An Act to Establish a Program to Assist Residents of Large
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0215
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: HASENFUS, HICKMAN
Amends: 5 MRSA §20059, 22 MRSA §4309

Legislative Document
No. 215
H.P. 138
House of Representatives, January 21, 2025
An Act to Establish a Program to Assist Residents of Large 
Recovery Residences
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HASENFUS of Readfield.
Cosponsored by Senator HICKMAN of Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §20059 is enacted to read:
§20059.  Recovery residence rental assistance program
1. Recovery residence rental assistance program.  The recovery residence rental 
assistance program, referred to in this section as "the program," is established within the 
department to provide assistance with rental fees for eligible individuals to reside in a 
certified recovery residence under section 20057 that has the capacity to serve 20 or more 
residents at one time.  The department shall contract with a nonprofit organization in the 
State that certifies recovery residences to administer the program.
2. Eligibility.  The program must provide assistance to eligible individuals for an 
amount equal to the monthly rent in a certified recovery residence for an individual who:
A. Resides or has been accepted to reside in a certified recovery residence; and
B.  Would otherwise be eligible, as determined by the relevant municipality, for general 
assistance pursuant to Title 22, section 4309 at the time of acceptance under paragraph 
A.
The department shall determine the period of eligibility for a person receiving rental 
assistance under this subsection.
3.  Recovery residence rental assistance fund.  The recovery residence rental 
assistance fund is established within and administered by the department to support the 
program.  Assistance under the program must be disbursed directly from the fund to the 
certified recovery residence for an eligible individual approved for the program in 
accordance with subsection 2.  The fund is funded by appropriations, allocations and other 
public and private sources.  The fund is interest-bearing, and interest accrued on the money 
in the fund accrues to the fund.  The fund does not lapse but carries over to the next fiscal 
year.
4.  Rules.  The department shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this section.  
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in chapter 
375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §4309, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2023, c. 133, §3, is further 
amended to read:
6.  Eligibility; recovery residence; exception exceptions.  The overseer in a 
municipality may not deny general assistance to a person for the sole reason that the person 
is residing in a recovery residence, except that a person who is receiving rental assistance 
pursuant to Title 5, section 20059 is not eligible for housing assistance under this section.  
Beginning July 1, 2022, a A municipality may not provide housing assistance to a person 
residing in a recovery residence that has not been certified in accordance with Title 5, 
section 20005, subsection 22, except that the person may receive housing assistance while 
residing in an uncertified recovery residence for one 30-day period only and the overseer 
shall inform the person of the requirements of this subsection.  A person who is ineligible 
for housing assistance under this subsection may remain eligible to receive general 
assistance for other basic necessities.  Upon request by a person residing in a certified 
recovery residence who has been determined eligible for housing assistance, a municipality 
shall issue a housing assistance payment to the operator of the certified recovery residence 
instead of to a landlord.
Sec. 3. Rental assistance for certified recovery residences.  The Department of 
Health and Human Services and the Maine State Housing Authority shall jointly develop 
the recovery residence rental assistance program as required by the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 5, section 20059.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a rental assistance program within the Department of Health and 
Human Services to support persons who are residing in certified recovery residences that 
have the capacity to serve 20 or more residents at one time.  The rental assistance, equal to 
the monthly rent, is paid directly to the recovery residence for the eligible person.  The 
person must be otherwise eligible for municipal general assistance.  If the eligible person 
receives the rental assistance, the person is not eligible for housing assistance under the 
municipal general assistance program.