An Act To Include Homelessness in the Laws Governing Emergency General Assistance
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0459
Committee Amendment CA_A_S215 (Senate)
Amends: 22 MRSA §4309, 22 MRSA §4311

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "f\-" to S.P. 137, L.D. 459, Bill, "An Act To 
Include Homelessness in the Laws Governing Emergency General Assistance" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act Regarding Presumptive Eligibility and Homelessness under the General 
Assistance Laws' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in subsection 5-A in the 2nd line (page 1, line 4 in L.D.) 
by striking out the following: 
"has no permanent or safe housing including when a 
person or household" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following: 
'Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4309, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5. Presumptive eligibility. The overseer in a municipality shall presume eligibility 
to receive general assistance of a person who is provided shelter in an emergency shelter 
for the homeless located in that municipality. After 30 days, that person's eligibility must 
be redetermined. When presumptive eligibility is determined under this subsection, no 
other municipality may be determined to be the municipality of responsibility during that 
30-day period. 
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4311, sub-§1-D is enacted to read: 
1-D. Reimbursement for homeless shelter costs. After a person has been homeless 
or living in an emergency shelter for the homeless for 90 consecutive nights, the 
department shall reimburse a municipality for 100% of any future direct costs of benefits 
or costs of providing shelter for that person. The department shall determine, by rule, 
how to establish and verify that a person has been continuously homeless for 90 days. 
Sec. 5. Work group. The Department of Health and Human Services shall 
convene a work group of stakeholders to study the municipal general assistance program 
established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, chapter 1161 to determine more 
efficient methods of distributing general assistance benefits to individuals, review 
differential effects on service center municipalities and other municipalities of providing 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" , . "to S.P. 137, L.D. 459 
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general assistance, devise equitable methods of establishing the municipality of 
responsibility and develop services to reduce homelessness and reliance on homeless 
shelters. The stakeholders must include, but are not limited to, the Maine State Housing 
Authority and organizations representing mayors, municipalities, general assistance 
providers, clients of services and other appropriate persons. The department shall report 
its findings, together with recommendations and any suggested legislation, to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no later than January 2, 2020.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, changes the 
definition of "homelessness" in the bill to remove references to a need for permanent or 
safe housing. It adds a requirement for the Department of Health and Human Services to 
reimburse a municipality 100% of direct general assistance costs after a person has spent 
consecutive nights homeless or in an emergency shelter for the homeless. It also 
establishes presumptive eligibility for general assistance for 30 days for persons who are 
provided shelter at emergency shelters for the homeless and specifies that no other 
municipality may be determined to be the municipality of responsibility during that 30-
day period. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a 
work group of stakeholders to examine the municipal general assistance program and 
report findings to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no later 
than January 2, 2020. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 05/30/19 feac 
LD459 
LR 937(02) 
An Act To Include Homelessness in the Laws Governing Emergency General Assistance 
Fiscal Note for Bil! as Amended by Committee ~mendment 'I~"(:)- o\ ~ 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
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Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This bill establishes presumptive eligibility for general assistance (GA) for 30 days for persons who are provided 
shelter at emergency shelters for the homeless. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health and human 
Services (DHHS) to reimburse municipalities 100% of direct GA costs after a person has spent 90 consecutive nights 
homeless. This will potentially increase assistance payments made by municipalities and increase amounts reimbursed 
to municipalities by the DHHS. 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 homelessness resides at the municipal level and varies over time. 
Any additional costs to the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a workgroup to examine the GA 
program and report back to the legislature are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted 
resources. 
LR0937(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1