An Act To Prioritize Use of Available Resources in General Assistance Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0219
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRAKEY, MASON, SANDERSON
Amends: 22 MRSA §4301, 22 MRSA §4317, 22 MRSA §4317-A

Legislative Document
No. 219
S.P. 65
In Senate, January 24, 2017
An Act To Prioritize Use of Available Resources in General 
Assistance Programs
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BRAKEY of Androscoggin.
Cosponsored by Senator: MASON of Androscoggin, Representative: SANDERSON of 
Chelsea.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §4301, sub-§1-B is enacted to read: 
1-B.  Available resource.  "Available resource" means any resource that is 
immediately available or can be secured without delay to an applicant or recipient, 
including but not limited to cash on hand or in bank accounts or support from relatives.  
"Available resource" also includes any state, federal or nonprofit health or social service 
provider assistance or any housing, employment or unemployment assistance that an 
applicant is receiving or immediately eligible to receive. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §4301, sub-§12-B is enacted to read: 
12-B.  Potential resource.  "Potential resource" means any resource that may be 
available to an applicant or recipient, including, but not limited to, any state or federal 
assistance program, employment benefits, governmental or private pension programs, 
available trust funds, support from legally liable relatives, child support payments and 
jointly held resources in which the applicant's or recipient's share may be available. 
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §4317, first ¶, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. AAA, §11, 
is further amended to read: 
An applicant or recipient must make a good faith effort to secure any potential 
resource that may be available, including, but not limited to, any state or federal 
assistance program, employment benefits, governmental or private pension programs, 
available trust funds, support from legally liable relatives, child-support payments and 
jointly held resources where the applicant or recipient share may be available to the 
individual. Assistance may not be withheld pending receipt of such resource as long as 
application has been made or good faith effort is being made to secure the resource. 
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §4317, 3rd ¶, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. AAA, §11, is 
further amended to read: 
An applicant who refuses to utilize potential resources without just cause, after 
receiving a written 7-day notice, is disqualified from receiving assistance until the 
applicant has made a good faith effort to secure the resource.  It is the responsibility of 
the applicant to establish the presence of just cause. 
Sec. 5.  22 MRSA §4317-A is enacted to read: 
§4317-A.  Use of available resources 
1.  Abandonment and refusal to use available resource.  An applicant who 
abandons or refuses to use an available resource without just cause is not eligible to 
receive general assistance to replace the abandoned or refused resource for a period of 
days from the date the applicant abandoned or refused to use the resource.  A 
resource is considered abandoned if the applicant without just cause voluntarily 
terminates receipt of an available resource.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to 
establish the presence of just cause. 
2.  Forfeiture of benefits.  An applicant who forfeits receipt of or causes reduction in 
benefits from an available resource because of fraud, misrepresentation or a knowing or 
intentional violation of a rule governing an available resource or a refusal to comply with 
a rule governing an available resource without just cause is not eligible to receive general 
assistance to replace the forfeited benefits for the duration of a sanction imposed on the 
applicant for violation of a rule governing an available resource or 120 days, whichever is 
greater.   It is the responsibility of the applicant to establish the presence of just cause. 
3.  Just cause.  For the purposes of this section, just cause must be found when there 
is reasonable and verifiable evidence of: 
A.  An unreasonable requirement placed on the applicant or applicant's family by the 
provider of the available resource that interferes with any right secured by the United 
States Constitution or secured by the Constitution of Maine; 
B.  Discrimination on the basis of religion, ethnicity, age, race, color, gender, sexual 
orientation, national origin or disability; 
C.  The use of the available resource jeopardizing the health or safety of an applicant 
or applicant's family; 
D.  A natural disaster that makes the available resource uninhabitable or unavailable; 
E.  Abandonment of shelter housing in order to obtain permanent housing; 
F.  Inability to access available resources due to a lack of public or private 
transportation or medical illness or injury; 
G.  Just cause as defined in section 4316-A, subsection 5; or 
H.  Any other evidence that is reasonable and appropriate. 
Failure of an otherwise eligible person to comply with this section may not affect the 
general assistance eligibility of any member of the person's household. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes an applicant for general assistance who voluntarily abandons or 
refuses to use an available resource without just cause ineligible to receive general 
assistance to replace the abandoned or refused resource for a period of 120 days from the 
date the applicant abandons or refuses the resource.  The bill defines "available resource" 
as a resource that is immediately available or can be secured without delay.  The bill also 
makes an applicant who forfeits an available resource due to fraud, misrepresentation or 
intentional violation or refusal to comply with rules without just cause ineligible to 
receive general assistance to replace the forfeited resource for the duration of the sanction 
imposed on the applicant for violation of a rule or 120 days, whichever is greater.  The 
bill identifies circumstances relating to use of an available resource under which just 
cause must be found.