CHAPTER 116
H.P. 784 - L.D. 1066
Resolve, To Establish a Committee To Examine Issues Relating to the Administration of Municipal General Assistance
Sec. 1. General assistance committee established. Resolved: That the Department of Human Services shall convene a general assistance committee, referred to in this resolve as "the committee," composed of persons interested in the administration of municipal general assistance. The committee must include, but is not limited to, representatives of the Department of Human Services, the Maine Municipal Association, municipal general assistance administrators and persons with low incomes; and be it further
Sec. 2. Committee duties. Resolved: That the committee shall examine and make recommendations regarding the following issues:
1. Whether the administration of municipal general assistance can be simplified and access to general assistance for those in need can be improved;
2. The potential for regional general assistance offices, cooperative agreements among towns and other initiatives to reduce administrative costs of providing municipal general assistance and to improve access to general assistance;
3. Ways in which federal housing assistance can be maximized to assist low-income residents of the State. The committee shall meet with representatives of federal and state housing agencies to evaluate whether fair market rents, as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, are representative of the rental market in each region of the State. If the committee determines that the fair market rents are not representative of actual rental values, the committee shall make recommendations to address the issue. The committee shall also examine the housing data that is collected in the State and make recommendations for additional data collection to improve the State's ability to maximize federal housing assistance; and
4. How to improve the State's collection of data regarding general assistance in order to better understand how municipal programs are functioning. The committee shall make recommendations to ensure adequate data collection, including, but not limited to, data concerning the number of applications and the number of people granted and denied assistance; and be it further
Sec. 3. Reports. Resolved: That the committee shall submit a progress report no later than January 15, 2005 and a final report, including suggested legislation, no later than January 15, 2006 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters. Following receipt and review of the final report, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human services matters may report out legislation based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 122nd Legislature.
Effective July 30, 2004, unless otherwise indicated.
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