An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General Assistance Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing Assistance and State Reimbursement and to Establish a Working Group
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1675
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: BRENNAN, PIERCE, CLOUTIER, COLLINGS, CROCKETT, GEIGER, MEYER, PERRY, SALISBURY, ZAGER
Amends: 22 MRSA §4308, 22 MRSA §4309, 22 MRSA §4311

Legislative Document
No. 1675
H.P. 1073
House of Representatives, April 13, 2023
An Act to Amend the Laws Governing the General Assistance 
Program Regarding Eligibility, Housing Assistance and State 
Reimbursement and to Establish a Working Group
(EMERGENCY)
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BRENNAN of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator PIERCE of Cumberland and
Representatives: CLOUTIER of Lewiston, COLLINGS of Portland, CROCKETT of Portland, 
GEIGER of Rockland, MEYER of Eliot, PERRY of Calais, SALISBURY of Westbrook, 
ZAGER of Portland.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, provisions in this legislation take effect July 1, 2023; and
Whereas, unless this legislation takes effect immediately, the provisions in the bill 
cannot be effectuated; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §4308, sub-§1-C is enacted to read:
1-C.  Calculation of housing assistance.  A municipality shall calculate housing 
assistance under this chapter equivalent to the amount of rental assistance provided for 
tenant-based housing choice vouchers under the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public 
Law 75-412, 50 Stat. 888, Section 8, as amended.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §4309, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1989, c. 840, §4, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Eligibility of applicant; duration of eligibility.  The overseer shall determine 
eligibility each time a person applies or reapplies for general assistance pursuant to this 
chapter and the ordinance adopted by the municipality in accordance with section 4305.  
The period of eligibility must not exceed one month 6 months.  At the expiration of that 
period the person may reapply for assistance and the person's eligibility may be 
redetermined.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §4311, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. SSSS, §1, is 
further amended to read:
1.  Departmental reimbursement.  When a municipality incurs net general assistance 
costs in any fiscal year prior to July 1, 2015 in excess of .0003 of that municipality's most 
recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal year for which reimbursement is being 
issued, as determined by the State Tax Assessor in the statement filed as provided in Title 
36, section 381, the Department of Health and Human Services shall reimburse the 
municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these expenditures when the department 
finds that the municipality has been in compliance with all requirements of this chapter.  If 
a municipality elects to determine need without consideration of funds distributed from any 
municipally-controlled trust fund that must otherwise be considered for purposes of this 
chapter, the department shall reimburse the municipality for 66 2/3% of the amount in 
excess of such expenditures when the department finds that the municipality has otherwise 
been in compliance with all requirements of this chapter.
The department shall reimburse each municipality and each Indian tribe 70% of the direct 
costs incurred by that municipality or tribe on or after July 1, 2015 and until June 30, 2023 
for the general assistance program granted by that municipality or tribe.  For the purposes 
of this subsection, "Indian tribe" has the same meaning as in section 411, subsection 8‑A.
Beginning July 1, 2023, when a municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess 
of 0.008% of that municipality's most recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal year 
for which reimbursement is being issued, as determined by the State Tax Assessor in the 
statement filed as provided in Title 36, section 381, the Department of Health and Human 
Services shall reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these 
expenditures when the department finds that the municipality has been in compliance with 
all requirements of this chapter.
For the purposes of this subsection, "Indian tribe" has the same meaning as in section 411, 
subsection 8‑A.
Sec. 4. Working group.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall 
establish a working group of stakeholders and interested parties, as determined by the 
department, to study and make recommendations related to a uniform intake process and 
the conversion of the general assistance program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
22, chapter 1161 into a housing assistance program. No later than December 6, 2023, the 
department shall submit its report and recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee 
on Health and Human Services.  The committee may report out legislation related to the 
report to the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law governing the general assistance program to provide that a 
municipality must calculate housing assistance equivalent to the amount of rental assistance 
provided for tenant-based housing choice vouchers under Section 8 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937. The bill extends the period of eligibility from one month to 6 months. 
Beginning July 1, 2023, when a municipality incurs net general assistance costs in excess 
of 0.008% of that municipality's most recent state valuation relative to the state fiscal year 
for which reimbursement is being issued, the Department of Health and Human Services 
must reimburse the municipality for 90% of the amount in excess of these expenditures.
The bill also directs the department to establish a working group to study and make 
recommendations related to a uniform intake process and the conversion of the general 
assistance program into a housing assistance program.