LAW WITHOUT
GOVERNOR'S CHAPTER
SIGNATURE
109
JULY 15, 2021 RESOLVES
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-ONE
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H.P. 91 - L.D. 135
Resolve, Directing the Department of Education and the Department of
Health and Human Services To Study a Centralized Billing Process for
Developmental and School-based Services Covered by the MaineCare
Program and Other Insurers and Report on Updates to the Child Find
Process
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, this resolve directs the Department of Education, in collaboration with the
Department of Health and Human Services, to study the development of a centralized
billing system for developmental and school-based services covered by the MaineCare
program and other insurers and report on updates to the child find process and report to the
Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing
Committee on Health and Human Services; and
Whereas, the study must be initiated before the 90-day period expires in order that
the study may be completed and a report submitted in time for the next legislative session;
and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now,
therefore, be it
Sec. 1. Department of Education and Department of Health and Human
Services to study a centralized billing process for developmental and school-
based services covered by the MaineCare program and other insurers.
Resolved: That the Department of Education shall collaborate with the Department of
Health and Human Services to study the development of a centralized billing system to
process claims to the MaineCare program and other insurers, including private insurance,
for children with disabilities from birth to 22 years of age. The study must address:
1. How to maximize revenue through automation and efficiencies;
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 2. What services are currently billed, what services are not currently billed but are
covered by the MaineCare program or private insurance and could be billed, what services
are coverable by Medicaid programs but are not currently covered by the MaineCare
program and how to align service definitions;
3. How a centralized billing system could best be designed to be accessible and user-
friendly for school administrative units;
4. Examples of other states with centralized billing systems, including but not limited
to New Hampshire and New York, using data and information provided by a statewide
education policy research institute and other 3rd-party entities, as available;
5. Options for the development of a billing system through a 3rd party or through state
agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of
Education or the Department of Administrative and Financial Services;
6. How seed money is currently used to fund MaineCare-covered school-based
services; and
7. How special purpose preschools could maintain their own separate billing system if
a centralized system is implemented.
Sec. 2. Report. Resolved: That the Department of Education and the Department
of Health and Human Services shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education
and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no
later than February 1, 2022 on the study under section 1. The Joint Standing Committee on
Education and Cultural Affairs may report out a bill related to the report to the Second
Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
Sec. 3. Department of Education to report on updates to child find.
Resolved: That the Department of Education, in collaboration with the Department of
Health and Human Services, shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and
Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no later
than February 1, 2022 on efforts to develop, improve and oversee the implementation of
the statewide child find plan. The report must include, but is not limited to:
1. Meetings and recommendations from the state interagency coordinating council
described under 20 United States Code, Section 1441;
2. Updates on current child find initiatives;
3. An examination, including a review of criteria used by other jurisdictions, of how
the State can move forward on expanded eligibility criteria to enable more children with
less significant developmental delays to be served;
4. Ways to access, leverage and enhance the Department of Health and Human
Services' Child Development Services System referral system;
5. Current initiatives and future plans to improve support for children who are referred
but not found eligible for services;
6. Data regarding the correlation, if any, between the provision of early intervention
services and the need for services later in life;
7. Any applicable memoranda of agreement between the Department of Education and
the Department of Health and Human Services; and
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 8. Any additional recommendations on improving child find efforts throughout the
State.
The Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs may report out a bill
related to the report to the Second Regular Session of 130th Legislature.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation
takes effect when approved.
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