LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
575
MARCH 27, 2024 PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
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H.P. 1111 - L.D. 1732
An Act Regarding the General Assistance Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4302-A is enacted to read:
§4302-A. Training for overseers and municipal officials
1. Training required. No later than the 120th day after appointment or election, an
overseer, municipal official designated by the overseers to administer this chapter and any
municipal official appointed to administer this chapter shall complete training on the
requirements of this chapter.
2. Training; minimum requirements. The department shall ensure that all overseers
and municipal officials have access to training required in subsection 1, at no cost to the
overseer or municipal official, that can be completed in less than 4 hours and is accessible
either in person, online or via a pre-recorded video presentation. At a minimum, the training
must include instruction on the purpose of the general assistance program, the delivery of
trauma-informed services and culturally and linguistically appropriate services as defined
in section 4305, subsection 7 and the laws governing the general assistance program's
administration, procedures and requirements.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4304, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1991, c. 209, §1, is further
amended to read:
1. Local office. There must be in each municipality a general assistance office or
designated place where any person may apply for general assistance at during the
municipality's regular, reasonable times designated by the municipal officers business
hours. Notice must be posted of these times, the name of the overseer available to take
applications in an emergency at all other times, the fact that the municipality must issue a
written decision on all applications within 24 hours and the department's toll-free telephone
number for reporting alleged violations in accordance with section 4321.
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §4305, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7. Appropriate services. A municipality, in administering a general assistance
program, shall provide trauma-informed services and culturally and linguistically
appropriate services to all applicants. For purposes of this subsection, "trauma-informed
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services" means services that acknowledge and are informed by the widespread effects of
trauma and recognize the potential paths for recovery; recognize the unique signs and
symptoms of trauma in applicants, clients, families and staff; respond by fully integrating
knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures and practices; and seek to actively avoid
retraumatization. For purposes of this subsection, "culturally and linguistically appropriate
services" means services that are designed to serve culturally diverse populations in a
person's preferred language; function effectively within the context of cultural beliefs,
behaviors and needs presented by a person who applies to or is a recipient of assistance
from a general assistance program and the person's community; contribute to a work
environment that supports diversity; promote community engagement; build trust and
relationships with applicants and recipients; actively support and enable recipients to make
informed choices; and value and facilitate the exchange of information with recipients.
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §4307, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2017, c. 130, §1, is further
amended to read:
4. Special circumstances. Overseers of a municipality may not move or transport an
applicant or recipient into another municipality to relieve their municipality of
responsibility for that applicant's or recipient's support. The municipality of responsibility
for relocations and institutional settings is as follows.
A. When an applicant or recipient requests relocation to another municipality and the
overseers of a municipality assist that person to relocate to another municipality, the
municipality from which that person is moving continues to be responsible for the
support of the recipient for 30 days, including processing applications and determining
eligibility for assistance, unless otherwise agreed upon by the affected municipalities,
for 6 months after relocation. As used in this paragraph, "assist" includes:
(1) Granting financial assistance to relocate; and
(2) Making arrangements for a person to relocate.
B. If an applicant is in a group home, shelter, rehabilitation center, nursing home,
hospital or other institution at the time of application and has either been in that
institution for 6 12 months or less, or had a residence immediately prior to entering the
institution which that the applicant had maintained and to which the applicant intends
to return, the municipality of responsibility is the municipality where the applicant was
a resident immediately prior to entering the institution and that municipality continues
to be responsible for the support of the recipient, including processing applications and
determining eligibility for assistance, unless otherwise agreed upon by the affected
municipalities. For the purpose of this paragraph, a hotel, motel or similar place of
temporary lodging is considered an institution when a municipality:
(1) Grants financial assistance for a person to move to or stay in temporary
lodging;
(2) Makes arrangements for a person to stay in temporary lodging;
(3) Advises or encourages a person to stay in temporary lodging; or
(4) Illegally denies housing assistance and, as a result of that denial, the person
stays in temporary lodging.
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 Sec. 5. 22 MRSA §4323, sub-§1, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 2, Pt. B, §202, is
amended by enacting a new last blocked paragraph to read:
The department is responsible for ensuring that each municipality complies with its duty to
provide trauma-informed services and culturally and linguistically appropriate services as
defined in section 4305, subsection 7. The department shall provide mandatory training to
municipalities to ensure that a municipality is able to comply with the requirements of this
chapter.
Sec. 6. 22 MRSA §4323, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6. Database. Beginning on July 1, 2025, the department shall provide overseers access
to an Internet-based, real-time database containing the information necessary to properly
determine an applicant’s eligibility.
Sec. 7. 22 MRSA §4327 is enacted to read:
§4327. Reporting
The department shall use municipal reports, data from the statewide 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 having jurisdiction
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 normal business hours;
the type of technical assistance municipalities required; the number of calls to the
department's general assistance hotline; and the number and content of complaints received
and additional metrics as determined necessary by the department. The report must also
include data illustrating municipal poverty levels, or regional or county poverty data when
municipal-level poverty 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. 8. Application. That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes,
Title 22, section 4302-A applies to all overseers and municipal officials serving on and
after the effective date of this Act.
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Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1732, HP 1111: 22.4304, 22.4307, 22.4311
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 575: 22.4304, 22.4307, 22.4323