An Act To Adjust the Lifetime Limit for the Receipt of TANF Benefits
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0033
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRAKEY, MASON, CHACE
Amends: 22 MRSA §3762

Legislative Document
No. 33
S.P. 12
In Senate, January 10, 2017
An Act To Adjust the Lifetime Limit for the Receipt of TANF 
Benefits
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: CHACE of Durham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§18, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. PP, §2, is 
amended to read: 
18.  Lifetime limit on assistance.  Beginning January 1, 2012, a A family may not 
receive TANF assistance for longer than 60 36 months except in those cases in which the 
department has determined that the family qualifies for an exemption or extension under 
rules adopted by the department. When an adult has received TANF assistance for 60 36 
months, unless the adult has been exempted or granted an extension by the department, 
the family unit in which the adult is a member is ineligible for assistance.  The 
department shall consider conditions or situations beyond the control of the adult 
recipient, including but not limited to a physical or mental condition that prevents the 
adult from obtaining or retaining gainful employment, being a victim of domestic 
violence, participating in good standing in an approved education program or a program 
that is expected to lead to gainful employment, being the caretaker relative in the 
household who is not the parent of the child or children in the assistance unit and who is 
required to remain at home to care for a dependent in the assistance unit and loss of 
employment by the adult following termination of TANF under this subsection. 
The department shall adopt rules to implement this subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§19, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 380, Pt. PP, §2, is 
amended to read: 
19.  Pretermination notice process.  No later than 120 days prior to the end of a 
family's 60th 36th month of receiving assistance, the department shall offer the adult 
recipient an opportunity to hold a meeting to review the family's case and: 
A.  Explain the exemption and extension criteria established in subsection 18 to the 
family and determine if those criteria apply to the family; and 
B.  Explain that any determination made pursuant to this subsection may be appealed 
in accordance with the hearing process established in subsection 9, paragraph B. 
For a family whose assistance is to be terminated, a supervisory review by the department 
is required.  The review must include but is not limited to an evaluation of the need for 
additional information to determine if cause for an exemption or extension exists.  If the 
conclusion of the evaluation determines additional vocational, health, mental health or 
other information is necessary, the department shall work in collaboration with the adult 
recipient in the development of the information prior to the determination of status or 
termination. 
For a family whose assistance is to be terminated pursuant to this subsection, the 
department shall provide information to the family regarding any other resources that 
may be available to help meet that family's basic needs. 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the lifetime limit for receiving benefits through the Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families program from 60 months to 36 months.