CHAPTER 522

H.P. 1294 - L.D. 1854

An Act To Expand the Alternative Aid Program

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3763, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16, is amended to read:

8. Alternative aid. To assist applicants who seek short-term assistance to obtain or retain employment, the department shall pay one-time voucher payments of up to 3 times the monthly TANF grant for which the family is eligible. The department shall provide alternative aid to applicants who seek short-term assistance in order to obtain or retain employment.__The applicants must meet the eligibility requirements established by rule adopted pursuant to section 3762, subsection 3, paragraph A.__ The alternative aid may not exceed 3 times the value of the monthly TANF grant for which the applicant's family is eligible.__ An eligible applicant may receive alternative aid no more than once during any 12-month period. If the family reapplies for TANF within 3 months of receiving alternative aid, the family must shall repay any alternative aid received in excess of the amount that the family would have received on TANF. The method of repayment must be the same as that used for the repayment of unintentional overpayments in the TANF program.