An Act To Help Veterans Access Jobs, Education, Health Care and Housing and Provide General Support to Veterans
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 2145
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: CARPENTER, MAXMIN, BELLOWS, CLAXTON, JACKSON, LUCHINI, VITELLI, GIDEON

Legislative Document
No. 2145
S.P. 772
In Senate, March 10, 2020
An Act To Help Veterans Access Jobs, Education, Health Care and 
Housing and Provide General Support to Veterans
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CARPENTER of Aroostook.
Cosponsored by Representative MAXMIN of Nobleboro and
Senators: BELLOWS of Kennebec, CLAXTON of Androscoggin, President JACKSON of 
Aroostook, LUCHINI of Hancock, VITELLI of Sagadahoc, Representative: Speaker GIDEON 
of Freeport.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
CONCEPT DRAFT
SUMMARY
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
This bill proposes to establish a bill of rights to help veterans access jobs, education, 
health care and housing and provide general support to veterans.
1.  The bill would help veterans access jobs by:
A.  Requiring the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to waive 
licensing fees for veterans;
B.  Requiring licensing boards affiliated with the Department of Professional and 
Financial Regulation to waive licensing fees for veterans;
C.  Expanding eligibility of veterans and their spouses for the program that helps 
veterans and their spouses obtain occupational licenses;
D.  Requiring each board, commission, office and agency within the Department of 
Professional and Financial Regulation or affiliated with the department to permit a 
veteran or spouse who holds a comparable license in another state to acquire a license 
by endorsement in this State for the remainder of the term of the license from the 
other state or until a license is obtained in this State or obtain a temporary license in 
this State for the period of time necessary to obtain a license in this State;
E.  Requiring each board, commission, office and agency within the Department of 
Professional and Financial Regulation or affiliated with the department to grant a full 
or partial exemption from continuing education requirements for a veteran or spouse;
F.  Obtaining information regarding the implementation of the process established to 
help qualified veterans and their spouses to obtain occupational licenses, including 
data concerning how many veterans and their spouses have received assistance;
G.  Extending renewal dates for occupational licenses for veterans and their spouses;
H.  Waiving fees for licensing veterans as emergency medical services persons and 
security guards;
I.  Extending the period of time allowed between the completion of military service 
and the favorable treatment of that military service for purposes of occupational 
licensing; and
J.  Allowing all veterans to purchase credit for time served in the military for 
purposes of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System.
2.  The bill would help veterans access education by:
A.  Extending the amount of time given to veterans to transition from military service 
to school;
B.  Requiring each campus of the University of Maine System and the Maine 
Community College System to have a dedicated space for veterans with at least one 
computer where veterans may meet and have the tools available to them that they 
need to access benefits;
C.  Providing loans to veterans for books that are required for classes;
D.  Providing services for veterans who receive other than an honorable discharge 
from military service;
E.  Providing easier readmittance to school for veterans who leave school for health-
related issues; and
F.  Providing graduate school assistance to veterans.
3.  The bill would help veterans access health care by:
A.  Continuing and improving the pilot program established in Resolve 2017, chapter 
that provides mental health case management services to veterans;
B.  Providing mental health treatment in all counties for veterans;
C.  Waiving the fee for medical marijuana identification cards for veterans;
D.  Providing that the time limit for veterans who are otherwise eligible for assistance 
under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is twice the time limit 
that would otherwise apply to the veterans; and
E.  Supporting programs that provide transportation to medical appointments for 
veterans.
4.  The bill would help veterans access housing by:
A.  Providing funding to seek long-term solutions to reduce barriers, such as criminal 
convictions, substance use, mental illness and physical disabilities, to veterans 
securing housing;
B.  Increasing the number of housing vouchers provided to homeless veterans;
C.  Providing funding to assist landlords to improve substandard apartments and give 
incentives to landlords to rent to veterans;
D.  Changing the "Salute ME" mortgage program administered by the Maine State 
Housing Authority to provide veterans with a greater discount on home mortgage 
rates;
E.  Changing the property tax exemption for certain veterans to apply to all veterans;
F.  Surveying public land, unused public buildings and available private buildings, 
including closed mills, for opportunities to provide housing or temporary shelter for 
veterans;
G.  Providing preference to veterans in the Bridging Rental Assistance Program, 
which assists persons with mental illness to secure temporary housing; and
H.  Providing funding for organizations and facilities that provide housing for 
homeless veterans.
5.  The bill would provide general support to veterans by:
A.  Raising the amount of pension income paid under an employee retirement plan 
that is exempt from the income tax;
B.  Extending the time for which a driver's license is valid for active duty military 
members; and
C.  Increasing the maximum amount of a grant of temporary assistance that may be 
provided to a veteran from the Veterans Temporary Assistance Fund from $2,000 to 
$2,500.