An Act To Improve General Assistance Reimbursements
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1109
Committee Amendment CA_B_S409 (Senate)
Amends: 22 MRSA §4301, 22 MRSA §4308

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "/3" to S.P. 363, L.D. 1109, Bill, "An Act To 
Improve General Assistance Reimbursements" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Establish Homelessness as an Emergency in the General Assistance 
Laws' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4301, sub-§5-A is enacted to read: 
5-A. 
Homelessness. 
"Homelessness" means a situation in which a person or 
household has no permanent or safe housing including when a person or household is: 
A. Living in a place that is not fit for human habitation: 
B. Living in an emergency shelter: 
C. 
Living in temporary housing, including but not limited to a hotel, motel, 
campground, unlicensed campsite or rehabilitation facility; 
D. 
Exiting a hospital or institution licensed under chapter 405 or a correctional 
facility where the person or household resided for up to 90 days if the person or 
household was in an emergency shelter or a place not fit for human habitation before 
entering the hospital, institution or correctional facility: 
E. Losing the person's or household's primary nighttime residence and lacking the 
resources or support networks to remain in that residence: or 
F. Fleeing or attempting to flee violence and has no other residence. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4308, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1999, c. 45, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
2. Emergencies. A person, including a person experiencing or facing homelessness, 
who does not have sufficient resources to provide one or more basic necessities in an 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'f> "to S.P. 363, L.D. 1109 
emergency is eligible for emergency general assistance, even when that applicant has 
been found ineligible for nonemergency general assistance, except as provided in this 
subsection. 
A. A person who is currently disqualified from general assistance for a violation of 
section 4315, 4316-A or 4317 is ineligible for emergency assistance under this 
subsection. 
B. Municipalities may by standards adopted in municipal ordinances restrict the 
disbursement of emergency assistance to alleviate emergency situations to the extent 
that those situations could not have been averted by the applicant's use of income and 
resources for basic necessities. 
The person requesting assistance shall provide 
evidence of income and resources for the applicable time period. 
A municipality may provide emergency assistan,ce when the municipality determines that 
an emergency is imminent and that failure to provide assistance may result in undue 
hardship and unnecessary costs.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, replaces the bill. 
The amendment defines "homelessness" and establishes homelessness as an emergency 
for the purposes of a grant of emergency general assistance, as long as the person or 
household is not otherwise ineligible for or disqualified from receiving general assistance. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 02/28/18 ~ac-.. 
LD 1109 
LR 1843(04) 
An Act To Improve General Assistance Reimbursements 
Fiscal Note for Bill .. Amended by Committee Amendment '6 ( s: -Y oV 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
This bill defines homelessness and establishes it as an emergency for the purposes of being granted General 
Assistance (GA), assuming applicant is not otherwise ineligible or disqualified from receiving GA. By being deemed 
an emergency, municipalities would be allowed to go over the normal monthly cap on housing expenditures in GA. 
This will potentially increase assistance payments made by municipalities and increase amounts reimbursed to 
municipalities by the Department of Health and Human Services. A more precise estimate of the fiscal impact is not 
possible because recipient data related to number of months on assistance, amounts paid to each recipient, number of 
recipients who return and the frequency of emergency status resides at the municipal level and varies over time. 
LR1843(04) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1