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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 85H.P. 49 House of Representatives, January 8, 2025
An Act to Revitalize the Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families Advisory Council
Submitted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 6, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Health and Human Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint
Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MEYER of Eliot. Page 1 - 132LR0272(01)
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3 is amended to read:
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Human
Services
Maine Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families Advisory
Council
Not Authorized
Expenses/Legislative
Per Diem for
Nonsalaried Employee
Members
22 MRSA
§3789‑D
5 as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §7, is further amended
6 to read:
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14 as referred to in this section as "the council," is established by Title 5, section
15 subsection , shall to advise the commissioner or the commissioner's designee
16 regarding education, training, job opportunities, quality employment and business
17 ownership opportunities, the operation of any postsecondary education programs
18 administered by the department and other matters affecting recipients of TANF recipients
19 cash and other TANF recipients.
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21 who fail to attend 2 meetings within a 12-month period may be removed from the council.
22 Members must include at least the following:
23 A. Two recipients of benefits under the TANF program;
24 B. One representative of employers within the State;
25 C. One representative of organized labor;
26 D. One representative of women's interests;
27 E. One or more representatives of organizations or agencies that have experience in
28 addressing the training, education and job needs of low-income women;
29 F. One representative of the one-stop delivery system established under the federal
30 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 United States Code, Section 3151; and
31 G. Two representatives of postsecondary education, one representing private
32 institutions and one representing public institutions.
33 Advice regarding postsecondary education programs. The council shall
34 establish a postsecondary education subcommittee, consisting of up to 15 members and
35 nonmembers of the council. The subcommittee must include but is not limited to the
36 following representatives:
37 A. A representative of the department, appointed by the commissioner;
38 B. A representative of the University of Maine System who represents the interests of
39 women or nontraditional students at one of the campuses, appointed by the chancellor;
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1 C. A representative of the Finance Authority of Maine appointed by the chief executive
2 officer;
3 D. Representatives of the Maine Community College System, including a gender
4 coordinator at one of the campuses, appointed by the president; and
5 E. Representatives of the following groups, appointed by the council:
6 ( 1) Nonprofit service organizations that assist parents who are nontraditional
7 students;
8 ( 2) TANF participants or participants of the Parents as Scholars Program
9 established in chapter who are enrolled in postsecondary education
10 programs;
11 ( 3) Nonprofit organizations that prepare parents to be nontraditional
12 postsecondary education students;
13 ( 4) Organizations that represent low-income parents and that have significant
14 knowledge of public assistance programs;
15 ( 5) Organizations that advocate for the interests of women;
16 ( 6) The business community; and
17 ( 7) Private postsecondary educational institutions.
18 By March 1, 1998, the subcommittee shall make recommendations to the council for
19 improving the administration of the Parents as Scholars Program under section 3790,
20 improving the program to make it more successful for participants and maximizing
21 resources to meet the goals of the program. The council shall approve, disapprove or
22 modify the recommendations of the subcommittee and report their recommendation to the
23 commissioner.
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25 compensated for the member's time serving on the council by the member's employer or
26 the entity the member represents may be compensated in an amount not to exceed the
27 legislative per diem for the member's time and reimbursed for expenses, including but not
28 limited to meals and refreshments provided during a meeting of the council, child care and
29 travel.
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31 This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing the Maine Temporary
32 Assistance for Needy Families Advisory Council.
33 1. It changes the matters on which the council provides advice to clarify matters
34 affecting recipients of TANF cash and other TANF recipients.
35 2. It allows for the removal from the council of a member who fails to attend 2 meetings
36 within a 12-month period.
37 3. It removes the provision requiring the establishment of a postsecondary education
38 subcommittee.
39 4. It authorizes compensation, in the amount of the legislative per diem, and
40 reimbursement for expenses for a member who is not otherwise compensated for the
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41 member's time serving on the council by the member's employer or the entity the member
42 represents.
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