An Act To Create a County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0377
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: CHENETTE, GROHMAN, DESCHAMBAULT, WOODSOME, GERRISH, NADEAU, O'NEIL
Amends: 34-A MRSA §1219

Legislative Document
No. 377
S.P. 118
In Senate, February 2, 2017
An Act To Create a County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment 
Grant Program
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CHENETTE of York.
Cosponsored by Representative GROHMAN of Biddeford and
Senators: DESCHAMBAULT of York, WOODSOME of York, Representatives: GERRISH of 
Lebanon, NADEAU of Winslow, O'NEIL of Saco.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  34-A MRSA §1219 is enacted to read: 
§1219.  County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program 
There is established the County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant 
Program, referred to in this section as "the grant program," to provide state funding in the 
form of grants for the creation of drug rehabilitation and treatment programs or facilities 
attached to or affiliated with county jails or regional jails.  Drug rehabilitation and 
treatment programs and facilities, to qualify for funding, must provide evidence-based 
rehabilitation and treatment, which may include, but is not limited to, detoxification 
services, medication-assisted treatment, clinical treatment, medical services, faith-based 
treatment, peer support, family support, self-care, recovery coaching and support services 
and educational services.  A facility or program may be residential or provide outpatient 
or community-based services. 
1.  Advice.  The department shall seek the advice of a statewide association of county 
commissioners and a statewide association of sheriffs in designing the grant program, 
adopting standards for awarding grants and periodically reviewing the effectiveness of 
the grant program. 
2.  Availability.  The grant program is available to provide partial funding to eligible 
counties that are planning to affiliate with or build or convert a portion of county or 
regional jails or jail facilities for use as short-term or long-term residential drug 
rehabilitation and treatment facilities or programs or other county-based solutions to drug 
addiction within the scope of the grant. 
3.  Awards; grading standards; priority list.  The department shall adopt grading 
standards for awarding grants that require county funding contributions to the drug 
rehabilitation and treatment facility or program of at least 50% of the cost, that take into 
consideration the level of support within the county for the facility or program and the 
level of county funding committed to the facility or program and that take into 
consideration the level of need in the county for a drug rehabilitation and treatment 
facility or program.  The grading standards must give priority to a county that 
demonstrates a commitment to increasing the financial contributions of that county over 
time.  The department shall compile a list of eligible counties that reflects priorities 
derived from the grading standards.  The department shall update the standards and list of 
eligible counties as needed for the administration of the grant program. 
4.  Funding.  The department shall accept funding from state, federal and community 
sources, including, but not limited to, private funding, to fund the grant program through 
the County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program Dedicated Fund, 
which is established as a dedicated fund within the department.  Funds of the County Jail 
Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program Dedicated Fund do not lapse at the 
end of the fiscal year but carry forward to the next fiscal year.  Notwithstanding any 
provision of law to the contrary, funds remaining and unencumbered at the end of a state 
fiscal year in any account of the department lapse on the first day of the new fiscal year to 
the County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program Dedicated Fund. 
5.  Rulemaking.  The department shall adopt rules to establish the grading standards 
for the grant program and the grading methodology for judging applications and to 
administer the grant program.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the County Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant 
Program to provide state funding in the form of grants to partially fund the creation of 
drug rehabilitation and treatment facilities and programs attached to or affiliated with 
county jails or regional jails.  The bill requires the Department of Corrections to seek the 
advice of a statewide association of county commissioners and a statewide association of 
sheriffs in designing, adopting standards for and periodically reviewing effectiveness of 
the grant program.  The bill specifies that the grant program provides partial funding to 
counties that are planning to affiliate with or build or convert a portion of county or 
regional jails or jail facilities for use as short-term or long-term residential drug 
rehabilitation and treatment facilities or programs.  The bill requires the department to 
adopt grading standards for awarding grants that require county funding contributions to 
the drug rehabilitation and treatment facility or program of at least 50% of the cost, that 
take into consideration the level of county support and county funding and that take into 
consideration county need.  The department is directed to compile a priority list that 
reflects priorities derived from the grading standards.  The bill allows the department to 
accept funding from private and public sources and provides for funding from the County 
Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program Dedicated Fund, which is 
established in the bill as a nonlapsing, dedicated fund.  The bill provides that department 
funds remaining and unencumbered at the end of a state fiscal year lapse to the County 
Jail Drug Rehabilitation and Treatment Grant Program Dedicated Fund.