Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4305, sub-§3-B, as amended by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. AAA, §3, is further amended to read:

3-B. Temporary maximum levels. Notwithstanding subsection 3-A, municipalities shall establish an aggregate maximum level of assistance that is 110% of the applicable existing housing fair market rents as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 24 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 888.115, applying the zero-bedroom level for one person, the one-bedroom level for 2 persons, the 2-bedroom level for 3 persons, the 3-bedroom level for 4 persons and the 4-bedroom level for 5 persons, as adjusted by the maximum level of assistance for food established pursuant to subsection 3-A. For each additional person, the aggregate maximum level increases by $75. For the purposes of this subsection, municipalities with populations greater than 10,000 are deemed Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in those counties for which there are 2 fair market rent values and the aggregate maximum level of assistance for all Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas is the average of the fair market rental values for the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas and areas that are not Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas for each county in which there are 2 fair market rental values.

Sec. 2. Reimbursement to municipalities. For calendar year 2004, the Department of Human Services shall reimburse municipalities on a quarterly basis for the amount by which their expenditures for general assistance increase because of this Act, as adjusted by their total spending for general assistance as a proportion of total general assistance expenditures. For calendar year 2005, the department shall consult with the Maine Municipal Association, persons representing municipal general assistance programs and persons representing low- income persons and shall adopt rules to equitably distribute the costs of this Act. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Sec. 3. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2004.

SUMMARY

This bill increases the temporary maximum levels for municipal general assistance from a level based on fair market rents to a level based on rents and established maximum levels of assistance for food.