An Act To Provide Incentives to Unemployed Workers T; ~ecome Part of the Caregiver Workforce
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0898
Committee Amendment CA_A_H926 (House)
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004, 26 MRSA §3

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 654, L.D. 898, "An Act To Provide 
Incentives to Unemployed Workers T; ~ecome Part of the Caregiver Workforce" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Create the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-1, sub-§54-E is enacted to read: 
54-E. 
Labor 
Essential Support Workforce 
Advisory Committee 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA c. 47 is enacted to read: 
Not Authorized 
CHAPTER47 
MRSA §3 702 
ESSENTIAL SUPPORT WORKFORCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE 
§3701. Definitions 
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings. 
1. Benefit cliff effect. "Benefit cliff effect" means the situation that arises when an 
individual or family receiving state, federal or local public benefits has a new or increased 
income that results in a loss of any of those public benefits and the increased income does 
not fully compensate for, or exceed, the financial loss of those public benefits. 
2. Essential support worker. "Essential support worker" has the same meaning as in 
Title 22, section 7401, subsection 3. 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 654, L.D. 898 
§3702. Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee 
1. Advisory committee established. The Essential Support Workforce Advisory 
Committee, as established in Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 54-E and referred to in 
this chapter as "the advisory committee," is established to advise the Legislature, the 
Governor and state agencies on the State's shortage of essential support workers. 
2. Membership. The advisory committee consists of 14 members, appointed as 
follows: 
A. One member of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate: 
B. One member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House; 
C. The Commissioner of Health and Human Services or the commissioner's designee; 
D. The Commissioner of Labor or the commissioner's designee; 
E. One member representing an organization providing services to persons with 
intellectual disabilities and autism who is a member of a statewide association of 
providers of services to persons with intellectual disabilities and autism, appointed by 
the President of the Senate: 
F. One member representing a facility-based long-term care provider who is a member 
of a statewide association of facility-based long-term care providers, appointed by the 
President of the Senate: 
G. One member representing a service coordination agency for people receiving home-
based and community-based long-term care, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
H. One member representing an organization providing statewide homemaker services 
through a state-funded, independent, suppo1t service program, appointed by the 
President of the Senate: 
I. One member representing an institution of higher education engaged in workforce 
development, appointed by the President of the Senate; 
J. One member representing a career and technical education center or region, 
appointed by the Speaker of the House; 
K. One member representing an organization promoting independent living for persons 
with disabilities, appointed by the Speaker of the House; 
L. One member who is an essential support worker, appointed by the Speaker of the 
House; 
M. One member representing a statewide advocacy association that broadly advocates 
for people who are entitled to receive essential support worker services, appointed by 
the Speaker of the House; and 
N. One member representing an organization providing services to persons with 
behavioral health challenges who is a member of a statewide association of providers 
of services to persons with behavioral health challenges, appointed by the Speaker of 
the House. 
3. Meetings. The advisory committee may meet as often as necessary but shall meet 
not fewer than 3 times a year. 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " 
to H.P. 654, L.D. 898 
4. Chairs. At its first meeting, the adviso1y committee shall select a chair and vice-
chair from among its members and may select a new chair and vice-chair annually. 
5. 
Terms of appointments. 
Members of the advismy committee, except for 
Legislators, are appointed for terms of 3 years and may serve beyond their designated terms 
until their successors are appointed. The terms of appointment of Legislators run 
concurrently with their respective legislative terms of office. 
6. Legislative members not entitled to compensation. Notwithstanding Title 3, 
section 2 or any other law to the contrary, legislative members are not entitled to per diem 
pay or expenses for any advisory committee meetings the member attends. 
7. Staffing. The Department of Labor shall provide staff support for advisory 
committee meetings and may provide other support to the advisory committee. To the 
extent funding is available, the advisory committee may contract for staff services as 
needed. 
8. Duties and powers. The advisory committee shall: 
A. Collaborate with the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human 
Services, the State's institutions of higher education, the State's adult education 
programs and career and technical education centers and regions and any other state 
agencies to examine staffing level needs in the essential support workforce, including 
entities funded by the State and through the MaineCare program; 
B. Make recommendations to state agencies and the Legislature related to recruitment 
and retention of essential support workers; 
C. Monitor essential support w01ker sh01tages and the expansion of the essential 
support workforce to examine if actions taken to promote expansion in the essential 
support workforce have been successful; 
D. Make recommendations to the Department of Labor. the Department of Health and 
Human Services, the Legislature and other state agencies regarding additional research 
needed to fu1ther the expansion of the essential support workforce; 
E. Collect data related to the essential support workforce; 
F. Examine benefit cliff effects on essential support workers and recommend and 
develop a pilot project to mitigate benefit cliff effects on essential support workers; and 
G. Make recommendations to the Legislature, including any suggested legislation. 
9. Departments to provide updates. The Department of Labor and the Department 
of Health and Human Services shall provide quarterly updates to the advisory committee 
regarding their efforts to expand the State's essential support workforce. 
10. Report to Legislature. Beginning January 1, 2023 and annually thereafter, the 
advisory committee shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over labor matters and health and human services matters on its 
activities under this chapter. 
11. Funding. The advisory committee may seek, accept and expend outside funding 
to carry out its duties. The advisory committee may accept funds from the Federal 
Government pursuant to the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Public Law 117-
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to H.P. 654, L.D. 898 
2, to the extent the funds are eligible to be used for the purposes of the advisory committee 
in accordance with federal law and regulations. 
§3703. Repeal 
This chapter is repealed January 1, 2028. 
Sec. 3. Staggered terms. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, 
section 3702, subsection 5, initial appointments to the Essential Support Workforce 
Advisory Committee must be staggered as follows: 
1. One member appointed by the President of the Senate must be appointed for a one-
year term; one member must be appointed for a 2-year term; and 3 members must be 
appointed for 3-year terms; and 
2. One member appointed by the Speaker of the House must be appointed for a one-
year term; one member must be appointed for a 2-year term; and 3 members must be 
appointed for 3-year terms. 
Sec. 4. 
Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
Employment Services Activity 0852 
Initiative: Provides funds for one patt-time Labor Program Specialist position and related 
All Other costs to provide staffing and other support to the Essential Support Workforce 
Advisory Committee through January 1, 2028. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - FTE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Workforce Research Z164 
2021-22 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2022-23 
0.250 
$18,249 
$10,789 
$29,038 
Initiative: Provides funds for one part-time Statistician II position and related All Other 
costs to support the collection of data for the Essential Support Workforce Advisory 
Committee through January 1, 2028. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - FTE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
2021-22 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2021-22 
$0 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2022-23 
0.250 
$13,748 
$3,649 
$17,397 
2022-23 
$46,435 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 654, L.D. 898 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
$0 
$46,435 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which is a concept draft. It establishes the Essential 
Support Workforce Advisory Committee to advise the Legislature, the Governor and state 
agencies on issues involving the essential support workforce. The amendment also adds 
an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/17 /22 ;:k:rae 
LD898 
LR 1703(02) 
An Act To Provide Incentives to Unemployed Workers To Become Part of the Caregiver Workforce 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment A' ( f1,,,--9z'J 
Committee: Labor and Housing 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Legislative Cost/Study 
FY 2021-22 
FY 2022-23 
$0 
$46,435 
$0 
$46,435 
Projections 
FY 2023-24 
$47,394 
$47,394 
Projections 
FY 2024-25 
$48,38 
$48,383 
This bill includes General Fund appropriations totaling $46,435 in fiscal year 2022-23 to the Department of Labor for 
the costs associated with providing staffing and other support to the Essential Support Workforce Advisory 
Committee through January 1, 2028. Of this amount, $29,038 is provided for one part-time Labor Program Specialist 
position and related All Other costs for staffing and other administrative support and $17,397 is provided for one part-
time Statistician II position to support the collection of data for the committee. 
Any additional costs to the Department of Health and Human Services to be part of the Essential Support Workforce 
Advisory Cmmnittee are expected to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. While the bill 
requires the use of Legislative resources, there will be no additional costs to the Legislature because the bill 
specifically prohibits Legislative members appointed to the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee from 
receiving any per diem or expenses for their attendance at meetings. 
LRl 703(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1