An Act To Provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance to Veterans and Rental Assistance to Long-term Homeless Persons
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1538
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: HAMANN, CHIPMAN, BERRY, COLLINGS, DEVIN, GOLDEN, MADIGAN
Amends: 22 MRSA §3104, 34-B MRSA §3011

Legislative Document
No. 1538
H.P. 1059
House of Representatives, April 27, 2017
An Act To Provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance to Veterans 
and Rental Assistance to Long-term Homeless Persons
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HAMANN of South Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator CHIPMAN of Cumberland and
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, COLLINGS of Portland, DeCHANT of Bath, 
DEVIN of Newcastle, GOLDEN of Lewiston, MADIGAN of Waterville.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§15 is enacted to read: 
15.  Assistance to veterans.  For the purposes of determining eligibility pursuant to 
this chapter, a person who is otherwise eligible under the federal Food Stamp Act of 
1977, 7 United States Code, Sections 2011 to 2036 and the federal Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 and is also a veteran is not subject to any time limit that may otherwise apply 
to that individual under these Acts.  For the purposes of this subsection, "veteran" means 
any person who served in the United States Armed Forces. 
Sec. 2.  34-B MRSA §3011, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. WW, §1, is 
amended to read: 
§3011.  Bridging Rental Assistance Program 
The Bridging Rental Assistance Program is established within the department as a 
transitional housing voucher program.  The purpose of the program is to assist persons 
with mental illness with housing assistance for up to 24 months or until they receive 
assistance from a housing voucher program administered by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the United States Housing Act of 
1937, Public Law 412, Section 8 or receive an alternative housing placement.  No less 
than 5% of funding in the program must be used each year to assist persons who have 
been homeless as defined by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, 42 
United States Code, Section 11302 for long periods of time.  The department shall adopt 
rules to carry out the purpose of the program.  Rules adopted pursuant to this section are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 3.  Department of Health and Human Services to streamline access to 
the Bridging Rental Assistance Program.  The Department of Health and Human 
Services shall develop a program to use 5% of the Bridging Rental Assistance Program 
funds under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 34-B, section 3011 for providing housing 
assistance to persons who are homeless and have been continuously homeless for a long 
period of time.  The department shall develop a method of identifying those who have 
been homeless for the longest period of time and targeting those persons to receive 
housing assistance with minimal barriers to access. 
Sec. 4.  Bridging Rental Assistance Program case management.  The 
Department of Health and Human Services shall establish 5 new case management 
positions to provide services to individuals receiving housing assistance pursuant to 
section 3 of this Act who are also receiving community mental health services under the 
department's rule Chapter 101:  MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 17 to 
ensure that those individuals remain housed. 
Sec. 5.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 0679 
Initiative:  Provides funding for 5 new case management positions to provide services to 
individuals receiving housing assistance pursuant to this Act who are also receiving 
community mental health services under the department's rule Chapter 101:  MaineCare 
Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 17 to ensure that those individuals remain housed. 
SUMMARY 
This bill exempts veterans who are otherwise eligible for assistance under the federal 
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from time limits that would otherwise apply 
to the veterans.  It also requires 5% of the Bridging Rental Assistance Program funding to 
be used to assist individuals who have been homeless for long periods of time.  The 
Department of Health and Human Services is directed to establish 5 case management 
positions to provide services to individuals receiving housing assistance and community 
mental health services under MaineCare. 
GENERAL FUND 
2017-18
2018-19
All Other 
$300,000
$300,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
$300,000
$300,000