amendment strikes from the bill Part A, which provided a 
state tax credit to employers for wages paid to employees with 
disabilities, and Part B, which provided a state earned income 
tax credit to taxpayers with disabilities. 
It adds language to 
require the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, 
Bureau of Human Resources to reinstate, based on the availability 
of financial resources, the activities and functions previously 
associated with the position of Disability Employment Services 
CQordinator in order to provide oversight and facilitation of 
duties relative to the employment of workers with disabilities in 
state agencies. 
The amendment replaces Part D with language that 
requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the 
Department of Labor to produce a report, in consultation with 
several disabilities services agencies and interested parties, 
regarding 
employment 
opportunities 
for 
individuals 
with 
developmental 
disabilities. 
Fihally, 
the 
amendment 
strikes 
language in Part E requiring the development of a media campaign 
and replaces it with a requirement that the Maine Jobs Council's 
Standing Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, 
working jointly with the Department of Labor and the Department 
of Economic 
and Community Development, 
submit 
a 
report with 
recommendations regarding the funding and implementation of a 
media campaign and an employer outreach campaign. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/28/06 ~ac.. 
LD 1910 
LR2828(02) 
An Act To Create Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '/I." 
Committee: Labor 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
--
Costs associated with reinstating the activities and functions previously associated with the position of Disability 
Employment Services Coordinator relative to the employment of workers with disabilities in state agencies can be 
absorbed by the Bureau of Human Resources within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services utilizing 
existing budgeted resources. 
Additional costs to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of 
Economic and Community Development associated with preparing the required reports can be absorbed utilizing 
existing budgeted resources. 
LR2828(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1