An Act To Make Additional Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1903
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_I_H952 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §4301, 22 MRSA §4308, 22 MRSA §4309, 22 MRSA §4310, 22 MRSA §4311

HOUSE AMENDMENT ";:.,, to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1405, 
L.D. 1903, Bill, "An Act To Make Additional Supplemental Appropriations and 
Allocations and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law for the Fiscal Years Ending 
June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013" 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of Part R and inserting the following: 
'PARTR 
Sec. R-l. 22 MRSA §4301, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1991, c. 9, Pt. U, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
1. 
Basic necessities. 
"Basic necessities" means food, clothing, shelter, fuel, 
electricity, nonelective medical services as recommended by a physician, nonprescription 
drugs, telephone wflet:e when it is necessary for medical reasons and any other 
commodity or service determined essential by the overseer in accordance with the 
municipality's ordinance and this chapter. 
"Basic necessities" de does not include 
security deposits for rental property, except for emergency purposes, or housing 
assistance for longer than 90 days per calendar year. For the purposes of this subsection, 
"emergency purposes" means any situation in which no other permanent lodging is 
available unless a security deposit is paid. 
Sec. R-2. 22 MRSA §4301, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 577, §l, is 
amended to read: 
3. Eligible person. "Eligible person" means a person who is qualified to receive 
general assistance from a municipality according to standards of eligibility determined by 
the municipal officers whether or not that person has applied for general assistance. 
"Eligible person" does not include: 
A. A recipient of cash assistance under section 3762 or a household member of that 
recipient but may include a caretaker relative of that recipient who receives cash 
assistance on behalf of the recipient. As used in this paragraph, "caretaker relative" 
has the same meaning as in section 3811, subsection I-A; or 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT "J>tO COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1405, L.D. 1903 
B. An individual who has been sanctioned for noncompliance pursuant to section 
3763, subsection 1. 
Sec. R-3. 22 MRSA §4308, sub-§2, ~C is enacted to read: 
C. A person who has received 90 days of housing assistance in a calendar year is 
ineligible for emergency assistance under this subsection for the remainder of that 
calendar year. 
Sec. R-4. 22 MRSA §4309, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 577, §1, is 
amended to read: 
3. Eligibility of members of person's household. Failure of an otherwise eligible 
person to comply with this chapter shalt does not affect the general assistance eligibility 
of any member of the person's household who is not capable of working, ifleludiflg at 
least except as provided in section 4301, subsection 3, paragraphs A and B and section 
4308, subsection 2, paragraph C. Household members not capable of working include, 
without limitation: 
A. A dependent minor child; 
B. An elderly, ill or disabled person; and 
C. A person whose presence is required in order to provide care for any child under 
the age of 6 years or for any ill or disabled member of the household. 
Sec. R-5. 22 MRSA §4309, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 528, Pt. SS, §3 
and affected by Pt. RRR and enacted by c. 591, Pt. SS, §3, is amended to read: 
4. Eligibility of minors who are parents. A An otherwise eligible person under the 
age of 18 who has never married and who has a dependent child or is pregnant is eligible 
only if that person and child reside in a dwelling maintained by a parent or other adult 
relative as that parent's or relative's own home or in a foster home, maternity home or 
other adult-supervised supportive living arrangement unless: 
A. The person has no living parent or the whereabouts of both parents are unknown; 
B. No parent will permit the person to live in the parent's home; 
C. The department determines that the physical or emotional health or safety of the 
person or dependent child would be jeopardized if that person and dependent child 
lived with a parent; 
D. The individual has lived apart from both parents for a period of at least one year 
before the birth of any dependent child; or 
E. The department determines, in accordance with rules adopted pursuant to this 
section, which must be in accordance with federal regulations, that there is good 
cause to waive this requirement. 
For the purposes of this subsection, "parent" includes legal guardian. 
Sec. R-6. 22 MRSA §4310, first ~, as amended by PL 1991, c. 9, Pt. D, §7, is 
further amended to read: 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT "Pto COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1405, L.D. 1903 
Whenever an applioaat eligible person applies for general assistance and states to the 
administrator that the applicant is in an emergency situation and requires immediate 
assistance to meet basic necessities, the overseer shall, pending verification, issue to the 
applicant either personally or by mail, as soon as possible but in no event later than 24 
hours after application, sufficient benefits to provide the basic necessities needed 
immediately by the applicant, previd@d that as long as the following conditions are met. 
Sec. R-7. 22 MRSA §4310, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 577, §1, is 
amended to read: 
4. Limitations. In no case: 
A. May the authorization of benefits under this section exceed 30 days; aed 
B. May there be further authorization of benefits to the applicant until there has been 
full verification confirming the applicant's eligibility.,.; and 
C. May emergency housing assistance benefits be authorized to an applicant who has 
received housing assistance for 90 days in that same calendar year. 
Sec. R-8. 22 MRSA §4311, sub-§l, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. AAA, 
§7 and by PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
1. 
Departmental reimbursement. 
The department shall reimburse each 
municipality or Indian tribe for a portion of the direct costs of paying benefits through its 
general assistance program if the department finds that the municipality or Indian tribe 
was in compliance with all requirements of this chapter during the fiscal year for which 
reimbursement is sought. The amount of reimbursement must be an amount equal to: 
A. For each municipality. 50% of all general assistance granted by that municipality; 
and 
B. For an Indian tribe that incurs net general assistance costs in any fiscal year in 
excess of .0003 of that tribe's most recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal 
year for which reimbursement is being issued. as determined by the State Tax 
Assessor in the statement filed as provided in Title 36, section 381, 90% of the 
amount in excess of these expenditures. In addition, the department shall reimburse 
the tribe 10% of all general assistance granted by that tribe. 
As used in this subsection, "Indian tribe" has the same meaning as in section 411, 
subsection 8-A. 
Sec. R-9. 22 MRSA §4311, sub-§l-B, as amended by PL 1991, c. 9, Pt. U, §8, is 
repealed. 
Sec. R-IO. 22 MRSA §4311, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1991, c. 9, Pt. U, §9, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Submission of reports. Municipalities and Indian tribes shall submit monthly 
reports as falle'Ns on forms provided by the department. 
A. Fer pl.-l:fJleses ef this s@otien, these mtHlicipaiities that received reimbHfsement at 
90% during the previeHs fiscal year of the State aad those IIlHnioipaliti@s that @xp@ot 
te receive r@imblH's@ment at 90% Eltrring the OUff@nt fiscal year of th@ State fHHSt 
sHbmit monthly reports on forms provided by the department. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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HOUSE AMENDMENT 'y to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1405, L.D. 1903 
B. 
Those ffi1:lfliei-palities that did Bot reeeive reimbursement at 90% duriBg the 
pre'lious fiseal year aBd do Bot eKpeet to reeeil;e reimbursement at 90% for the 
eurrent fiseal year must submit "luarterly or semiaBBual reports OB forms provided by 
the departmeBt. ' 
Amend the amendment by inserting after Part GGG the following: 
'PARTHHH 
Sec. HHH-i. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations 
and allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS) 
General Assistance - Reimbursement to Cities and Towns 0130 
Initiative: Deappropriates funds for general assistance benefits. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
ZOll-12 
$0 
$0 
2Q12-13 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes the provisions in Committee Amendment "A" that concern 
general assistance and replaces them with the provisions from the bill concerning general 
assistance. It also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SPONSOREDBY:~~-------"-" 
(Representative 
) 
TOWN: Turner 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04112112 :;tvae 
LD 1903 
LR 2847(14) 
An Act To Make Additional Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations and To Change Certain 
Provisions of the Law for the Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2013 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment" £n to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Rep. Timberlake of Turner 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Projections 
Projections 
FY 2011-12 
FY 2012-13 
FY 2013-14 
FY 2014-15 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
$0 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
$0 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
Fund Detail by Section 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
PART HHH, Section 1 
$0 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
($1,429,001) 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This amendment increases the General Fund savings of the bill by $1,429,001 in fiscal year 2012-13. 
LR2847(14) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1