An Act To Create the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security II
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 1110
Committee Amendment CA_A_S548 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to S.P. 362, L.D. 1110, Bill, "An Act To 
Create the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security" 
II 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§6-H is enacted to read: 
6-H. 
Economic 
Development 
Maine Council on 
Poverty and 
Economic 
Security 
Legislative per 
diem for 
appointed 
members plus 
expenses 
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA c. 391 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 391 
POVERTY AND ECONOMIC SECURITY 
§ 13171. Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security 
MRSA § 13 1 71 
The Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security, as established in Title 5, 
section 12004-1, subsection 6-H and referred to in this section as "the council," advises 
the Governor and the Legislature on approaches that this State can successfully employ to 
end poverty and provide economic security to those who are poor or near poor in the 
State and benchmarks to measure the State's progress in reaching those goals. For 
purposes of this chapter, "poverty" means either having family income below the nonfarm 
income official poverty line or below the annual basic needs budget as adjusted to family 
size determined by the Department of Labor under Title 26, section 1405. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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IS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A "to S.P. 362, L.D. 1110 
1. Membership; terms; meetings. The council consists of 21 appointed, voting 
members and 5 ex officio, nonvoting members. 
A. Voting members ofthe council are as set out in this paragraph: 
(I) Two members of the Senate, who may not be from the same political party, 
appointed by the President of the Senate; 
(2) Four members of the House of Representatives, of whom no more than 2 
may be members of the same political party, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House of Representatives; 
(3) One member of the nonprofit community serving individuals living in or near 
poverty, appointed by the Governor based on recommendations of statewide 
organizations serving low-income persons; 
(4) 
One member representing faith-based organizations, appointed by the 
Governor based on recommendations of statewide faith-based organizations; 
(5) Two individuals living in or near poverty, one of whom has had experience 
with homelessness, appointed by the Governor based on recommendations of 
statewide poverty advocacy organizations; 
(6) One representative of an advocacy organization specializing in public policy 
related to poverty, appointed by the Governor based on recommendations of 
statewide advocacy organizations; 
(7) One person who has experienced poverty who is disabled, appointed by the 
Governor based on the recommendations of statewide disability organizations; 
(8) One representative of children living in or near poverty, appointed by the 
Governor based on the recommendations of statewide children's advocacy 
organizations; 
(9) 
Two members representing the business community, appointed by the 
Governor based on the recommendations of statewide business organizations; 
( I 0) One person who has experienced poverty who is a woman, appointed by the 
Governor based on the recommendations of statewide women's organizations 
with expertise in issues related to poverty; 
(11) One representative of a statewide organization with expertise in economic 
policy analysis relating to challenges faced by low-income persons, appointed by 
the Governor based on the recommendations of statewide organizations with 
expertise in issues related to poverty; 
(12) Two representatives of economic development organizations, appointed by 
the Governor based on the recommendations of economic development 
organizations; 
(13) One person who has experienced poverty who is elderly, appointed by the 
Governor based on the recommendations of statewide organizations representing 
or serving elderly individuals; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A 
"to S.P. 362, L.D. 1110 
(14) One representative of Native Americans, appointed by the Governor based 
on the recommendations of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Houlton Band 
of Maliseet Indians, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation. 
B. The following individuals, or their designees, shall serve on the council as ex 
officio, nonvoting members: the Director of the State Planning Office within the 
Executive Department; the Commissioner of Health and Human Services; the 
Commissioner of Labor; the Commissioner of Education; and the Director of the 
Maine State Housing Authority. 
C 
Members of the council must have experience with issues of poverty and 
economic insecurity and represent the geographic diversity of the State. 
D. 
Members of the council serve for a term of 3 years except that initial 
appointments must be for 1, 2 and 3 years in order to provide for staggered terms. At 
the end of a term an outgoing member serves until a successor has been appointed. A 
member may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms. 
E. The members of the council shall elect a chair from among their members by 
majority vote at the first meeting of the council. The chair serves for the duration of 
that member's term unless a majority of the membership elects another chair. At the 
end of the chair's term as member, the membership shall elect a new chair by 
majority vote. 
2. Duties of council. The council shall: 
A. Identify the number of those I iving at or near the poverty level in the State, and 
among certain subpopulations, including children, households headed by single 
females, the elderly, racial minorities and people with disabilities; 
B. Identify the risk factors and underlying causes of poverty through consultation 
with experts, service providers and individuals living in or near poverty and review 
research literature to identify the best practices for prevention and reduction of 
poverty; 
C 
Examine the long-term effects of poverty on individuals, their families and their 
communities, including the costs of poverty to municipalities, the State and the 
State's economy; 
D. 
Examine programs that are targeted to assist people living in poverty or near 
poverty and identify any inadequacies or gaps in such programs; 
E. Recommend public policy strategies and procedures for the elimination of poverty 
in the State; 
F. Establish measurable benchmarks for the elimination of poverty in the State by 
setting percentage reductions in the number of people living in or near poverty in the 
next 5, 10 and 20 years; and 
G. Establish procedures for the operation of the council. 
3. Staff assistance. The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide 
necessary staffing services to the council. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to S.P. 362, L.D. 1110 
4. Compensation. Legislative members of the council are entitled to receive the 
legislative per diem described in Title 3, section 2 and reimbursement for travel and other 
necessary expenses related to their attendance at authorized meetings of the council. 
Pub] ic members not otherwise compensated by their employers or other entities that they 
represent are entitled, to the extent that funds are available, to receive reimbursement of 
necessary expenses and, upon a demonstration of financial hardship, a per diem equal to 
the legislative per diem for their attendance at authorized meetings of the council. 
5. Outside funding. The council may not accept General Fund funding but may 
seek outside funding to cover costs of the council. 
6. Report. The council shall report to the Governor and the Legislature by February 
15th annually on the State's progress in reducing the number of people living in or near 
poverty and with recommendations, including legislative recommendations, for ensuring 
that the goal of ending poverty is reached in a timely and effective manner consistent 
with benchmarks established by the council. 
Sec. 3. 
Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
LEGISLATURE 
Legislature 0081 
Initiative: Allocates funds for per diem and expenses for legislative members who will 
serve as members of the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
2007-08 
2008-09 
Personal Services 
$0 
$1,320 
All Other 
$0 
$1,200 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
$0 
$2,520 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and creates the Maine Council on Poverty and 
Economic Security. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/31108 frac 
LD 1110 
LR 1499(02) 
An Act To Create the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment" A " 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Legislative Cost/Study 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Legislative Cost/Study 
2007-08 
$0 
2008-09 
$2,520 
Projections 
2009-10 
$2,520 
Projections 
2010-11 
$2,520 
This bill includes an annual allocation of Other Special Revenue Funds to the Legislature of $2,520 beginning in fiscal 
year 2008-09 to provide funds for the per diem and expenses for legislative members who will serve as members of 
the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security. This allocation is contingent on the acceptance of outside 
funding to cover the costs of the legislative members and the council. Since the Department of Human Services is 
providing staffing services to the council, it may be necessary for the department to transfer funds to the Legislature at 
the beginning of each fiscal year. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Department of Human Services, the State Planning Office, the Department of Labor, the 
Department of Education and the Maine State Housing Authority associated with serving on the council can be 
absorbed within each agency's existing budgeted resources. 
LR1499(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I