An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1877
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: MEYER, INGWERSEN, CRAVEN, RANA, ROBERTS, SHAGOURY, SUPICA
Amends: 22 MRSA §3762, 22 MRSA §3769-C, 22 MRSA §3788

Legislative Document
No. 1877
H.P. 1202
House of Representatives, May 3, 2023
An Act to Reduce the Number of Children Living in Deep Poverty 
by Adjusting Assistance for Low-income Families
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 Senator INGWERSEN of York and
Representatives: CRAVEN of Lewiston, RANA of Bangor, ROBERTS of South Berwick, 
SHAGOURY of Hallowell, SUPICA of Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§3, ¶B, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §176, 
is amended by amending subparagraph (1) to read:
(1)  To continue the pass-through of the first $50 per month of current child support 
collections and the exclusion of the $50 pass-through from the budget tests and 
benefit calculations through September 30, 2023. Beginning October 1, 2023, to 
continue the pass-through of the first $100 per month of current child support 
collections for families with one child and the first $200 per month of current child 
support collections for families with more than one child, and the exclusion of the 
pass-through amounts described in this subparagraph from the budget tests and 
benefit calculations;
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§3, ¶B, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §176, 
is amended by amending subparagraph (6) to read:
(6)  To provide a special housing allowance for TANF families whose shelter 
expenses for rent, mortgage or similar payments, homeowners insurance and 
property taxes equal or exceed 50% of their monthly income excluding any income 
disregarded pursuant to subparagraph (7‑D), divisions (a) and (b).  The special 
housing allowance is limited to in an amount not less than $300 per month for each 
family.  For purposes of this subparagraph, "monthly income" means the total of 
the TANF monthly benefit and all income countable under the TANF program, 
plus child support received by the family, excluding the $50 any pass-through 
payment payments;
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§3, ¶B, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §176, 
is amended by enacting a new subparagraph (7-G) to read:
(7-G) To provide a clothing allowance for all TANF households 3 times each 
calendar year. A clothing allowance must be no less than $100 per TANF 
household member and must be paid directly to a TANF household;
Sec. 4.  22 MRSA §3769-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. 
NNNNNNN, §11, is further amended to read:
1.  Amount of assistance.  It is the goal of this section to provide low-income families 
with children sufficient income to meet their most basic needs live with economic stability 
and secure access to health care, based on reliable market data. If the commissioner 
determines that unexpended funds are available within the Department of Health and 
Human Services state or federal ASPIRE or TANF accounts, the commissioner may, by 
rule, use those funds to increase the maximum levels of assistance and adjust the standard 
of need in the TANF program.
C.  Beginning October 1, 2017 2023, the department shall increase the maximum 
amount of monthly TANF assistance by an amount equal to 20% of the maximum 
payments that were in effect on January 1, 2017 to 60% of the federal poverty level 
and shall increase the standard of need to maintain the same differential between the 
maximum payment and the standard of need that was in effect on January 1, 2017 by 
the same proportional amount as the difference between the maximum amount in effect 
on January 1, 2023 and the amount described by this subsection.
D.  Beginning October 1, 2018 2024 and for each year thereafter, the department shall 
increase the maximum amount of monthly TANF assistance by an amount equal to or 
greater than the increase, if any, in the cost of living and shall increase the standard of 
need to maintain the same differential between the maximum payment and the standard 
of need that was in effect on January 1, 2017 2024. The increase in the cost of living 
for each year must equal the percentage increase, if any, in the federal supplemental 
security income program for that year.
Sec. 5.  22 MRSA §3788, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §26, is 
further amended by enacting a new first blocked paragraph to read:
The department may not require verification of the use of payments for support services 
made to eligible individuals.
Sec. 6.  22 MRSA §3788, sub-§5-A is enacted to read:
5-A.  Provision of transportation-related support services.  The department shall 
provide payment for transportation support services to ASPIRE-TANF participants to 
assist participants in maintaining their own vehicles or in accessing alternative 
transportation necessary for the individual to participate in the activities agreed to in the 
family contract.
A.  An ASPIRE-TANF participant who owns a vehicle and requires that vehicle in 
order to participate in activities agreed to in the family contract is eligible for 
transportation-related support services in an amount at least sufficient to assist the 
participant in maintaining automobile liability insurance and in paying for repairs to 
the vehicle. The department shall provide a standardized payment for these services to 
eligible participants promptly upon the establishment of a family contract in which it 
is verified by the participant that the participant owns a vehicle that is necessary to 
participate in activities included in that family contract. The department may limit the 
payment for transportation-related support services in this subsection to once per 
calendar year.
B.  An ASPIRE-TANF participant who requires a vehicle to attend activities agreed to 
in the family contract is eligible for transportation-related support services to pay for 
fuel necessary to participate in the activities agreed to in the family contract. 
Participants are eligible to receive the payments required under this paragraph upon the 
establishment of a family contract in which it is verified by the participant that the 
participant requires the use of a vehicle to participate in activities included in the family 
contract. The department shall calculate the mileage reimbursement amount for which 
the participant is eligible based on the distance traveled to and from activities listed in 
the family contract, including any travel necessary to accommodate child care 
arrangements. The department shall make this payment on a monthly basis and may 
not make the payment as a reimbursement. 
Sec. 7.  Revised state plan for support collection and establishment of 
paternity.  No later than October 1, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services 
shall submit a revised State Plan for Support Collection and Establishment of Paternity 
under Title IV-D of the United States Social Security Act indicating a pass-through amount 
under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program of $100 for families with one 
child and $200 for families with more than one child. The State shall also elect to participate 
in the pass-through provisions of families that formerly received assistance as permitted 
under Title IV-D, section 457(a)(6)(A) of the United States Social Security Act.
SUMMARY
This bill changes the policy goal of the provision of assistance to low-income families 
to allow those families to live with economic stability and secure access to health care, 
based on reliable market data. The bill adjusts the standard of need for assistance and the 
maximum amount of monthly assistance to a standard and amount based on the federal 
poverty level. The bill increases the pass-throughs of child support collections. The bill 
provides for a clothing allowance and payment for certain transportation support services 
and sets a lower limit on the amount of the special housing allowance for families receiving 
assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The bill prohibits 
the Department of Health and Human Services from requiring verification of the use of 
payments for support services.