An Act To Increase Funding for Case Managers for Veterans”
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0835
Committee Amendment CA_A_H790 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 609, L.D. 835, Bill, “An Act To 
Increase Funding for Case Managers for Veterans”
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'Resolve, To Extend the Pilot Program for Providing Mental Health Case 
Management Services to Veterans' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting the following:
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this legislation extends a crucial and highly successful pilot program that 
provides coordinated mental health care and case management services to veterans; and
Whereas, one of the 2 regional contracts for providing these services is scheduled to 
expire on July 1, 2020, which will likely occur before the 90-day period expires; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it
Sec. 1.  Resolve 2017, c. 24, Pt. B, §1, amended. Resolved:  That Resolve 
2017, c. 24, Pt. B, §1 is amended to read:
Sec. B-1.  Commissioner of Health and Human Services to establish pilot 
program to provide mental health case management services to veterans.  
Resolved:  That, beginning January 1, 2018, the Commissioner of Health and Human 
Services, referred to in this Part as "the commissioner," shall establish a pilot program to 
provide contracted case management services to provide necessary mental health 
treatment to veterans who are residents of the State.  Case management services must 
include assisting veterans in gaining a range of mental and behavioral health services, 
which must include inpatient mental health care services.  In establishing the pilot 
Date: 
(Filing No. H-          )
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 609, L.D. 835
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
program, the commissioner shall consult with the Director of the Maine Bureau of Maine 
Veterans' Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency 
Management, referred to in this Part as "the director," to identify regions where case 
management services are most needed and to identify veterans seeking case management 
services who are enrolled with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and 
those who would likely be eligible to be enrolled.  The pilot program described in this 
section must continue until January 1, 2020 June 30, 2021 or until the funds provided in 
Part C are exhausted.
1.  The commissioner, with the assistance of the director, shall seek to coordinate 
services with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and state agencies that 
offer mental health care services or provide assistance to veterans.
2.  The commissioner may enter into regional contracts, including a contract with a 
provider that has experience providing services in northern Maine, for the purpose of 
ensuring a statewide network of case management that provides coordinated mental 
health care services for Maine veterans, including, but not limited to, inpatient treatment 
as clinically required.
3.  The commissioner, with the assistance of the director, shall establish criteria to 
determine eligibility for case management services to be provided in accordance with this 
section.  A veteran who has received a mental health diagnosis or mental health disability 
rating from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs must be considered eligible 
for case management services.  A veteran who is not enrolled with the United States 
Department of Veterans Affairs who is determined to require mental health care services 
by a licensed mental health professional may be considered eligible for case management 
and other behavioral health services based on the individual needs of the veteran. 
4.  The director shall work to assist veterans receiving case management services 
under the pilot program who are not enrolled with the United States Department of 
Veterans Affairs to determine eligibility and to assist with those veterans' enrollment and 
with filing claims to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
5.  Case management and mental health professionals selected to participate in the 
pilot program must demonstrate military and veteran cultural competency.
6.  An individual who served in the United States Armed Forces and meets the 
federal definition of veteran or who has served or is currently serving in the Maine Army 
National Guard or Air National Guard or the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces 
is eligible. Character of discharge is not a disqualifying eligibility criterion.
7.  All veterans participating in the pilot program must be accounted for in the 
Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Maine Bureau of Maine 
Veterans' Services and the Department of Health and Human Services data collections.
8.  Upon conclusion of the pilot program By February 1, 2021, the commissioner, in 
consultation with the director, shall prepare a written report of the services provided and 
make recommendations to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over veterans affairs if appropriate; and be it further
Sec. 2.  Resolve 2017, c. 24, Pt. C, §2, enacted. Resolved: That Resolve 2017, 
c. 24, Pt. C, §2 is enacted to read:
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 609, L.D. 835
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Sec. C-2.  Appropriations and allocations.  Resolved:  That the following 
appropriations and allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Veterans Mental Health Case Management and Services Fund Z261
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for a new contract for case management services for 
veterans in Aroostook and Washington counties through June 30, 2021.
Veterans Mental Health Case Management and Services Fund Z261
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to continue current contracts for case management 
services for veterans through June 30, 2021.
Sec. 3.  Appropriations and allocations.  Resolved:  That the following 
appropriations and allocations are made.
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Veterans Mental Health Case Management and Services Fund Z261
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for a new contract for case management services for 
veterans in Aroostook and Washington counties through June 30, 2021.
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$200,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$200,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$118,056
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$118,056
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$0
$318,056
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$0
$318,056
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$200,000
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 609, L.D. 835
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Veterans Mental Health Case Management and Services Fund Z261
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to continue current contracts for case management 
services for veterans through June 30, 2021.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the unanimous report of the committee, replaces the bill, 
which is a concept draft, with a resolve that extends until June 30, 2021 the pilot program 
for providing mental health case management services to veterans established in Resolve 
2017, chapter 24, Part B, section 1 and expands the pilot program to include a service 
provider with experience in northern Maine.  The amendment also adds an appropriations 
and allocations section and an emergency preamble and emergency clause.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$200,000
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$0
$118,056
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$0
$118,056
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS
2019-20
2020-21
GENERAL FUND
$0
$318,056
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS
$0
$318,056
Revised: 07/15/20
LD 835
LR 1723(02)
FY 2019-20
FY 2020-21
Projections 
FY 2021-22
Projections 
FY 2022-23
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund
$0
$318,056
$0
$0
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund
$0
$318,056
$0
$0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Additional costs to the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management associated with the pilot 
project can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.
The bill includes a one-time General Fund appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services of 
$318,056 in fiscal year 2020-21 for a new contract for Aroostook and Washington counties and to continue the 
current contracts for case management services for veterans through June 30, 2021. 
Fiscal Note
An Act To Increase Funding for Case Managers for Veterans
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
LR1723(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1