An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income Security
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1603
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MEYER, PERRY, VITELLI
Amends: 5 MRSA §3109

Legislative Document
No. 1603
H.P. 1192
House of Representatives, April 27, 2021
An Act To Implement the Recommendations of the Committee To 
Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income Security
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MEYER of Eliot.
Cosponsored by Representative: PERRY of Calais, Senator: VITELLI of Sagadahoc.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §3109 is enacted to read:
§3109.  Committee To Improve the Effectiveness and Accessibility of Maine's Safety 
Net and Work Support Programs
1.  Committee To Improve the Effectiveness and Accessibility of Maine's Safety 
Net and Work Support Programs.  The Committee To Improve the Effectiveness and 
Accessibility of Maine's Safety Net and Work Support Programs, referred to in this section 
as "the committee," is established within the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and 
the Future.  For purposes of this section, "safety net program" means a program designed 
to provide economic assistance to individuals lacking adequate income and assets and 
"work support program" means a program that provides economic support or services to 
help individuals successfully gain or retain employment and increase their economic 
security.
A.  The director shall appoint all members of the committee and at a minimum:
(1)  At least 2 individuals who receive or previously received support from safety 
net programs or work support programs;
(2)  An academic specializing in issues related to poverty and the workforce;
(3)  Staff from departments administering key safety net programs or work support 
programs, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Human 
Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the Department 
of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services and the Maine 
State Housing Authority;
(4)  Individuals familiar with sources of data and technology related to participation 
in safety net programs or work support programs or other factors related to 
individuals living in poverty or with limited incomes;
(5)  At least 2 individuals from advocacy organizations with expertise in policy or 
legal matters related to programs administered by state, federal or municipal 
governments;
(6)  A representative from the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, 
Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations established in chapter 631; and
(7)  Other stakeholders as determined by the director.
B.  The committee shall review existing safety net programs and work support 
programs and make recommendations to improve the coordination and adequacy of 
existing safety net and work support programs with the goal of improving basic income 
security for residents.  The committee shall consider the correlation among guaranteed 
basic income programs, a reduction in poverty, increased economic stability and the 
beneficial impact on the State of a guaranteed basic income program.  In developing 
recommendations, the committee shall:
(1)  Review opportunities to take advantage of options for the State available under 
federal law to improve the adequacy of safety net programs and work support 
programs or other essential resources to help individuals in need to meet basic 
needs;
(2)  Examine the ways in which the State could better coordinate safety net 
programs and work support programs to simplify access and improve efficiency, 
including:
(a)  Streamlining eligibility for safety net programs and work support 
programs;
(b)  Facilitating automatic or allowing an individual to opt out of enrollment;
(c)  Integrating applications and application processes between programs and 
departments;
(d)  Improving data sharing while protecting client confidentiality to make it 
easier for individuals to be screened for, apply for and receive safety net 
programs and work support programs assistance;
(e)  Removing unnecessary barriers for individuals to access the safety net 
programs and work support programs for which those individuals are eligible;
(f)  Improving communication and knowledge sharing between governmental 
departments to ensure that accurate information is provided to individuals 
seeking assistance; and
(g)  Making the application process more efficient and capable of meeting the 
unique needs of the individuals who are applying for assistance;
(3)  Review opportunities to change policy and processes to reduce benefit cliffs 
and negative interactions between existing programs;
(4)  Determine how the State could improve access to safety net programs or work 
support programs for historically disadvantaged racial, indigenous and tribal 
populations with the goal of reducing racial and economic disparities in the State; 
and
(5)  Make eligibility requirements for safety net programs and work support 
programs clear and understandable for the public.
C.  The committee shall conduct periodic reviews of safety net programs and work 
support programs and report findings and recommendations, including any suggested 
legislation, annually to the office and the joint standing committee having jurisdiction 
over health and human services matters.  After reviewing the report, the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services 
matters may report out legislation relating to the subject matter of the report.
Sec. 2.  Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income 
Security; reestablished.  The Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic 
Income Security, referred to in this section as "the committee," is established.
1.  The committee consists of 11 members appointed as follows:
A.  Three members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including a 
representative of each of the following joint standing committees:
(1)  The Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing;
(2)  The Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services; and
(3)  The Joint Standing Committee on Taxation;
B.  Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the 
House, including a representative of each of the following joint standing committees:
(1)  The Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing;
(2)  The Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services; and
(3)  The Joint Standing Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic 
Advancement and Business; 
C.  Two members of the public who represent low-income workers and recipients of 
public benefits, appointed by the President of the Senate;
D.  One member of the public who represents business and industry, appointed by the 
Speaker of the House;
E.  One member of the public who represents higher education, appointed by the 
Speaker of the House; and
F.  One member of the public who represents a trade union, appointed by the Governor.
2.  The first-named Senate member is the Senate chair and the first-named House of 
Representatives member is the House chair of the committee.
3.  All appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date 
of this section.  The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the 
Legislative Council once all appointments have been completed.  After appointment of all 
members, the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the committee.  If 30 days 
or more after the effective date of this resolve a majority of but not all appointments have 
been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant 
authority for the committee to meet and conduct its business.
4.  The committee shall examine and assess the feasibility, economic impact and 
poverty reduction effect of providing basic income security through a direct cash payment 
system and other programs that are designed to help individuals and families become more 
economically secure.
The committee shall consider what the State can do to further the goal of helping 
individuals and families to become more economically secure and to move state residents 
towards improved economic security. The committee shall make recommendations about 
what the Federal Government can do to help achieve this goal.  The committee shall work 
in coordination with the Committee To Improve the Effectiveness and Accessibility of 
Maine's Safety Net and Work Support Programs as established in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 5, section 3109.
In fulfilling its duties under this section, the committee shall as necessary invite input from 
the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services and 
from the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.
5.  The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the committee, 
except that the Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the Legislature is 
in regular or special session.
6.  No later than December 1, 2021, the committee shall submit a report that includes 
its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, for presentation to the 
Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing.  The Joint Standing Committee on Labor 
and Housing is authorized to report out a bill related to the report.
7.  The committee shall seek funding contributions to fully fund the costs of the study 
including the hiring of an outside consultant to conduct a feasibility study or to provide the 
committee with additional staffing needs, if funding permits.  All funding is subject to 
approval by the Legislative Council in accordance with its policies.  If sufficient 
contributions to fund the study have not been received within 30 days after the effective 
date of this section, no meetings are authorized and no expenses of any kind may be 
incurred or reimbursed.
SUMMARY
This bill implements recommendations of the Committee to Study the Feasibility of 
Creating Basic Income Security.  The bill establishes a permanent committee within the 
Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to examine current safety net and 
work support programs to: improve the adequacy of safety net and work support programs; 
better coordinate these programs to simplify access and improve efficiency; change policy 
and process to reduce benefit cliffs and negative interactions between existing programs; 
improve access to safety net and work support programs for historically disadvantaged 
racial, indigenous and tribal populations with the goal of reducing racial and economic 
disparities in the State; and make eligibility requirements for safety net and work support 
programs clear and understandable for members of the public.
The bill also reestablishes the Committee to Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic 
Income Security to continue the work of the previous study committee.  The bill directs the 
study committee to examine and make recommendations about the feasibility and 
economic impact and poverty reduction effect of providing basic income security through 
a direct cash payment system and other programs designed to help individuals and families 
become more economically secure.  The bill authorizes the committee to seek funding 
contributions to fully fund the costs of the study including the hiring of an outside 
consultant to conduct a feasibility study or to provide the committee with additional staffing 
needs, if funding permits.