128th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 219		LR 793(02)
	An Act To Prioritize Use of Available Resources in General Assistance Programs
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Health and Human Services
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium savings - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill makes an applicant for general assistance who voluntarily abandons or refuses to use an available resource without just cause ineligible to receive general assistance to replace the abandoned or refused resource for a period of 120 days. This will potentially reduce assistance payments made by municipalities and reduce amounts reimbursed to municipalities by the Department of Health and Human Services. The potential savings to the department is not expected to be significant because the frequency of refusing or abandoning resources is expected to be very small, the municipalities abilty to identify abandoned or refused resources is unknown and recipients typically do not stay in the program, having to reapply each month they seek help. A more precise estimate of the fiscal impact is not possible because recipient data related to number of months on assistance, amounts paid to each recipient, number of recipients who return and the frequency of refusal of resources resides at the municipal level and varies over time.