Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶N, as amended by PL 1997, c. 393, Pt. B, §4, is further amended to read:

N. Coordinate the development of solid waste management policy including:

(1) Collecting and analyzing solid waste management and recycling data from all available sources including commercial and municipal entities;

(2) Preparing a solid waste management and recycling plan to be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 1998 and every 5 years thereafter; and

(3) Providing technical and financial assistance to municipalities in waste reduction and recycling activities; and

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶O, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 625, Pt. A, §10, is amended to read:

O. Own, design, develop or operate, or contract with private parties to operate, a solid waste disposal facility, as provided in Title 38, chapter 24, subchapter IV. 4; and

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §3305, sub-§1, ¶P is enacted to read:

P.__Report annually to the Legislature on the subject of poverty in the State.

(1)__The report must include information on poverty among children and adults, regional differences in poverty rates and indicators, conditions responsible for changes from the prior year, expectations for the coming year and the economic condition of the State's communities.

(2)__The report must include an annual basic needs budget for households of different sizes and compositions, developed in cooperation with the Department of Human Services, including the following expenditure categories: housing, transportation, child care, health care insurance and out-of-pocket health care expenses, clothing, food, personal care and recreation.__ This annual basic needs budget must include a brief description of the expense assumptions used for each of the expenditure categories and a