An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0336
Committee Amendment CA_A_H298 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §3785

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/I" to H.P. 250, L.D. 336, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program" 
Amend the bill by adding after section 1 the following: 
'Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3785, as amended by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §§20 to 24, is 
further amended to read: 
§3785. Sanctions 
An individual may not be sanctioned under this program or Temporary Assistance for 
Needy Families for failure to participate in the ASPIRE-TANF program if that failure to 
participate is based on good cause. Each individual participating in an ASPIRE-T ANF 
orientation must receive written and oral notice of what constitutes good cause for 
nonparticipation in ASPIRE-TANF including the domestic violence exception. Good 
cause for failure to participate in this program must be found when there is reasonable 
and verifiable evidence of: 
1. Illness or incapacitation. The individual's illness, incapacity or advanced age, or 
the illness or incapacity of a household member, that requires the individual to provide 
care in the home; 
2. Sexual harassment. Sexual harassment at a program-approved component; 
3. 
Court-required appearance; incarceration. 
Court-required appearance or 
incarceration; 
4. 
Lade of supportive se:rviees. 
Laek or breakdown of necessary supportive 
services sueh as ehild eare or transportation vt'ith no appropriate alternatives available; 
5. 
InelemeHt weather. 
Inclement Vt'eather that pmvents the individual from 
traveling to an activity when the vt'eather is severe enough to prevent other individuals 
2 
from traveling to the same activity; 
6. Assignment to another activity. Assignment by the department to an activity or 
eomponent that has not been made part of the family eontraet; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 250, L.D. 336 
7. 
Remoteaess. 
Partioipation that requires tho individual to travel outside tho 
individual's immediate geographio area, defined as an area within a 2 hour round trip 
commute; 
8. Crisis or special circumstance. A crisis eF~ special circumstance or other reason 
that the department determines to be good cause that causes an individual to be absent 
from or discontinue a department activity about which the department has been advised 
and has determined to eonstitute good eause, including lack of transportation or child care 
necessary for participation when the individual does not have reasonable access to that 
service and the depattment cannot offer a reasonable alternative to enable the individual 
to patticipate; or 
12. Other good eause, .Any other reason resulting in failure to partieipate that is 
beyond the control of the individual or that a reasonable person would determine to be 
good eause; or 
-' 
13. Domestic violence. Inability to participate due to domestic violence when the 
individual is unable to participate because of physical injuries or the psychological effects 
of abuse; because of legal proceedings, counseling or other activities related to abuse; 
because the abuser actively interferes with the individual's patticipation; because the 
location puts the individual at risk; or for other good cause related to domestic violence. 
For the purposes of this subsection, reasonable and verifiable evidence may include but is 
not limited to the following: 
A. Court, medical, law enforcement, child protective, social services, psychological 
or other records that establish that the individual has been a victim of domestic 
violence; or 
B. Sworn statements from persons other than the individual with knowledge of the 
circumstances affecting the individual. 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DRS) 
Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment 0146 
Initiative: Provides funding to provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 
benefits and alternative aid benefits to 2-parent families and to increase from $200 to 
$300 the special housing allowance for families receiving TANF benefits. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
2017-18 
$835,215 
$835,215 
2018-19 
$1,113,620 
$1,113,620 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
Initiative: Provides funding to provide Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 
9 
benefits and alternative aid benefits to 2-parent families and to increase from $200 to 
$300 the special housing allowance for families receiving TANF benefits. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROFS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 250, L.D. 336 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS) 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
2017-18 
$3,488,787 
$3,488,787 
$4,324,002 
$4,324,002 
2018-19 
$4,651,717 
$4,651,717 
2018-19 
$5,765,337 
$5,765,337 
This amendment adds a new section to the bill to remove certain good cause 
provisions from the laws governing the ASPIRE-TANF program and instead transfer to 
the Department of Health and Human Services the responsibility to determine other good 
cause. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 05/23/17 fea~ 
LD336 
LR 530(02) 
An Act To Amend the Requirements of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A{#-J~ i) 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
.Appropriations/ Allocations 
Federal Block Grant Fund 
Revenue 
Federal Block Grant Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
FY 2018-19 
$4,324,002 
$5,765,337 
$4,324,002 
$5,765,337 
Projections 
FY2019-20 
$5,765,337 
$5,765,337 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$5,765,337 
$5,765,337 
The bill includes Federal Block Grant Fund allocations to the Department of Health and Human Services of 
$4,324,002 in fiscal year 2017-18 and $5,765,337 in fiscal year 2018-19 to provide Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families (TANF) benefits and alternative aid benefits to 2-parent families and to increase from $200 to $300 the 
special housing allowance for families receiving TANF benefits. 
LR0530(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1