An Act to Improve the Housing Voucher System
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2158
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: GOLEK, DAUGHTRY, ANKELES, CLUCHEY, GATTINE, JAUCH, RANA, ROEDER, ROTUNDO
Amends: 30-A MRSA §4702, 30-A MRSA §4722

Legislative Document
No. 2158
H.P. 1382
House of Representatives, January 9, 2024
An Act to Improve the Housing Voucher System
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203.
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative GOLEK of Harpswell.
Cosponsored by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland and
Representatives: ANKELES of Brunswick, CLUCHEY of Bowdoinham, GATTINE of 
Westbrook, JAUCH of Topsham, RANA of Bangor, ROEDER of Bangor, Senator: 
ROTUNDO of Androscoggin.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  30-A MRSA §4702, sub-§8-A is enacted to read:
8-A.  Housing voucher.  "Housing voucher" means a tenant-based housing choice 
voucher issued under Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, Public Law 
75-412, 50 Stat. 888, as amended.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶GG, as amended by PL 2021, c. 322, §2, is 
further amended by amending subparagraph (3) to read:
(3)  Perform other functions and duties necessary for the proper administration of 
the credit, including providing any necessary certifications and notices to taxpayers 
and to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of 
Revenue Services containing information required by the State Tax Assessor 
necessary for determining eligibility and the amount of the credit for each taxable 
year; and.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶GG, as amended by PL 2021, c. 322, §2, is 
further amended by amending the first blocked paragraph to read:
Rules adopted under this paragraph are routine technical rules.;
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶HH, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 322, §3, is 
amended to read:
HH.  Provide the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
housing matters copies of any reports required to be submitted to the United States 
Department of the Treasury or the Governor regarding the administration of the 
emergency rental assistance programs established by Section 501 of Division N of the 
federal Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 and Section 3201(a) of the federal 
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.  Copies of any reports required to be submitted to 
the United States Department of the Treasury or the Governor must be submitted to the 
joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters 
no later than 7 days after the reports are submitted to the United States Department of 
the Treasury or the Governor.  If no such reports are required to be submitted to the 
United States Department of the Treasury or the Governor, the Maine State Housing 
Authority shall submit, beginning January 15, 2022 and annually thereafter, to the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing matters a report 
on any rental assistance distributed by the Maine State Housing Authority.;
Sec. 5.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶II is enacted to read:
II.  Enter into contracts with landlords of residential housing at the highest rental rates 
permitted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for 
residential housing;
Sec. 6.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶JJ is enacted to read:
JJ.  Establish reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by the 
authority and allow municipal housing authorities to establish reasonable time limits 
for the use of housing vouchers issued by those municipal authorities; and
Sec. 7.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶KK is enacted to read:
KK.  Permit the use of a housing voucher issued to a resident of this State to be used 
anywhere within the State and require municipal housing authorities that issue housing 
vouchers to allow those housing vouchers to be used upon issuance anywhere within 
the State.
Sec. 8.  Collection of data for waiver requests for payment of rate higher 
than fair market rental rate; time limits; and geographical expansion. The 
Maine State Housing Authority shall collect any data necessary, in addition to that required 
pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4722, subsection 1, paragraph 
A, to prepare and submit to the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development a request for a waiver that:
1. Waiver for exceeding fair market rental rate.  Allows the Maine State Housing 
Authority to enter into contracts with landlords of residential housing for the rental of that 
residential housing at a higher rate than the fair market rental rate as established by the 
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.  A waiver obtained 
pursuant to this subsection may not require a housing authority to issue a lower number of 
housing vouchers to residents of this State than the number issued prior to the waiver;
2.  Waiver for time limits for securing housing under federal housing voucher.  
Allows the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipal housing authority to determine 
the appropriate length of time a person holding a housing voucher has to secure housing; 
and
3.  Waiver for expansion of geographical use.  Allows the Maine State Housing 
Authority to allow a resident of the State who is issued a housing voucher by a municipal 
housing authority to use that voucher upon issuance anywhere in the State.
For purposes of this section, "housing voucher" has the same meaning as in the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4702, subsection 8-A and "municipal housing 
authority" means a housing authority or public corporation created or authorized pursuant 
to Title 30-A, chapter 201.
The Maine State Housing Authority shall submit requests for waivers pursuant to this 
section no later than 120 days after the effective date of this section.
Sec. 9.  Conformity of voucher assistance; report.  The Maine State Housing 
Authority shall submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction 
over housing matters during the 132nd Legislature in 2025:
1.  Suggested legislation.  Suggested legislation that requires all housing authorities 
or public corporations created or authorized pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 
30-A, chapter 201 to conform their housing voucher programs to the housing voucher 
program administered by the Maine State Housing Authority; and
2. Report.  A report detailing the Maine State Housing Authority's efforts to obtain 
waivers from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding:
A.  Contracting with landlords to pay rental rates that are more than the fair market 
rental rate as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; 
B.  Allowing the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority or public 
corporation created or authorized pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, 
chapter 201 to establish reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued 
by the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority or public 
corporation; and
C.  Allowing the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority or public 
corporation created or authorized pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 201 to issue housing 
vouchers that may be used upon issuance anywhere within the State.
The Maine State Housing Authority shall submit the suggested legislation and report 
required pursuant to this section to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over housing matters by December 4, 2024.  The joint standing committee may 
report out legislation related to the suggested legislation and the report to the 132nd 
Legislature in 2025.
Sec. 10.  Contingent effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4722, subsection 1, paragraphs GG and HH do 
not take effect unless:
1. Waivers granted. The United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development grants a waiver to:
A. Allow the Maine State Housing Authority to enter into contracts at a higher rate 
than the fair market rental rate as established by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development; 
B.  Allow the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority or public 
corporation created or authorized pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 201 to establish 
reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by the Maine State 
Housing Authority or another housing authority; or
C.  Allow the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority or public 
corporation created or authorized pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 201 to issue housing 
vouchers that may be used upon issuance anywhere within the State; and 
2. Notice.  The chief administrative officer of the Maine State Housing Authority 
notifies the Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the 
Revisor of Statutes of the receipt of a waiver pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph A, B or 
C.
Sec. 11.  Contract rates; contingent effective date. That section of this Act that 
enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4722, subsection 1, paragraph II 
does not take effect unless the United States Department of Housing and Urban 
Development grants a waiver to allow the Maine State Housing Authority to enter into 
contracts at a higher rate than the fair market rental rate as established by the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development and the chief administrative officer of the 
Maine State Housing Authority notifies the Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House 
of Representatives and the Revisor of Statutes of the receipt of that waiver.
Sec. 12.  Reasonable time limits; contingent effective date. That section of this 
Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4722, subsection 1, 
paragraph JJ does not take effect unless the United States Department of Housing and 
Urban Development grants a waiver to allow the Maine State Housing Authority or another 
housing authority or public corporation created or authorized pursuant to Title 30-A, 
chapter 201 to establish reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by 
the Maine State Housing Authority or another housing authority and the chief 
administrative officer of the Maine State Housing Authority notifies the Secretary of the 
Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Revisor of Statutes of the receipt 
of that waiver.
Sec. 13.  Geographic expansion; contingent effective date. That section of this 
Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 4722, subsection 1, 
paragraph KK does not take effect unless the United States Department of Housing and 
Urban Development grants a waiver to allow housing vouchers issued by the Maine State 
Housing Authority or another housing authority or public corporation created or authorized 
pursuant to Title 30-A, chapter 201 to be used upon issuance anywhere within the State and 
the chief administrative officer of the Maine State Housing Authority notifies the Secretary 
of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Revisor of Statutes of the 
receipt of that waiver.
SUMMARY
This bill does the following regarding housing vouchers.
1.  It requires the Maine State Housing Authority to collect data regarding and to submit 
applications to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for 
waivers that:
A.   Allow the Maine State Housing Authority to enter into contracts at a higher rate 
than the fair market rental rate as established by the United States Department of 
Housing and Urban Development. The waiver may not result in fewer housing 
vouchers being issued than before the waiver was obtained; 
B.  Allow the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipal housing authority to 
establish reasonable time limits for the use of housing vouchers issued by the Maine 
State Housing Authority or the municipal housing authority; and 
C.  Allow the Maine State Housing Authority or a municipal housing authority to issue 
housing vouchers that may be used upon issuance anywhere within the State.
2.  Contingent upon approval of a waiver, it codifies under the powers and duties of the 
Maine State Housing Authority the power authorized by each waiver.
3.  It requires the Maine State Housing Authority to submit:
A.  Suggested legislation that requires all housing authorities or public corporations 
created or authorized pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, chapter 201 
to conform their housing voucher programs to the housing voucher program 
administered by the Maine State Housing Authority; and  
B.  A report detailing its efforts to obtain the 3 waivers from the United States 
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over housing 
matters is authorized to report out to the 132nd Legislature in 2025 legislation related to 
the report and suggested legislation submitted by the Maine State Housing Authority.