An Act To Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families for Tomorrow
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1774
Committee Amendment CA_A_H687 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1223, L.D. 1774, Bill, "An Act To 
Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families for Tomorrow" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the 
summary and insetting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA c. 1054-C is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 1054-C 
IDGHER OPPORTUNITY FOR PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM 
§3790-A. lligher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment Program 
1. Program established. The department shall establish a student financial aid 
program based on · need to be known as the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to 
Employment Program, referred to in this chapter as "the program," for a parent or 
caretaker relative of a minor child who is qualified to receive federal Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families funds but does not receive Temporary Assistance for 
Needy Families cash assistance pursuant to chapter 1053-B and is matriculating in an 
education or training program, or is enrolled in a program providing remedial services 
necessary for the parent or caretaker relative to matriculate, that results in a high-value, 
industry-recognized certificate or similar credential, a postsecondary undergraduate 
2-year degree or a postsecondary undergraduate 4-year degree in a health care, 
technology or engineering field. The department shall specify the health care, technology 
and engineering fields for the postsecondary undergraduate 4-year degree in department 
rules. 
Enrollment in the program may not exceed 500 participants. To administer the program, 
the department may not divert funding from assistance and support services to families 
under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program pursuant to chapter 1053-B 
or from the operation of the Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment 
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program pursuant to chapter 1054-A. If the 
commissioner reasonably anticipates that available funds will not support continued 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1223, L.D. 1774 
operation of the program, the commissioner shall limit or suspend enrollment or program 
services to the extent necessary to avoid negative effects to services provided under 
chapters 1053-B and 1054-A. 
The program must be supported with funds provided under the Temporary Assistance for 
Needy Families block grant that are available under Title IV-A of the United States 
Social Security Act or funds transferred from that block grant to the social services block 
grant authorized under Title XX of the United States Social Security Act or the child care 
and development block grant authorized under the federal Child Care and Development 
Block Grant Act of 1990 and Section 418 of the United States Social Security Act. The 
department may not expend federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds for 
services that meet the definition of "assistance" under regulations promulgated pursuant 
to the United States Social Security Act. To the extent allowable under federal law and 
subject to federal approval procedures associated with such funds, the program may also 
be supported with other federal funds, including, but not limited to, employment and 
training funds from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 
2. Eligibility criteria. To the extent that enrollment limits under subsection 1 
permit, enrollment or continued participation in the program must be granted if the 
applicant or participant: 
A. Does not already have a marketable bachelor's degree; 
B. Has the aptitude to successfully complete the proposed education or training 
program: 
C. Is pursuing a postsecondary undergraduate degree, industry-recognized certificate 
or similar credential in a field or occupation that has at least an average job outlook 
as identified by the Center for Workforce Research and Information within the 
Department of Labor. For fields or occupations for which the job outlook is lower 
than average, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee must approve the 
applicant's or participant's education plan. If the applicant or participant is pursuing a 
postsecondary undergraduate 4-year degree, it must be in a health care, technology or 
engineering field as specified in department rules; 
D. Is making satisfactory progress in the education or training program; 
E. Has income that is equal to or below 185% of the nonfarm income official poverty 
line for a family of the size involved as defined by the federal Office of Management 
and Budget and revised annually in accordance with the United States Omnibus 
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Section 673, Subsection 2; and 
F. 
Has countable assets as described in department rules in the Temporary 
Assistance for Needy Families program pursuant to chapter 1053-B that are equal to 
or below $10,000. 
3. Program assistance. A program participant must be provided with a package of 
student aid that includes all support services necessary for participation in the program 
that are at least equivalent to those provided under chapter 1054-A. 
4. Campus-based student support and navigation. The department shall provide 
annually up to $1,000,000 in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds described 
in subsection 1 to educational institutions to establish or supplement personalized 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
CO:tvfMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1223, L.D. 1774 
professional guidance, support and navigation services provided directly to program 
participants to promote program completion and student success. 
5. Protection from loss of income. To the extent permitted by federal law, aid 
received under this section must be disregarded as income and excluded as a resource or 
asset for the purposes of any state, federal, tribal or municipal assistance program. 
6. Rules. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defmed in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
Initiative: Provides an allocation for campus-based student support and navigation 
services in the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment Program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
$420,000 
$420,000 
Initiative: Provides allocations for the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment 
Program available to persons with minor children who do not receive cash assistance 
under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, who have incomes at or 
below 185% of the federal poverty level and who are pursuing a postsecondary degree, 
industry-recognized certificate or similar credential. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
$1,461,136 
$1,461,136 
Initiative: Provides an allocation for one Family Independence Program Manager for the 
Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment Program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
2017-18 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2018-19 
1.000 
$98,635 
$6,286 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "H" to H.P. 1223, L.D. 1774 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
$0 
$104,921 
Initiative: Provides allocations for 2 Senior Planner positions for the Higher Opportunity 
for Pathways to Employment Program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
2017-18 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2017-18 
$0 
$0 
2018-19 
2.000 
$167,953 
$12,572 
$180,525 
2018-19 
$2,166,582 
$2,166,582 
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill. It removes the food supplement 
employment and training program established in the bill. It makes the following changes 
to the Working Families Parents as Scholars Program. 
1. It renames the program the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment 
Program and establishes it in a new chapter in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22. 
2. It changes eligibility for the program from applicants or participants who are not 
qualified for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance to those who are 
qualified but are not receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance. 
3. It limits participation in the program to 500 participants. 
4. It adds an asset limit for eligibility. 
5. It allows the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to limit or suspend the 
program if sufficient funding is not available. 
6. It limits participation for 4-year undergraduate degrees to those fields of health 
care, technology and engineering detennined by department rules to allow for changing 
employment needs in the State. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1223, L.D. 1774 
7. 
It removes the responsibility for determining aptitude for completion of an 
educational program and determining satisfactory educational progress from the 
institution providing the educational program. 
8. It removes the provision related to expanding work study opportunities. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 03/22/18 frac. 
LD 1774 
LR 2747(02) 
An Act To Reduce Child Poverty by Leveraging Investments in Families for Tomorrow 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '/f' 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
Ul-b81j 
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 
$0 
$2,166,582 
$0 
$2,166,582 
Projections 
FY 2019-20 
$2,130,192 
$2, 130, 192 
Projections 
FY 2020-21 
$2,140,505 
$2,140,505 
The bill includes Federal Block Grant Fund allocations to the Department of Health and Human Services of 
$2,166,582 in fiscal year 2018-19 for funding provided to educational institutions for campus-based student support 
and navigation services and for student financial aid through the Higher Opportunities for Pathways Program 
available to persons with minor children who do not receive cash assistance under the T ANF program, who have 
incomes at or below 185% of the federal poverty level and who are pursuing a postsecondary degree, industry-
recognized certificate or similar credential. 
/ 
LR2747(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1