An Act To Align Municipal General Assistance Programs with the Immigration Status Policies of the Department of Health and Human Services
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0369
Committee Amendment CA_B_S272 (Senate)
Amends: 22 MRSA §4301

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 0 " to S.P. 137, L.D. 369, Bill, "An Act To Align 
Municipal General Assistance Programs with the Immigration Status Policies of the 
Department of Health and Human Services" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4301, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2013, c. 368, Pt. 00, §4, is 
further 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 person who is a fugitive from justice as defined in 
Title 15, section 201, subsection 4. "Eligible person" also does not include: 
A. An alien who is not a qualified alien as dermed in 8 United States Code, Section 
1641; 
B. A nonimmigrant under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 United 
States Code, Section 1101 et seq.; or 
C. An alien who is paroled into the United States under the federal Immigration and 
Nationality Act, 8 United States Code, Section 1182(d)(5) for less than one year. 
Sec. 2. 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 due to savings achieved related to a person's immigration 
status making that person ineligible to receive municipal general assistance program 
benefits. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "0> "to S,p, 137, L.D, 369 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SU~y 
2015-16 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
2016-17 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
This amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the 
language of the bill with more specific language identifying which noncitizens are not 
eligible for general assistance, This amendment adds an appropriations and allocations 
section, 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 06112115 
;:Wac 
LD 369 
LR 598(03) 
An Act To Align Municipal General Assistance Programs with the Immigration Status Policies of the 
Department of Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "2J'(S-J.l;t) 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations! Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2015-16 
FY 2016-17 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
($3,112,981) 
This bill includes General Fund deappropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $3,112,981 
beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 to the General Assistance - Reimbursement to Cities and Towns program associated 
with the change in eligiblity for a person who has been detelmined ineligible to receive benefits administered by the 
Department of Health and Human Services on the basis of a law, rule or regulation related to that person's 
immigration status now also being ineligible to receive municipal general assistance program benefits. The 
department had already stopped making this type of General Assistance payment on June 15th, 2014 based on a 
federal law (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) which made not qualified 
immigrants ineligible for state and local public benefit programs. However, there was never a baseline reduction to the 
appropriation for this change in June of 20 14, and the deappropriations in this bill will fully book the savings. 
LR0598(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1