CHAPTER 38
H.P. 1311 - L.D. 1859
Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, nearly 3,000 unemployed Maine people have already lost their food stamp benefits as a result of new federal laws restricting eligibility for certain individuals who are 18 to 50 years of age to 3 months of aid in a 3-year period; and
Whereas, this loss of benefits will place additional financial pressure on municipal general assistance programs and already overburdened soup kitchens and food pantries; remove thousands of federal dollars from the Maine economy; and cause serious hardship for those low-income individuals affected; and
Whereas, Congress has provided the opportunity for states to seek waivers of the provision causing ineligibility for these individuals in areas that do not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for them; and
Whereas, the State has applied for and received a waiver for only 8 Maine counties and the Penobscot Nation; and
Whereas, several additional parts of the State and certain groups of individuals need relief from this provision because there are not sufficient jobs available to them to ensure that they will be protected from hunger and hardship; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. Waiver; areas where and individuals for whom there are insufficient jobs. The Department of Human Services shall seek a waiver of the requirements of Section 824 (a)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 for areas of the State that do not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for individuals affected by this provision, including Kennebec County and Penobscot County and the Sanford labor market area. The department shall also seek a waiver for categories of individuals who have particular difficulty competing for jobs, regardless of where they reside in the State, including persons without access to reliable transportation; with significant literacy or language barriers; who are homeless; who are migrant farmworkers; or who lack the necessary skills, education, references or work history to be reasonably expected to find work in the local economy. If the Federal Government does not approve the waiver for the areas and groups of individuals described in this section, the State shall resubmit a waiver request for those areas and groups that the United States Department of Agriculture is most likely to approve.
Sec. 2. Coordination of community service activities. To the extent that funds are available, including funds that can be matched pursuant to 7 United States Code, Section 2025 (h)(1), the Department of Human Services shall contract with public or private nonprofit agencies to assist in the creation of, placement of volunteers in or administration or supervision of volunteer community service activities for current or former food stamp recipients who would otherwise lose eligibility for benefits under Section 824 (a)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, except that a public or private nonprofit agency shall provide any funds that are required to match these additional federal dollars. For purposes of this section, a volunteer community service activity is any activity that the host agency determines will assist that agency in delivering services or increase the volunteer's ability to become self-sufficient. Contracts with the department under this provision must provide for payment on the basis of volunteer placements completed.
Sec. 3. Impact evaluation. The Department of Human Services shall establish, to the extent feasible, a method to identify and locate persons who lose eligibility for the federal food stamp program as a result of Section 824(a)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The department is authorized to establish a dedicated account for the purpose of receiving private or public funds to be used to evaluate the impact of the loss of food stamps on these individuals, municipalities, nonprofit service providers, charities and the Maine economy. The department shall cooperate with private efforts to obtain funds for this purpose and shall, when appropriate, seek to match those funds with federal funds. The department is further directed to use funds in this account to obtain an independent evaluation pursuant to this section. The department shall cooperate with any independent evaluation that furthers the purpose of this section.
Sec. 4. Allocation. The following funds are allocated from the Federal Expenditure Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.
1997-98 1998-99
HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Bureau of Family Independence - Central
All Other $80,000 $80,000
Provides allocations to authorize the expenditure of funds on community service activities if nonstate-administered funds are certified to be available to provide the required state match.
Sec. 5. Allocation. The following funds are allocated from Other Special Revenue to carry out the purposes of this Act.
1997-98 1998-99
HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
Bureau of Family Independence - Central
All Other $500 $500
Provides base allocations to authorize the expenditure of funds for an independent evaluation of the impact of the loss of food stamps if funding is made available from an outside source or foundation.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this Act takes effect when approved.
Effective May 31, 1997.
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