An Act To Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families Today
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1475
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: GIDEON, MAKER, DENNO, GATTINE, GOLDEN, HIGGINS, TALBOT ROSS, TUELL, JACKSON
Amends: 22 MRSA §3109, 22 MRSA §3737, 22 MRSA §3762, 22 MRSA §3763, 22 MRSA §3769-C, 22 MRSA §3790, 36 MRSA §5219-S

Legislative Document
No. 1475
H.P. 1014
House of Representatives, April 18, 2017
An Act To Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in 
Families Today
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Speaker GIDEON of Freeport.
Cosponsored by Senator MAKER of Washington and
Representatives: DENNO of Cumberland, GATTINE of Westbrook, GOLDEN of Lewiston, 
HIGGINS of Dover-Foxcroft, McELWEE of Caribou, TALBOT ROSS of Portland, TUELL of 
East Machias, Senator: JACKSON of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3109 is enacted to read: 
§3109.  Promoting accountable public programs that reduce child poverty and 
increase sustainable employment for low-income families with children 
The department shall implement a system of accountability to measure the 
performance of certain programs administered by the department under this subtitle by 
examining the outcomes of participating families with children on an annual basis. The 
department shall establish benchmarks to measure, over time, the extent to which these 
programs have helped to alleviate poverty and hardship among families with children 
through increased employment, earnings, education and training and the provision of 
individualized services for those with barriers to employment. 
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A.  "Federal poverty level" has the same meaning as in section 3762, subsection 1, 
paragraph C. 
B.  "TANF" has the same meaning as in section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph E. 
2.  Identify measures of child and family economic security.  Beginning October 
15, 2017 and annually thereafter, the department shall obtain and compile the following 
data for the State on an annual basis from those sources reasonably available to the 
department, including data collected and maintained by the department, data available 
from other state or federal agencies and such other data as can reasonably be obtained 
from other public or private sources upon request. The data must include: 
A.  The number and percentage of children living at or below 100% of the federal 
poverty level; 
B.  The number and percentage of households headed by single parents with related 
children living at or below 100% of the federal poverty level; 
C.  The number and percentage of children living at or below 50% of the federal 
poverty level; 
D.  The ratio of families with children receiving TANF cash assistance to the number 
of families with children and income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level; 
E.  The ratio of families with children receiving TANF cash assistance to the number 
of families with children and income at or below 50% of the federal poverty level; 
F.  The number and percentage of households with children who are homeless; 
G.  The number and percentage of individuals and children found to be food insecure 
by the United States Department of Agriculture; 
H.  The number and percentage of individuals and children found to have very low 
food security by the United States Department of Agriculture; 
I.  For all families that exit TANF cash assistance: 
(1)  The number and percentage of families with earnings in the month of TANF 
exit and the number and percentage of exiting families with earnings that are 
below 100%, at least 100% but not more than 150%, at least 151% but not more 
than 200% and in excess of 200% of the federal poverty level; 
(2)  The number and percentage of families with earnings in excess of $5,000 per 
quarter in the 2nd quarter and in the 4th quarter after the quarter of exit from 
TANF; and 
(3)  The mean and median amount of earnings for families in the 2nd quarter and 
in the 4th quarter after the quarter of exit from TANF; 
J.  Median and mean wages for families with earnings that have children in the 
household and receive food supplement benefits pursuant to section 3104; 
K.  The number and percentage of adult parents or caretaker relatives receiving 
TANF cash assistance that have a high school degree or have successfully completed 
a general educational development examination or its equivalent, and the number and 
percentage of those adult parents or caretaker relatives that left TANF in the prior 
year that have a high school degree or have successfully completed a general 
educational development examination or its equivalent; and 
L.  The number and percentage of adult parents or caretaker relatives receiving 
TANF cash assistance that have a postsecondary degree or a postsecondary credential 
and the number and percentage of those adult parents or caretaker relatives that left 
TANF in the prior year that have a postsecondary degree or postsecondary credential. 
3.  Benchmarks established.  The department shall examine and use the data related 
to measures of child and family economic security and employment compiled pursuant to 
subsection 2 to establish proposed benchmarks on an annual basis to serve as a standard 
against which progress related to improvements in the well-being of families with 
children in the State may be measured.  Beginning January 15, 2018 and annually 
thereafter, the department shall present proposed benchmarks to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters along with 
data compiled pursuant to subsection 2 for the current year and comparative data for the 3 
prior years for the committee's review. The committee's review must include the 
opportunity for public comment on the department's proposed benchmarks. After the 
committee's review and by March 15th annually, the department shall finalize 
benchmarks for the following year. 
4.  Report.  By January 15, 2019 and annually thereafter, the department shall report 
on its progress in meeting benchmarks established for the preceding year, along with 
proposed benchmarks for the subsequent year, to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters.  If the department does not 
successfully meet the benchmarks established for the preceding year, it shall identify 
those obstacles that prevented it from meeting the benchmarks and present a plan for 
addressing the obstacles so that the department will be more successful in meeting the 
new benchmarks proposed for the following year.  The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters shall conduct a public 
hearing on the department's plan and may introduce any legislation that it considers 
necessary to improve the department's ability to meet benchmarks in future years. 
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §3737, sub-§4 is enacted to read: 
4.  Child care rates.  Beginning October 1, 2017, the department shall establish rates 
for child care that are at least equal to the 75th percentile of local market rates for various 
categories of child care and higher rates for children with special needs. 
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. RRRR, 
§2, is further amended to read: 
B.  The department may use funds, insofar as resources permit, provided under and in 
accordance with the United States Social Security Act or state funds appropriated for 
this purpose or a combination of state and federal funds to provide assistance to 
families under this chapter.  In addition to assistance for families described in this 
subsection, funds must be expended for the following purposes: 
(1)  To continue the pass-through of the first $50 per month of current child 
support collections and the exclusion of the $50 pass-through from the budget 
tests and benefit calculations; 
(2)  To provide financial assistance to noncitizens legally admitted to the United 
States who are receiving assistance under this subsection as of July 1, 2011.  
Recipients of assistance under this subparagraph are limited to the categories of 
noncitizens who would be eligible for the TANF programs but for their status as 
aliens under PRWORA.  Eligibility for the TANF program for these categories of 
noncitizens must be determined using the criteria applicable to other recipients of 
assistance from the TANF program. Any household receiving assistance as of  
July 1, 2011 may continue to receive assistance, as long as that household 
remains eligible, without regard to interruptions in coverage or gaps in eligibility 
for service. A noncitizen legally admitted to the United States who is neither 
receiving assistance on July 1, 2011 nor has an application pending for assistance 
on July 1, 2011 that is later approved is not eligible for financial assistance 
through a state-funded program unless that noncitizen is: 
(a)  Elderly or disabled, as described under the laws governing supplemental 
security income in 42 United States Code, Sections 1381 to 1383f (2010); 
(b)  A victim of domestic violence;  
(c)  Experiencing other hardship, such as time necessary to obtain proper 
work documentation, as defined by the department by rule. Rules adopted by 
the department under this division are routine technical rules as defined by 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A; or 
(d)  Unemployed but has obtained proper work documentation, as defined by 
the department by rule.  Rules adopted by the department under this division 
are routine technical rules as defined by Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A; 
(3) To provide benefits to certain 2-parent families whose deprivation is based on 
physical or mental incapacity; 
(4)  To provide an assistance program for needy children, 19 to 21 years of age, 
who are in full-time attendance in secondary school.  The program is operated for 
those individuals who qualify for TANF under the United States Social Security 
Act, except that they fail to meet the age requirement, and is also operated for the 
parent or caretaker relative of those individuals.  Except for the age requirement, 
all provisions of TANF, including the standard of need and the amount of 
assistance, apply to the program established pursuant to this subparagraph; 
(5)  To provide assistance for a pregnant woman who is otherwise eligible for 
assistance under this chapter, except that she has no dependents under 19 years of 
age.  An individual is eligible for the monthly benefit for one eligible person if 
the medically substantiated expected date of the birth of her child is not more 
than 90 days following the date the benefit is received; 
(6)  To provide a special housing allowance for TANF families whose shelter 
expenses for rent, mortgage or similar payments, homeowners insurance and 
property taxes equal or exceed 75% 50% of their monthly income.  The special 
housing allowance is limited to $200 $300 per month for each family.  For 
purposes of this subparagraph, "monthly income" means the total of the TANF 
monthly benefit and all income countable under the TANF program, plus child 
support received by the family, excluding the $50 pass-through payment; 
(6-A) Beginning October 1, 2017, to provide housing assistance in the form of a 
voucher provided directly to the landlord, lessor or other housing provider for 
TANF families whose shelter expenses equal or exceed 50% of their monthly 
income. This housing assistance must be administered through the Maine State 
Housing Authority and provided with funds from the TANF federal block grant 
or federal maintenance of effort funds. The department shall provide a reasonable 
administrative fee to the Maine State Housing Authority for the cost of 
administering the housing assistance program. The following conditions apply to 
the provision of housing assistance under this subparagraph: 
(a)  A TANF family may receive housing assistance under this subparagraph 
if the family's rental cost meets the fair market rent standards published by 
the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant 
to 24 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 888.115 for the area in which the 
family's housing is located and meets any housing quality standards adopted 
by the Maine State Housing Authority; 
(b)  A TANF family receiving housing assistance shall pay the same portion 
of the family's income toward rent as required by the formula used by the 
housing choice voucher program administered by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Public and Indian 
Housing, Office of Housing Choice Vouchers; 
(c)  A TANF family who receives housing assistance under this subparagraph 
is not eligible to receive the special housing allowance under subparagraph 
(6); 
(d)  Any otherwise eligible TANF family who receives housing assistance 
under this subparagraph remains eligible notwithstanding receipt of this 
assistance; and 
(e)  A TANF family who is ineligible for or who cannot accept a housing 
choice voucher under this subparagraph and whose shelter expenses for rent, 
mortgage or similar costs and homeowner's insurance and property taxes 
equal or exceed 50% of the family's monthly income is eligible to receive a 
special housing allowance provided under subparagraph (6). 
The department shall adopt routine technical rules, as defined in Title 5, chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A, to implement the provisions of this subparagraph; 
(7)  In determining benefit levels for TANF recipients who have earnings from 
employment, the department shall disregard from monthly earnings the 
following: 
(a)  One hundred and eight dollars; 
(b)  Fifty percent of the remaining earnings that are less than the federal 
poverty level; and 
(c)  All actual child care costs necessary for work, except that the department 
may limit the child care disregard to $175 per month per child or $200 per 
month per child under 2 years of age or with special needs; 
(7-A)  In determining eligibility and benefit levels, the department may apply a 
gross income test only to applicants and not to recipients; 
(8)  In cases when the TANF recipient has no child care cost, the monthly TANF 
benefit is the maximum payment level or the difference between the countable 
earnings and the standard of need established by rule adopted by the department, 
whichever is lower; 
(9)  In cases when the TANF recipient has child care costs, the department shall 
determine a total benefit package, including TANF cash assistance, determined in 
accordance with subparagraph (7) and additional child care assistance, as 
provided by rule, necessary to cover the TANF recipient's actual child care costs 
up to the maximum amount specified in section 3782-A, subsection 5.  The 
benefit amount must be paid as provided in this subparagraph. 
(a)  Before the first month in which child care assistance is available to an 
ASPIRE-TANF recipient under this paragraph and periodically thereafter, the 
department shall notify the recipient of the total benefit package and the 
following options of the recipient: to receive the total benefit package 
directly; or to have the department pay the recipient's child care assistance 
directly to the designated child care provider for the recipient and pay the 
balance of the total benefit package to the recipient. 
(b)  If an ASPIRE-TANF recipient notifies the department that the recipient 
chooses to receive the child care assistance directly, the department shall pay 
the total benefit package to the recipient. 
(c)  If an ASPIRE-TANF recipient does not respond or notifies the 
department of the choice to have the child care assistance paid directly to the 
child care provider from the total benefit package, the department shall pay 
the child care assistance directly to the designated child care provider for the 
recipient.  The department shall pay the balance of the total benefit package 
to the recipient; 
(10)  Child care assistance under this paragraph must be paid by the department 
in a prompt manner that permits an ASPIRE-TANF recipient to access child care 
necessary for work; and 
(11)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375 to 
implement this subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to this subparagraph are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.; and 
(12)  Beginning October 1, 2017, the department shall establish rates for child 
care that are at least equal to the 75th percentile of local market rates for various 
categories of child care and higher rates for children with special needs. 
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§8, ¶G is enacted to read: 
G.  The department shall make transitional housing assistance available to: 
(1)  A family who loses eligibility for TANF as a result of increased earnings or 
an increase in the number of hours worked or a family in which one or both 
adults are working and who, although the family remains financially eligible for 
TANF benefits, requests that the family's benefits be terminated and: 
(a)  Whose shelter expenses equal or exceed 50% of the family's monthly 
income notwithstanding any receipt of housing assistance under this section; 
(b)  Whose income does not exceed 50% of the median income for the 
county or metropolitan area in which the family lives; and 
(c)  Who is participating in a work activity that may be counted in 
accordance with 45 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 261.31 except for 
temporary periods of unemployment that may not exceed 4 months. 
Housing assistance under this paragraph must be administered by the Maine State 
Housing Authority in the same manner as provided for in subsection 3, paragraph B, 
subparagraph (6-A). The family's percentage of rent must increase relative to the 
family's earnings in the same manner as the housing choice voucher program 
administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
Office of Public and Indian Housing, Office of Housing Choice Vouchers. 
A transitional TANF family that is ineligible for or cannot accept a housing choice 
voucher under this paragraph and whose shelter expenses for rent, mortgage or 
similar costs and homeowner's insurance and property taxes equal or exceed 50% of 
the family's monthly income is eligible to receive a special housing allowance 
provided under subparagraph (6) as long as the family is otherwise eligible in 
accordance with this paragraph. 
Sec. 5.  22 MRSA §3763, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2005, c. 522, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
8.  Alternative aid.  The department shall provide alternative aid within 2 business 
days of the submission of a completed application to applicants who seek short-term 
assistance in order to obtain or retain employment.  The applicants must meet the 
eligibility requirements established by rule adopted pursuant to section 3762, subsection 
3, paragraph A.  Two-parent families are eligible for alternative aid using the same 
eligibility standards and requirements as families headed by a single custodial parent or 
caretaker relative.  Following a determination that an individual is eligible to receive 
alternative aid, the department shall assist the individual in identifying a qualified vendor 
and provide assurance of payment to that vendor within 5 working days of approval of 
the application.  The alternative aid may not exceed 3 4 times the value of the monthly 
TANF grant for which the applicant's family is eligible for a full month.  An eligible 
applicant may receive alternative aid no more than once during any 12-month period.  If 
the family reapplies for TANF within 3 months of receiving alternative aid, the family 
shall repay any alternative aid received in excess of the amount that the family would 
have received on TANF.  The method of repayment must be the same as that used for the 
repayment of unintentional overpayments in the TANF program. 
The department shall provide applicants with the names and contact information for 
vendors approved in its vendor payment system, and advise applicants of how a vendor 
may gain department approval to receive vendor payments to facilitate prompt provision 
of aid under this subsection. 
Sec. 6.  22 MRSA §3769-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. CC, §1 
and PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read: 
1.  Amount of assistance.  It is the goal of this section to provide low-income 
families with children sufficient income to meet their most basic needs.  If the 
commissioner determines that unexpended funds are available within the Department of 
Health and Human Services state or federal ASPIRE or TANF accounts, the 
commissioner may, by rule, use those funds to increase the maximum levels of assistance 
in the TANF Program. 
A.  Beginning October 1, 2001, the department shall use unexpended funds in the 
TANF program to increase the maximum amount of TANF assistance by an amount 
equal to 5% of the maximum payments that were in effect on January 1, 2001, and 
shall increase the standard of need to maintain the same differential between the 
maximum payment and the standard of need that was in effect on January 1, 2001.  
Initial applicants for assistance may not become eligible for assistance as a result of 
any increase in the standard of need required by this paragraph. 
B.  Beginning with the 2004-2005 fiscal biennium, the commissioner must continue 
the 5% benefit increase provided for in paragraph A in the department's current 
services budget request for the TANF block grant. 
C.  Beginning October 1, 2017, the department shall increase the maximum amount 
of monthly TANF assistance by an amount equal to the percentage increase required 
to raise the maximum amount of monthly assistance for a family of 3 with an adult 
included to the average maximum amount of monthly assistance for a family of 3 in 
the other New England states rounded to the nearest dollar. 
D.  Beginning January 1, 2018, the department shall increase the maximum amount 
of monthly TANF assistance by an amount equal to the increase, if any, in the cost of 
living. The increase in the cost of living must be measured by the percentage 
increase, if any, as of August of the previous year over the level as of August of the 
year preceding that year in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and 
Clerical Workers, CPI-W, for the Northeast Region, or its successor index, as 
published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics or its 
successor agency, with the amount of the increase rounded to the nearest dollar. 
Sec. 7.  22 MRSA §§3769-E to 3769-H are enacted to read: 
§3769-E.  TANF reserve 
1.  Reserve established.  A TANF reserve is established for the purposes specified in 
this section. The reserve must be funded with an amount equal to 25% of the State's 
TANF block grant that must be designated from the accrued amount of unobligated and 
unliquidated funds available from the TANF block grant in years prior to federal fiscal 
year 2017. 
2.  Allocations from the TANF reserve; purpose.  The TANF reserve must be used 
to prevent any loss of services or assistance under this chapter or chapter 1054, 1054-A or 
1054-B that would otherwise occur as a result of insufficient State maintenance of effort 
or federal block grant funds. 
3.  Report by State Controller.  The State Controller shall report at least annually on 
the TANF reserve on or before January 15th to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters. The report must summarize the status of and activity in the TANF reserve. 
§3769-F.  Working Cars for Working Families Program 
There is established the Working Cars for Working Families Program, referred to in 
this section as "the program," to help families with children obtain or retain sustainable 
employment by providing them with access to reliable, affordable transportation.  The 
program provides eligible families, as determined under subsection 4, with loans to 
purchase vehicles or with donated vehicles as described in subsection 7. 
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A.  "Enrollment period" means the 3-year period following the date an individual has 
been approved for program participation.  If an individual's participation in the 
program is terminated by the department before the end of the 3-year period, the 
enrollment period ends on the date the department terminates the individual's 
participation in the program. 
B.  "Pilot period" means fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21. 
2.  Funding established.  For fiscal years 2017-18 to 2020-21, the department shall 
use $10,000,000 in funds provided under the TANF federal block grant and accrued prior 
to fiscal year 2017-18 to fund the program. 
3.  Administration.  The department may contract with a private nonprofit agency or 
agencies to administer the program established by this section in fiscal years 2017-18 to 
2020-21.  The agency or agencies must provide services to eligible families statewide and 
have demonstrated capacity to work with low-income families and provide case 
management assistance.  Nothing in this section may be construed to mean that the 
department, or any agency delivering program services under contract with the 
department, is required to obligate or expend any funds beyond existing funds available 
to them under this section.  
4.  Eligibility requirements.  Within the limits of available program resources, an 
individual is eligible for services under this program as determined by the department if 
the individual's family: 
A.  Includes a minor child or children living in the household;  
B.  Has income that is less than 200% of the federal poverty guidelines; 
C.  Is engaged in employment, or is participating in a training or education program 
directly leading to employment, including but not limited to the Parents as Scholars 
Program established pursuant to section 3790, the Competitive Skills Scholarship 
Program established pursuant to Title 26, section 2033 or any program approved by a 
career center administered by the Department of Labor; 
D.  Would have improved access to sustainable employment or preparation for 
employment as a result of program participation; 
E.  Has the financial ability or necessary resources available to insure and maintain a 
vehicle, including resources that may be available through the ASPIRE-TANF 
Program under section 3782-A or alternative aid under section 3763; and 
F.  Agrees to participate in a case management program under subsection 8 designed 
to improve understanding of the responsibilities of car ownership as a condition of 
program eligibility. 
5.  Application; decision; appeal.  The department shall give an individual the 
opportunity to make a written application for the program and the individual must be 
given a prompt written decision in response to that application.  Any decision related to 
eligibility for the program under this section must include notice that the decision may be 
appealed by the individual through a request for a hearing within 30 days of receipt of the 
decision in accordance with rules adopted by the department.  The 30-day appeal period 
may be extended if the claimant can show good cause for failing to appeal within the 
30-day period.  
6.  Vehicles provided. Under the program, the agency or agencies administering the 
program shall obtain reliable vehicles and provide them to eligible individuals.  The 
amount of any payment by an individual must be established using a sliding scale, which 
may include down payment assistance, designed to ensure affordability and the greatest 
likelihood of successful program participation.  The sliding scale must provide that no 
monthly payment for a program vehicle is due, nor does one accrue, from any individual 
whose family income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines. 
7.  Program vehicles; reliability.  All vehicles donated or subject to loans under this 
program must be assessed prior to acceptance into the program to determine that they are 
sufficiently reliable to ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, a family's successful 
participation in the program.  A program administrator shall have the option of repairing 
or selling any vehicle that does not meet the standard of reliability established for 
acceptance into the program. Any proceeds from such sale must be reinvested in the 
program. 
8.  Case management services.  Agencies administering the program must provide 
case management services to participating individuals to ensure that they will have 
information about the basic responsibilities of car ownership and the support necessary to 
participate successfully in the program. 
9.  Registration, insurance and repairs.  Agencies administering the program shall 
use 10% of funds provided by the department to establish a reserve fund for emergencies 
related to repairs or other necessary costs essential for maintaining a vehicle for eligible 
participants. 
10.  Participant savings account.  A participant in the program must designate 15% 
of the participant's monthly loan payment for deposit in a separate identifiable account 
that may be used during the period of enrollment only for program vehicle repairs, 
insurance or registration costs for a program vehicle or other transportation-related 
purposes. The participant's payment must be matched by the program administrator with 
funds available to the program.  Any balance available in such an account at the end of 
the participant's enrollment period must be provided to the program participant. 
11.  Obligated funds carried over beyond pilot period.  Any funds provided under 
this section may be carried forward beyond the pilot period to continue to provide 
program services to an eligible participant for the duration of that participant's enrollment 
period as long as those funds were obligated prior to the expiration of the pilot period. 
12.  Program evaluation.  The department shall submit a report by January 15, 2022 
to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human services 
matters evaluating the program.  The report must include: 
A.  The number of families and individuals participating in the program for each year 
of the pilot period, indicating the number receiving a donated vehicle and those who 
participated through a loan agreement; 
B.  The number of participants engaged in employment or participating in an 
education or training program at the time the participants entered the program; 
C.  The number and percentage of participants that successfully completed an 
education or training program while participating in the program; 
D.  The number and percentage of participants that were continuously employed 
throughout the participants' period of participation; 
E.  The number and percentage of participants who experienced an increase in wages 
or hours of employment throughout their period of enrollment; 
F.  The number and percentage of participants that defaulted on a loan and were 
terminated from the program as a result; and 
G.  The number and percentage of participants that left the program prior to the end 
of the participants' enrollment period. 
After reviewing the evaluation, the committee may introduce legislation, including 
emergency legislation, to continue or modify the program established under this section. 
§3769-G.  Addiction prevention and family stabilization 
1.  Establishment; purpose.  The Addiction Prevention and Family Stabilization 
Program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established to provide: 
A.  To homeless youth under 25 years of age at high risk of addiction to opioids or 
addicted to opioids, case management, education, employment and housing services, 
including the provision of housing to prevent homelessness; and  
B.  To parents suffering from addiction seeking to support or reunite with the parents' 
minor children, housing stabilization support and services, including the provision of 
housing as necessary to prevent homelessness. 
2.  Requirements.  The department shall award grants under the program to 
contractors in accordance with the following requirements and under the following 
conditions. 
A.  The program must provide grants in those areas of the State where the need is 
greatest. The department must determine the areas with greatest need by examining a 
matrix of factors, including general assistance expenditures; the existence of waiting 
lists, if any; the existence of experienced homeless services providers and clinicians; 
and other reliable data relevant to a determination. 
B.  Participation in the program by an individual must be voluntary and may not be 
required as a condition of eligibility for any public assistance program that assists an 
individual in meeting the individual's basic needs, but may satisfy any such 
requirements if applicable to a particular program and met on a voluntary basis. 
C.  The program must coordinate with emergency shelters, street outreach providers 
and clinical and other health services necessary to assist persons with substance use 
disorder in recovery. 
D.  The program may serve individuals with incomes at or below 200% of the federal 
poverty level as defined in section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph C. 
3.  Administration; operation by outside entity; grants; costs.  The department 
shall administer the program. The department may contract with entities not in State 
Government to provide housing and other services authorized under the program and 
award grants to such entities under a competitive bid process. The department may use a 
portion of the funding provided for the program for the administrative costs of the 
department. 
4.  Funds.  For fiscal years 2017-18 to 2020-21, the department shall use $1,100,000 
in funds provided under the TANF federal block grant and accrued prior to fiscal year 
2017-18 to fund the program. 
§3769-H.  Increased affordability; reduced energy use for low-income homeowners 
with children 
1.  Program established.  The department may contract with a private nonprofit 
agency or agencies to administer a program to reduce energy use and improve heating 
affordability for low-income families with children in fiscal years 2017-18 to 2020-21.  
The agency or agencies must have experience providing services to low-income families 
statewide and have demonstrated capacity to work with low-income homeowners to 
improve heating affordability and reduce energy use.  For fiscal years 2017-18 to 2020-
21, the department shall use $5,000,000 in unobligated funds provided under the TANF 
federal block grant and accrued in fiscal years prior to fiscal year 2016-17 to assist 
qualifying low-income families with children with incomes under 200% of the federal 
poverty level, as defined in section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph C, in obtaining heat 
pumps to reduce their heating costs and increase their economic stability. 
2.  Report.  The department shall submit a report by January 15, 2020 to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters 
evaluating the program established by this section along with data demonstrating the 
effectiveness of the program in reducing heating costs and increasing economic stability 
for low-income families with children. After reviewing the evaluation, the committee is 
authorized to introduce legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th 
Legislature, including emergency legislation, to continue or modify the program 
established under this section. 
Sec. 8.  22 MRSA §3790, sub-§3-A is enacted to read: 
3-A.  Coordination with state educational institutions and programs.  The 
department shall accept a referral from an educational institution or program that is part 
of the University of Maine System; the Maine Community College System; Jobs for 
Maine's Graduates, established in Title 20-A, section 6901; an adult education program 
established in Title 20-A, chapter 315; or the career centers established by the 
Department of Labor made on behalf of an eligible applicant for the program as long as 
the referral includes a written statement signed by the prospective student expressing a 
desire to enroll in the program. Such a statement, along with a referral, must be 
considered an application for enrollment in the program and must be processed in 
accordance with department rule. The department shall notify these institutions or 
programs of the opportunity to refer prospective students in accordance with this 
subsection and provide them with a referral form and statement to be signed by the 
student to be used for application purposes under this subsection. 
Sec. 9.  36 MRSA §5219-S, as amended by PL 2015, c. 328, §8, is further 
amended to read: 
§5219-S.  Earned income credit 
1.  Resident taxpayer.  A resident individual is allowed a credit against the tax 
otherwise due under this Part in the amount of 15% of the federal earned income tax 
credit if taxable income is equal to or less than 100% of the federal poverty level, as 
defined in Title 22, section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph C; 10% of the federal earned 
income tax credit if taxable income is between 101% and 150% of the federal poverty 
level; and 5% of the federal earned income credit for all other resident individuals for the 
same taxable year, except that for tax years beginning in 2009 and 2010, the applicable 
percentage is 4%. 
2.  Nonresident taxpayer.  A nonresident individual is allowed a credit against the 
tax otherwise due under this Part in the amount of 15% of the federal earned income tax 
credit if taxable income is equal to or less than 100% of the federal poverty level, as 
defined in Title 22, section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph C; 10% of the federal earned 
income tax credit if taxable income is between 101% and 150% of the federal poverty 
level; and 5% of the federal earned income credit for all other resident individuals for the 
same taxable year, except that for tax years beginning in 2009 and 2010, the applicable 
percentage is 4%, multiplied by the ratio of the individual's Maine adjusted gross income, 
as defined in section 5102, subsection 1-C, paragraph B, to the individual's entire federal 
adjusted gross income, as modified by section 5122. 
3.  Part-year resident taxpayer.  An individual who files a return as a part-year 
resident in accordance with section 5224-A is allowed a credit against the tax otherwise 
due under this Part in the amount of 15% of the federal earned income tax credit if 
taxable income is equal to or less than 100% of the federal poverty level, as defined in 
Title 22, section 3762, subsection 1, paragraph C; 10% of the federal earned income tax 
credit if taxable income is between 101% and 150% of the federal poverty level; and 5% 
of the federal earned income credit for all other individuals who file returns as part-year 
residents for the same taxable year, except that for tax years beginning in 2009 and 2010, 
the applicable percentage is 4%, multiplied by a ratio, the numerator of which is the 
individual's Maine adjusted gross income as defined in section 5102, subsection 1-C, 
paragraph A for that portion of the taxable year during which the individual was a 
resident plus the individual's Maine adjusted gross income as defined in section 5102, 
subsection 1-C, paragraph B for that portion of the taxable year during which the 
individual was a nonresident and the denominator of which is the individual's entire 
federal adjusted gross income, as modified by section 5122. 
4.  Limitation.  The credit allowed by this section may not reduce the Maine income 
tax to less than zero, except that for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, the 
credit allowed under subsections 1 and 3 is refundable. 
5.  Payment.  The bureau shall estimate the portion of the cost to provide a 
refundable tax credit under this section to households with qualifying children with 
incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, as defined in Title 22, section 
3762, subsection 1, paragraph C. The amount determined necessary for the payment of 
refunds to these households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level must be 
allocated from federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds and 
transferred to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services for deposit in the 
General Fund for payment of these costs. 
6.  Protection from loss of benefits.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
any refund made to an individual under this section may not be taken into account as 
income and may not be taken into account as resources for a period of 12 months from 
receipt of the refund for purposes of determining the eligibility of the individual for 
benefits or assistance or the amount or extent of benefits or assistance under any federal 
program or any state or local program based on need. 
Sec. 10.  Funding.  Any administrative, technological or other costs associated with 
the purposes of this Act for families eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families, TANF, program must be funded by using the federal block grant funding 
allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services within the state family 
assistance grant of the TANF program or existing state maintenance of effort funds, 
which may be replaced with federal block grant funds at no additional cost to the General 
Fund, except that funds for the purposes related to amendment of the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 22, section 3737, subsection 4 must be funded using the federal block grant 
funding allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services within the child care 
development block grant. 
Sec. 11.   Rulemaking.  By October 1, 2017, the Department of Health and Human 
Services shall adopt routine technical rules, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, to implement the provisions of Title 22, sections 
3769-F and 3769-H, including a rule defining good cause for purposes of Title 22, section 
3769-F, subsection 5. 
SUMMARY 
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing public assistance.  The 
bill is intended to help alleviate poverty and hardship among families with children 
through increased employment, earnings, education and training and the provision of 
support and individualized services for those with particular barriers to employment.  The 
bill: 
1. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services to collect data to measure 
the status of child and family economic security and establish benchmarks on an annual 
basis to monitor year-to-year improvement in the well-being of families with children in 
the State; 
2. Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to increase access to 
high-quality child care services by establishing rates that are equal to the 75th percentile 
of local market rates for various categories of child care and higher rates for children with 
special needs for services provided through the child care development block grant and 
the temporary assistance to needy families block grant; 
3. Establishes a voucher program to improve housing stability and reduce risk of 
homelessness through the Maine State Housing Authority. The voucher program provides 
housing assistance in the form of a voucher to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, 
TANF, families and TANF transitional families whose shelter expenses equal or exceed 
50% of their monthly income; 
4. Amends the alternative aid provisions to help families facing an emergency that 
threatens their ability to get or keep a job by extending program eligibility to 2-parent 
families, requiring that assistance be provided more promptly and modifying the amount 
of aid that may be available to address an emergency; 
5. Provides an increase in the monthly TANF maximum benefit.  It requires that 
Maine's TANF benefit equal the average TANF benefit in other New England states; 
6.  Establishes a pilot program that provides access to reliable transportation for 
working low-income families with children or those engaged in a training program 
directly leading to employment; 
7. Establishes a program that increases heating affordability and reduces energy use 
among low-income homeowners with children; 
8. Establishes a TANF reserve fund using accrued but unobligated and unliquidated 
funds from the TANF federal assistance grant to maintain eligibility and services when 
adequate funding is not otherwise available; 
9. Allows the Department of Health and Human Services to accept referrals from 
educational institutions and similar programs in the State for eligible parents for the 
Parents as Scholars Program; 
10. Increases the value of the state earned income credit for working families whose 
incomes are below 150% of the federal poverty level; 
11.  Ensures that funding to provide the eligibility and services established by this bill 
will come from the state family assistance grant and the child care development block 
grant; and 
12.  Establishes the Addiction Prevention and Family Stabilization Program.