APPROVED CHAPTER
MAY 29, 2025 149
BY GOVERNOR PUBLIC LAW
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 703 - L.D. 1081
An Act to Support Access to General Assistance at Municipal General
Assistance Offices and Designated Places
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4304, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2023, c. 575, §2, 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 obtain an application for general assistance
during the municipality's regular 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. A municipality shall designate the daily hours when an
application for general assistance will be accepted and processed. These designated hours
may not total less than 50% of the municipality's regular business hours.
At all times the local office or designated place must display in a prominent location a
posted notice that includes the following information:
A. The regular business hours when an application may be obtained;
B. The daily business hours when an application may be accepted and processed;
C. The name of the overseer available to take applications in an emergency at all times,
including times outside the daily business hours under paragraph B;
D. The fact that the municipality must issue a written decision on all applications
within 24 hours; and
E. The department's toll-free telephone number for reporting alleged violations in
accordance with section 4321.
Page 1 - 132LR2120(03)


Statutes affected:
Bill Text ACTPUB , Chapter 149: 22.4304