An Act To Prevent Long-term Welfare Dependency
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3763, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2005, c. 522, §1, is further amended to read:
8. Alternative aid. 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 department shall adopt rules requiring an applicant for alternative aid who is seeking to obtain employment to participate in job search activities consistent with the job search activities for participants of the ASPIRE-TANF program adopted pursuant to section 3788, subsection 9. 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 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.
summary
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt rules requiring unemployed applicants for alternative aid who are seeking employment to participate in job search activities that are consistent with the job search activities for participants of the ASPIRE-TANF program.