131st MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 3		LR 601(08)
	An Act to Establish the Winter Energy Relief Payment Program to Aid Residents with High Heating Costs and to Finalize the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with: C "A" (H-1)
	Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Fiscal Note
		FY 2022-23	FY 2023-24	FY 2024-25	Projections  FY 2025-26	Projections  FY 2026-27
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund	$316,680,851	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Fund for a Healthy Maine	($4,154,555)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund	($156,752,586)	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Federal Expenditures Fund	$158,965,759	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Fund for a Healthy Maine	($4,154,555)	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Other Special Revenue Funds	$480,494,184	$500	$0	$0	$0
	Federal Block Grant Fund	$1,941,382	$0	$0	$0	$0
Transfers
	General Fund	($473,433,437)	$0	$0	$0	$0
	Other Special Revenue Funds	$473,433,437	$0	$0	$0	$0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	Part A transfers funds totaling $71.0 million from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the Maine State Housing Authority no later than June 30, 2023. Of this amount, $50.0 million is allocated for heating assistance to both Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligible and non-HEAP eligible households in the State and $21.0 million is allocated for emergency housing and emergency shelters to prevent people from experiencing homelessness during the 2022-2023 winter months.
	Part B establishes the Winter Energy Relief Payment Program and transfers funds on a one-time basis totaling $398.0 million from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the newly created Winter Energy Relief Payment Program, Other Special Revenue Funds account no later than December 31, 2022 to fund the program.
	Part C transfers $4,433,437 from the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund to the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program no later than June 30, 2023. Part C also transfers $385,754 from the COVID Disaster Relief Payment, Other Special Revenue Funds account and $6,674,993 from the Homestead Property Tax Exemption Reimbursement, Other Special Revenue Funds account to the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program. Part C provides the COVID Pandemic Relief Payment Program with an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $11,494,184 in fiscal year 2022-23 to complete the $850 disaster relief payment to each eligible resident of the State as authorized in Public Law 2021, chapter 635, Part L.
	Part D includes General Fund deappropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services of $156,752,586 in fiscal year 2022-23 to adjust funding for the 6.2% increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate based on the extension of the national public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This adjustment also deallocates $4,154,555 from the Fund for a Healthy Maine in fiscal year 2022-23. The offset for these deappropriations and deallocations are Federal Expenditures Fund allocations of $158,965,759 and Federal Block Grant Fund allocations of $1,941,382 in fiscal year 2022-23.
	Any additional costs to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Office of Treasurer of State as a result of the provisions of this bill are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.