127th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 369		LR 598(03)
	An Act To Align Municipal General Assistance Programs with the Immigration Status Policies of the Department of Health and Human Services
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Health and Human Services
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2015-16	FY 2016-17	Projections  FY 2017-18	Projections  FY 2018-19
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)	($3,112,981)
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill includes General Fund deappropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $3,112,981 beginning in fiscal year 2015-16 to the General Assistance - Reimbursement to Cities and Towns program associated with the change in eligiblity for a person who has been determined ineligible to receive benefits administered by the Department of Health and Human Services on the basis of a law, rule or regulation related to that person's immigration status now also being ineligible to receive municipal general assistance program benefits. The department had already stopped making this type of General Assistance payment on June 15th, 2014 based on a federal law (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) which made not qualified immigrants ineligible for state and local public benefit programs. However, there was never a baseline reduction to the appropriation for this change in June of 2014, and the deappropriations in this bill will fully book the savings.