Whereas, Public Law 1999, chapter 401 amended the elderly low- cost drug program and made people that were eligible for the program no longer eligible; and

Whereas, it is necessary to pass this Act as an emergency so that people may qualify for the elderly low-cost drug program; 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 enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §254, sub-§§9 and 10, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. KKK, §1 and affected by §10 and c. 531, Pt. F, §2, are amended to read:

9. Household income. "Household income," for the purposes of this section, means all income, as defined in Title 36, section 6201, subsection 9, received by all persons of a household in a calendar year while members of the household; and

10. Eligible individuals. To be eligible for the program, an individual must be:

A. At least 62 years of age; or

B. Nineteen years of age or older and determined to be disabled by the standards of the federal social security program.; and

Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §254, sub-§11 is enacted to read:

11.__Household member retains eligibility.__An individual who is a member of a household and was determined eligible for the elderly low-cost drug program for any time during the 12-month period beginning August 1, 1998 may not be determined ineligible for the program for as long as the individual's household income meets the criteria set out in subsection 2 and the individual meets the criteria in Title 36, section 6162-B, subsections 1 and 2.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.