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. 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.

Beginning October 2005 and annually thereafter, the aggregate maximum level of assistance must be established at the greater of 110% of the fair market rents as determined in this subsection and the amount achieved by annually increasing the most recent aggregate maximum level of assistance by the percentage increase in the federal poverty level of the current year over the federal poverty level of the prior year.

For the purposes of this subsection, "federal poverty level" means that measure defined by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and updated annually in the Federal Register under authority of 42 United States Code, Section 9902(2).

SUMMARY

This bill requires that beginning October 2005 and annually thereafter, the aggregate maximum level of general assistance must be established at the greater of 110% of the fair market rents and the amount achieved by annually increasing the most recent aggregate maximum level of general assistance by the percentage increase in the federal poverty level of the current year over the prior year.