An Act To Implement Certain Recommendations of the Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income Security
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1997
Committee: Labor and Housing
Amends: 5 MRSA §3109, 5 MRSA §12004-G

Legislative Document
No. 1997
H.P. 1484
House of Representatives, February 23, 2022
An Act To Implement Certain Recommendations of the Committee 
To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income Security
Reported by Representative SYLVESTER of Portland for the Joint Standing Committee on 
Labor and Housing pursuant to Public Law 2021, chapter 405, section 1, subsection 6.
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed pursuant 
to Joint Rule 218.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
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.  Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Committee" means the Committee To Improve the Effectiveness and Accessibility 
of Maine's Safety Net and Work Support Programs established in section 12004-G, 
subsection 15-C.
B. "Safety net program" means a program designed to provide economic assistance to 
individuals lacking adequate income and assets.
C. "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.
2. 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 is established within the 
office.
A.  The director shall appoint all members of the committee, which at a minimum must 
include:
(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, Bureau of 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 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 programs and work support programs with the goal of improving 
basic income security for residents of this State.  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 enrollment or allowing an individual to opt out of 
enrollment;
(c)  Integrating applications and application processes between safety net 
programs and work support programs and governmental departments;
(d)  Improving data sharing while protecting client confidentiality to make it 
easier for individuals to be screened for, to apply for and to receive safety net 
program and work support program 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 processes more efficient and capable of meeting 
the unique needs of the individuals who are applying for assistance;
(3)  Review opportunities to change policies and processes to reduce so-called 
benefit cliffs and interactions between existing safety net programs and work 
support programs;
(4)  Determine how the State could improve access to safety net programs 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
(5)  Review ways to 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 of the Legislature 
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.  5 MRSA §12004-G, sub-§15-C is enacted to read:
15-C.   
Human 
Services: 
Safety Net 
Programs 
Committee To Improve the Effectiveness 
and Accessibility of Maine's Safety Net 
and Work Support Programs 
Expenses Only 
MRSA 
§3109 
Sec. 3. 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 of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor 
and housing matters;
(2)  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
and human services matters; and
(3)  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
taxation matters;
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 of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor 
and housing matters;
(2)  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health 
and human services matters; and
(3)  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
innovation, development, economic advancement and business matters; 
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.
To the greatest extent practicable, the appointing authorities shall reappoint the persons 
they appointed to the Committee To Study the Feasibility of Creating Basic Income 
Security under Public Law 2021, chapter 405.
A legislative member who is not reelected may continue to serve on the committee for the 
duration of the committee. If a member elects to not continue serving on the committee, a 
person must be appointed to the committee in the same manner as the vacating member 
was appointed.
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 section 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 
toward improved economic security. The committee shall make recommendations about 
what the Federal Government can do to help achieve this goal.  
In fulfilling its duties under this section, the committee shall as necessary invite input from 
the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of Revenue Services and 
from the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.
5.  The Legislative Council shall provide necessary staffing services to the committee, 
except that Legislative Council staff support is not authorized when the Legislature is in 
regular or special session.
6.  No later than December 6, 2023, the committee shall submit a report that includes 
its findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, for presentation to the 
joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor matters and 
health and human services matters.  Each joint standing committee is authorized to report 
out a bill related to the report.
7.  The committee is authorized to use the balances from the study authorized in Public 
Law 2021, chapter 405. The committee may also seek funding contributions to supplement 
the balances available to be used to support the hiring of an outside consultant to conduct 
a feasibility study or to provide the committee with additional staffing. No commitments 
may be made that require the use of the additional funds until the funds have been approved 
by the Legislative Council in accordance with the council's policies. 
SUMMARY
This bill is reported out by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor and Housing 
pursuant to Public Law 2021, chapter 405.
This bill implements recommendations of the Committee To Study the Feasibility of 
Creating Basic Income Security.  The bill establishes a permanent committee within the  
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 policies and 
processes to reduce so-called benefit cliffs and 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 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 use the balances 
from the study authorized in Public Law 2021, chapter 405. The committee may also seek 
funding contributions to supplement the balances available to be used to support the hiring 
of an outside consultant to conduct a feasibility study or to provide the committee with 
additional staffing.
The joint standing committee has not taken a position on the substance of the bill and 
by reporting this bill out the joint standing committee is not suggesting and does not intend 
to suggest that it agrees or disagrees with any aspect of this bill. The joint standing 
committee is reporting the bill out for the sole purpose of obtaining a printed bill that can 
be referred to the joint standing committee for a public hearing and subsequent committee 
action in the normal course.