An Act To Expand Community Support Services for Certain Adult O Members of the MaineCare Program
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0775
Committee Amendment CA_A-HA_A_H699 (House)

HOUSE AMENDMENT "A " 
to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 580, 
L.D. 775, Bill, "An Act To Expand Community Support Services for Certain Adult 
O 
Members of the MaineCare Program" 
Amend the amendment by striking out the substitute title and replacing it with the 
following: 
'Resolve, To Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services To Amend 
Its Rules for Eligibility for Community Support Services• 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 1 and 2 (page 1, lines 16 to 35 
and page 2, lines 1 and 2 in amendment) and inserting the following: 
1Sec. 1. Department of Health and Human Services authorized to amend 
eligibility criteria for community support services. 
Resolved: 
That the 
Department of Health and Human Services may amend its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare 
Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 17, Community Support Services concerning 
eligibility criteria for services under that section. The department may include in the 
eligibility determination an assessment of whether an individual has significant 
impairment or limitation in adaptive behavior or :functioning related to the individual's 
primary clinical diagnosis. The department may also consider: 
1. 
Including in the list of clinical diagnoses that are automatically eligible for 
services additional clinical diagnoses of conditions that substantially inte1fere with or 
limit one or more major life activities; and 
2. Expanding the situations in which an individual might be at risk of harm if the 
individual were to have future episodes related to the individual's primary clinical · 
diagnosis, 
Sec. 2. Report, Resolved: That the Department of Health and Human Services 
shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
health and human services matters by January 15, 2021 as to whether the department 
amended its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 17, 
Community Support Services, referred to in this section as "the rule," concerning 
eligibility criteria for services under that section and, if so, the justification for the 
7 
changes made by the amendment. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
ROFS 1 
HOUSE AMENDMENT "A" to COMMIITEB AMENDMENT "A" to H,P, 580, L.D, 775 
The department also shall provide the committee with: 
1. Data regarding: 
A 
The eligibility criteria for determining who has access to community support 
services; and 
B. The number of individuals who applied for community support services and, of 
those: 
(1) The number initially accepted; 
(2) The number initially rejected; 
(3) The number who were rejected who appealed the rejection; and 
( 4) Of the number who appealed, the number accepted following the appeal; 
2. An assessment as to whether the department is :fulfilling the intended purpose of 
the rule, regardless of whether the department has amended the rule, as authorized 
pursuant to section 1; 
3. The department's plan for communicating to providers how the department plans 
to ensure the provision of community support services under the rule; and 
4. Any other information relevant to the provision of community support services 
under the rule and the access of individuals to those services, 
The joint standing committee may report out legislation to the First Regular Session 
of the 130th Legislature regarding the subject matter of the report and any rules adopted 
by the department pursuant to section 1.
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment removes the mandate that the Department of Health and Human 
Services amend its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 17, 
Community Support Services, instead authorizing the department to amend the rule, This 
amendment also requires the department to report, by January 15, 2021, to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters on the following: 
1. Whether the department amended the rule and, if so, the justification for the 
changes; 
2. Data regarding eligibility criteria and the number of applicants for community 
support services under the rule, including the number initially accepted and rejected and, 
of those rejected, how many appealed and were accepted after appeal; and 
3. Whether the department is meeting the intended purpose of the rule and its plan 
for communicating to providers how the department plans to ensure the provision of 
community support services pursuant to the rule. 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
ROFS 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 'A" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 580, L.D, 775 
The joint standing committee is authorized to report out legislation based on the 
department's report to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
SPONSORED;BY: 
(Represenlanve GRAMLICH) 
TOWN: Old Orchard Beach 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
-, 
Approved: 02/24/20 feac. 
LD775 
LR625(04) 
Resolve, To Direct the Department of Health and Human Services To Amend Its Rules for Eligibility 
for Community Support Services 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment ,t" to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Rep. Gramlich of Old Orchard Beach 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential current biennium reduction of cost - General Fund 
Potential current biennium reduction of cost - Federal Expenditures Fund 
The amendment removes the requirement in the committee amendment that the Depaitment of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) amend eligiblity criteria under Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter ill, Section 17, 
Allowances for Community Suppo1t Services and, instead, allows the DHHS to amend the rule. This change gives the 
depattment more freedom in the changes, if any, that it makes to the rules. This could reduce those potentially eligible 
for services and the costs associated with them. 
LR0625(04) - Fiscal Note - Page I of 1