An Act To Secure Transitions to Economic Prosperity for Maine Families and Children
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1772
Committee Amendment CA_A_H606 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §3788

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,.;1,, to H.P. 1259, L.D. 1772, Bill, "An Act To 
Secure Transitions to Economic Prosperity for Maine Families and Children" 
Amend the bill in section 1 in paragraph B in subparagraph ( 6) in the 3rd line (page 
2, line 10 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "income" the following: "excluding 
any income disregarded pursuant to subparagraph (7-D). divisions (a) and (b)' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in paragraph B by striking out all of subparagraphs (7-D) 
and (7-E) and inserting the following: 
1(7-D) In determining benefit levels. the department shall disregard the following 
amounts from the monthly earnings ofrecipients: 
(a) One hundred percent of all earned income for the first 3 months of 
employment. Any month in which the disregard under this division does not 
increase the recipient1s benefit above that which it would be if the disregard 
in division (c) is applied does not count as a month in which earned income is 
disregarded under this division; 
(b) Seventy-five percent of all earned income for the 4th to 6th months of 
employment. Any month in which the disregard under this division does not 
increase the recipient1s benefit above that which it would be if the disregard 
in division (c) is applied does not count as a month in which earned income is 
disregarded under this division; 
(c) One hundred and eight dollars and 50% of the remaining earnings that 
are less than the federal poverty level for any month of emplowent in which 
a disregard in division (a) or (b) is not applied; and 
( d) 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-E) For any period during which a household1s food supplement assistance is 
reduced as a result of earnings and receipt of the earned income disregard applied 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEEAMENDMENTA "toH.P.1259,L.D. 1772 
under subparagraph (7-D), division (a) or (b). the household must receive 
additional food supplement assistance in an amount that will. in addition to the 
food supplement assistance for which the household remains eligible. provide the 
household with a minimum of $50 in food supplement assistance. Additional 
food supplement assistance under this subparagraph is a noncash benefit and may 
be used to purchase only those food items permitted under the food supplement 
program:' 
Amend the bill in section 3 in subsection 18 by striking out all of the last sentence 
(page 4, line1; 35 to 38 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'The department shall grant an extension to a household for each month in which a family 
received TANF assistance and an earnings disregard under subsection 3. paragraph B. 
subparagraph (7-D). division (a) or (b). 
This extension does not apply to a TANF 
recipient who has reached the 60-month time limit prior to October 1. 2019.' 
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Amend the bill in section 4 in §3769-G in subsection 1 in the 2nd line (page 5, line 4 
in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$3.000,000" and inserting the following: 
'$2,000,000' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 5 and 6 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §3788, sub-§7-A is enacted to read: 
7-A. Basic skills education. The department shall make available to individuals 
participating in the ASPIRE-TANF program basic skills education, including prngrams 
that assist individuals in obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent or. comparable 
credential. The time spent by an ASPIRE-TANF participant in basic sldlls education 
must be counted toward the first 20 hours of the participant's required weekly work 
participation, except that this subsection is suspended for any period for which it would 
cause the State to fail to meet the work participation rate requirements pursuant to 42 
United States Code, Section 607. subsection (a). The department shall ensure that the 
State's work verification plan required under federal law for validating work participation 
activities of ASPIRE-TANF participants includes basic skills education in the definition 
of vocational educational training when it is a necessary part of a participant's vocational 
educational training plan. 
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment 0146 
Initiative: Provides allocations for additional support services for the new population 
added due to the changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
2019-20 
$3,217,548 
$3,217,548 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2020-21 
$4,290,064 
$4,290,064 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,;A" to H.P. 1259, L.D. 1772 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
Initiative: Provides allocations for community action agencies to expand the services to 
assist parents to find stable employment. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
2019-20 
$1,500,000 
$1,500,000 
2020-21 
$2,000,000 
$2,000,000 
Initiative: Provides allocations to change the income disregard and to no longer count 
earnings disregards against the 60-month limit in the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
2019-20 
$3,166,293 
$3,166,293 
2020-21 
$4,221,724 
$4,221,724 
Initiative: Provides deallocations to account for the reduction in transitional benefits due 
to changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families 0138 
2019-20 
($3,311,876) 
($3,311,876) 
2020-21 
($4,415,834) 
($4,415,834) 
Initiative: Provides allocations to replace Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 
benefits due to increased income disregard in the Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families program. 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND TOTAL 
2019-20 
$249,075 
$249,075 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2020-21 
$332,100 
$332,100 
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COMMlTTEEAMBNDMENT'i'J "toH.P.1259,L.D.1772 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
FEDERAL BLOCK GRANT FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2019-20 
2020-21 
$4,821,040 
$6,428,054 
$4,821,040 
$6,428,054 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment makes the following changes to the bill. 
1. It clarifies that employment earnings in the months when earnings are subject to 
disregards do not affect special housing allowances. 
2. It reduces the number of months that the Department of Health and Human 
Services disregards the earnings of a recipient of temporary assistance for needy families, 
or TANF, benefits and removes the requirement that the earnings be continuous for more 
than 2 months to be counted. 
3. It stipulates that a month in which earnings are insufficient to change a benefit 
amount is not counted as a month in which earnings are disregarded. 
4. It changes the requirement for food supplement assistance for a TANF recipient to 
be the same amount as prior to employment to a minimum of $50 in food supplement 
assistance. 
5. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to approve an extension 
from the 60-month limit for TANF recipients who have employment earnings that are 
subject to disregards rather than not counting those months in the 60-month limit. 
6. It changes the amount of TANF block grant funds that can be used for initiatives 
in the bill from $3,000,000 to $2,000,000. 
7. It corrects the language for basic skills education to refer to a high school diploma 
or equivalent or comparable credential. It also states that basic skills education counting 
as work participation requirements may be suspended if the State no longer meets the 
work participation rates required by the Federal Government. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/14/19 feac::.. 
LD 1772 
LR 1112(02) 
An Act To Secure Transitions to Economic Prosperity for Maine Families and Children 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment~ ( /.J-6~Y 
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 2019-20 
FY2020-21 
$4,821,040 
$6,428,054 
$4,821,040 
$6,428,054 
Projections 
FY 2021-22 
$6,428,054 
$6,428,054 
Projections 
FY 2022-23 
$6,428,054 
$6,428,054 
This bill includes Federal Block Grant Fund allocations to the Department of Health and Human Services of 
$4,821,040 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $6,428,054 in fiscal year 2020-21 for expected additional participants in the 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Additional Suppo1t for People in Retraining and Employment 
programs and for c01mnunity action agencies to expand services to assist parents to find stable employment. 
LRl 112(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1