An Act to Increase
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0978
Committee Amendment CA_A_H753 (House)
Amends: 22 MRSA §4308, 22 MRSA §4311, 22 MRSA §4323, 22 MRSA §4327

COMMITTEE AMENDI\1ENT " A" to H.P. 638, L.D. 978, "An Act to Increase 
General Assistance Reimbursement for Municipalities and Indian Tribes" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4308, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 655, Pt. R, §2, is 
amended to read: 
• 
1-A. Limit on housing assistance. Except as provided in subsections 1-B and 2, 
housing assistance provided pursuant to this chapter is limited to a maximum of 9 months 
during the period from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Beginning July 1, 2025, except as 
provided in subsections 1-B and 2, housing assistance provided pursuant to this chapter is 
limited to a maximum of 12 months in a 36-month period. 
Sec. 2. 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 dete11nined 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 offunds distributed from any 
municipally controlled 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 depa1'tment 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 incm1·ed by that municipality or tribe on or after July 1, 2015 and before July 1, 2025 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~ 
~o 
COMMITIEEAMENDMENT"A "to H.P. 638, L.D. 978 
for the general assistance program granted by that municipality or tribe, For tho purposes 
of this subsection, "Indian tribe" has the same meaning as in section 411, subsection 8 A. 
The depaitment shall reimburse each municipality and Indian tribe as follows: 
A. Beginning July 1, 2025, the department shall reimburse each municipality and each 
Indian tribe 75% of the direct costs incurred by that municipality or tribe for costs 
incurred on or after July L 2025 and before July 1, 2027: and 
B. Beginning July 1, 2027, the depaitment shall reimburse each municipality and each 
Indian tribe 80% of the direct costs incmTed by that municipality or tribe for costs 
incurred on or after July 1, 2027. 
For the purposes of this subsection, "Indian tribe II has the same meaning as in section 411, 
subsection 8-A. 
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4323, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2023, c, 575, §6, is repealed, 
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4327, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 575, §7, is amended to read: 
§4327. Reporting 
The depattment shall use municipal repotts, data from the stat6',vide online database 
required under section 4323, subsection 6 and other metrics to generate a general assistance 
report to be submitted to the joint standing committee of the Legislature havingjurisdiction 
over general assistance matters no later than January 30, 2026 and no later than January 
30th of each odd-numbered calendar year thereafter, The initial report must include 
recommendations regarding a potential extension of the general assistance eligibility period 
beyond the 30-day limit established in section 4310, subsection 4. All reports must include 
metrics for: the number of individuals and families who received funds; the basic 
necessities for which those funds were provided; the length of time those funds were 
received; which municipalities accessed technical assistance and the number of times that 
technical assistance was requested, including instances outside of n01mal business hours; 
the type of technical assistance municipalities required; the number of calls to the 
depattment's general assistance hotline; and the number and content of complaints received 
and additional metrics as dete1mined necessary by the depa1tment. The report must also 
include data illustrating municipal poverty levels, or regional or county pove1ty data when 
municipal-level pove1ty data is unavailable, and data regarding the use of other public 
benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in each municipality, 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made, 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
General Assistance - Reimbursement to Cities and Towns 0130 
Initiative: Provides funding for increased state reimbursement of the costs of municipal 
general assistance, 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2025-26 
$1,821,933 
$1,821,933 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2026-27 
$1,821,933 
0~ 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 638, L.D. 978 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. The amendment provides that, beginning July 1, 
2025, housing assistance is limited to a maximum of 12 months in a 36-month period. 
Current law provides that individuals eligible for emergency general assistance, including 
individuals experiencing or facing homelessness, and certain individuals with severe and 
persistent mental or physical conditions are exempt from this limitation. The amendment 
also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse municipalities 
and Indian tribes 75% of the direct costs incurred by that municipality or tribe for costs 
incurred on or after July 1, 2025 and before July 1, 2027 and that beginning July 1, 2027, 
the department must reimburse each municipality and each Indian tribe 80% of the direct 
costs incurred by that municipality or tribe for costs incurred on or after July 1, 2027. 
Finally, the amendment removes the requirement that the department, beginning July 1, 
2025, provide overseers access to an Internet-based, real-time database containing the 
information necessary to properly dete1mine eligibility of an applicant for general 
assistance. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/05/25 LRL-
LD978 
LR 1745(02) 
An Act to Increase General Assistance Reimbursement for Municipalities and.Indian Tribes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''Pf ( H--::f-? ~) 
Committee: Health and Human Services 
;Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2025-26 
FY 2026-27 
$1,821,933 
$1,821,933 
$1,821,933 
$1,821,933 
Projections 
FY 2027-28 
$3,643,867 
$3,643,867 
Projections 
FY 2028-29 
$3,643,867 
$3,643,867 
The bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of 
$1,821,933 in fiscal year 2025-26 and fiscal year 2026-27 to fund increased state reimbursement of municipal general 
assistance costs. The bill increases the reimbursement rate from 70% to 75% for costs incuned on or after July 1, 
2025 and from 75% to 80% for costs inclmed on or after July 1, 2027. 
The bill also limits housing assistance provided under general assistance to a maximum of 12 months in a 36-month 
period. This is estimated to reduce the aimual cost of state reimbursement for municipal general assistance by 
$3,715,190 beginning in fiscal year 2026-27. Because the cunent budget for state reimbursemei1t for general 
assistance is insufficient to cover projected costs, any reduction in reimburse111ent costs from this limit would not 
result in savings to budgeted amounts, but would reduce the amount of the gap between budgeted and actual 
expenditures. 
LRl 745(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1