‘Resolve, Directing the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security To Assess Alternative Measurements to the Federal Poverty Level’

‘Sec. 1. The Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security directed to conduct assessment. Resolved: That the Maine Council on Poverty and Economic Security, as established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 6-H, shall, within existing budgeted resources, assess alternative measurements to the federal poverty level that may be used to define poverty in this State. In conducting this assessment, the council shall:

1. Examine alternative poverty measurements to the federal poverty level, including the Department of Labor’s livable wage scale, the National Academy of Sciences measurement, the measurement developed by New York City and other relevant measurements;

2. Assess the relevance of existing poverty measurements to the economic and demographic composition of the population of this State and the efficacy of using one or more of the measurements or developing a separate state-specific measurement to identify individuals and families living in poverty; and

3. Analyze the feasibility of state and local agencies using an alternative measurement to the federal poverty level to develop poverty threshold eligibility criteria or identify poor individuals and families in need of services.

The council shall include its findings and recommendations from its assessment in its annual report to the Governor and the Legislature by February 15, 2010, pursuant to Title 5, section 13171, subsection 6. A copy of that report must be sent to each member of the Joint Standing Committee on Labor.’