This bill amends the 1974 State Supplemental Income Act in the following ways.
1. It removes a reference to the advisory role of the Maine Committee on Aging and Maine Human Services Council.
2. It replaces provisions of law that currently provide that payments to couples, both of whom receive the supplement, are 150% of the benefit for an individual with provisions of law providing that payments to the couples are 200% of the benefit for an individual.
3. It requires that the standard used to determine need is the current annual budget at the lower level of living for a single person as most recently determined by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for Portland, Maine, or budgets consistent with such a budget taking into account budget variances by living arrangements permitted pursuant to Title XVI of the federal Social Security Act and regulations promulgated thereunder.
4. It changes the minimum state supplemental income benefit from $8 per month for an individual and $12 per month for a couple to $65 per month for an individual and $130 per month for a couple.
5. It provides that, annually starting October 1, 2023, the state supplemental income benefit must be indexed by the cost-of-living adjustment to the federal payment standard.
6. It provides that, in the priority sequence by which the Department of Health and Human Services must budget and authorize for expenditure appropriations available for benefits, the indexed cost-of-living adjustment must have priority immediately after the minimum payment.
7. It updates the declared intent of the Act that, if it is proposed that benefits provided are to be increased on any future date, cost-of-living adjustments be included in the benefits
43 to be increased at a level of priority over benefits provided to a beneficiary who resides in
44 an adult foster home or boarding home or in certain living arrangements.
8. It establishes that, in determining any increase according to the United States Consumer Price Index, consideration must be given to the goal of reaching, within a reasonable time, a benefit level equal to or consistent with the current budget at the lower level of living for a individual, rather than a retired couple, established by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for Portland, Maine.
9. It requires that the Department of Health and Human Services ensure that eligible individuals residing in nursing homes have a monthly amount for personal needs equal to at least 3 times the amount of the state supplemental income benefit.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1666, SP 671: 22.3271, 22.3272, 22.3273, 22.3274