Title 34-B

The purpose of this Article is to assist in the establishment and expansion of community-based adult developmental services and programs for persons with intellectual disabilities or autism residing in the community and residing in privately operated residential care facilities.

The commissioner shall: [PL 1983, c. 459, §7 (NEW).] 1. Community participation. Encourage persons in local communities to participate in the provision of supportive services for persons with intellectual disabilities or autism, so that persons in the community may have a better …

The commissioner may: [PL 1983, c. 459, §7 (NEW).] 1. Financial aid. Allocate money for the development of group homes, capital construction, purchase of buildings, supportive services and for other activities, but only those applicants for funds whose programs provide for adequa…

1. Authorization. A municipality or other governmental unit, such as a county, school district or health district, through its local board of health or other town or governmental agency approved by the commissioner, may adopt and carry out a program of adult developmental service…

1. Department grants. Upon application to the department by an unincorporated association or nonstock corporation organized for the improvement of community health and welfare, the commissioner may grant to the applicant money to be used for carrying out its adult developmental s…

1. Authority. Fees may be charged for services provided directly to individuals by any program authorized by the department, if the individual is financially able to pay. 2. Use. Fees received by a municipality, governmental unit, unincorporated association or nonstock corporatio…

The department shall establish a contingency fund for use by persons with intellectual disabilities or autism who qualify for services under this chapter. This fund must be used in accordance with the following provisions. [PL 2021, c. 187, §1 (AMD).] 1. Approval of disbursements…

To the extent possible using available resources, the department shall provide adults with diagnoses of intellectual disabilities and other developmental disabilities choices from among an array of supports and services, including but not limited to: employment supports, personal…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Applicant" means a person who has applied or is applying for services through the program. [PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. OO, §2 (NEW); PL 2007, c. 695, Pt…

As used in this Article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1983, c. 459, §7 (NEW).] 1. Advocate. "Advocate" means a person: A. Who is familiar with the procedures involved in providing services to persons with intellectua…

1. Steps. It is the policy of the State that, in order to ensure that persons with intellectual disabilities or autism receive needed services, to the extent possible, the following steps must be taken for each person found by the department to have an intellectual disability or …

The commissioner shall provide the client, if the client is competent; the client's next of kin or guardian, if any exists; and the client's advocate with timely written notice in advance of procedures and actions to be taken with respect to the development, implementation and as…

The commissioner shall provide the client, if the client is competent, the client's next of kin or legal guardian, if any exists, and the client's advocate with access to copies of correspondence and reports concerning the client, in accordance with section 1207.

1. Duty. The commissioner shall promulgate rules for the effective implementation of this Article. 2. Requirements. The rules shall include, but need not be limited to, information on: A. The membership, functions and procedures of the planning teams; [PL 2003, c. 389, §8 (AMD).]…

1. Entitlement. Each client who receives services under sections 5467 to 5471 is entitled to have access to an advocate. 2. List. The commissioner shall develop a list of advocates for each region.

1. Application. An application for adult developmental services, on a form provided by the commissioner, must be initiated at or referred to a regional office of the department. Except for referrals identifying a possible need for adult protective services, the department shall a…

After completing the tasks specified in section 5467, subsection 2, the commissioner shall cause a comprehensive evaluation of the client, including a consideration of physical, emotional, social and cognitive factors, to be conducted if a recent comprehensive and informative eva…

Within 90 days of the day of the application made under section 5467, the department shall obtain a report of the comprehensive evaluation made under section 5468, which must state specifically whether or not the client has an intellectual disability or autism. [PL 2011, c. 542, …

1. Right to personal planning. Every adult with an intellectual disability or autism who is eligible for services must be provided the opportunity to engage in a personal planning process in which the needs and desires of the person are articulated and identified. 2. Process. The…

1. Service agreement required. Each personal plan or service plan must be carried out pursuant to a written service agreement. 2. Signatures. Each service agreement must be signed and dated by at least: A. The client, if the client is able; [PL 2003, c. 389, §15 (AMD).] B. The cl…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1983, c. 459, §7 (NEW).] 1. Client. 1-A. Ally. "Ally" means an individual who a person trusts to provide assistance. 1-B. Behavior management. "Behavior managemen…

It is the intent of the Legislature to guarantee individual dignity, liberty, pursuit of happiness and the protection of the civil and legal rights of persons with intellectual disabilities, autism or acquired brain injuries and to articulate rights of persons with intellectual d…

Each person with an intellectual disability, autism or an acquired brain injury is entitled to the rights enjoyed by citizens of the State and of the United States, unless some of these rights have been limited or suspended by a court of competent jurisdiction. [PL 2021, c. 284, …

The Legislature finds and declares that the rights of persons with intellectual disabilities, autism or acquired brain injuries can be protected best under a system of services that operates according to the principles of normalization and full inclusion and that the State's syst…

1. Report incident. A person with knowledge about an incident related to client care, including client-to-client assault, staff-to-client assault, use of seclusion or excessive use of mechanical or chemical restraint, incidents stemming from questionable psychiatric and medical p…

A person with an intellectual disability or autism is entitled to the following rights and basic protections. A person with an acquired brain injury is entitled to the rights and basic protections outlined in subsections 1 to 11. [PL 2021, c. 284, Pt. A, §11 (AMD).] 1. Humane tre…

1. Reportable events. Any alleged violation of the rights of a person receiving services must be reported immediately to the advocacy agency designated pursuant to Title 5, section 19502, referred to in this subsection as "the agency," and to the Attorney General's office. A. The…

The commissioner shall provide a written copy of this subchapter and of section 1207 to each person receiving services and, if the person receiving services has been adjudged incompetent, to the parent or guardian of the person receiving services. [PL 1993, c. 326, §11 (AMD).] 1.…

Upon request of a person receiving services, a residential provider shall offer an opportunity to a person receiving services from the provider to organize a residential council to hear the views and represent the interests of persons receiving services from the provider. [PL 201…

1. Habilitation services. The department and the Department of Labor, through the Office of Rehabilitation Services, shall provide, to the extent of the resources available, for those habilitation and vocational rehabilitation services, defined in Title 26, section 1411‑A, subsec…

1. Guiding service delivery. The delivery of services by providers of services and the department to persons with intellectual disabilities, autism or acquired brain injuries is guided by the following. A. Persons with intellectual disabilities, autism or acquired brain injuries …

A complaint may be filed by the agency designated pursuant to Title 5, section 19502. The complaint procedure may be used when the agency knows or has reason to believe that the practices, procedures or policies of any agency licensed, funded or contracted by the department to pr…

It is the intent of the Legislature that social and habilitative services directed at persons who have been diagnosed as having autism or other pervasive developmental disorders be developed and planned for, to the extent that resources permit, by the Department of Health and Hum…

1. Generally. "Autism spectrum disorder" or "autism" means a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms that typically present in the early developmental period and result in clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of function…

The department shall adopt rules governing the definition of autism and other pervasive developmental disorders in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, Title 5, chapter 375.

The commissioner shall submit a report in coordination with the Commissioner of Education on efforts to plan for and develop social and habilitative services for persons who have autism and other pervasive developmental disorders to the Governor and the joint standing committees …

As used in this subchapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 503, §12 (NEW).] 1. Bureau. 2. Child in need of treatment. "Child in need of treatment" means: A. [PL 1993, c. 738, Pt. E, §3 (RP); PL 1993, c. 738, P…

1. Services. It is the policy of the State to provide an efficient, coordinated statewide system of services to children in need of treatment and their families, including a comprehensive system of family support services, insofar as resources permit. 2. Spiritual treatment. Noth…

1. System. In order to facilitate the development and operation of a coordinated, statewide system of services to children in need of treatment and their families, the commissioner shall: A. Provide a decentralized administrative structure for the provision of services to childre…

1. Duties. The department shall: A. Strengthen the capacity of families, natural helping networks, self-help groups and other community resources to support and serve children in need of treatment; [PL 1985, c. 503, §12 (NEW).] B. Facilitate the planning, promoting, coordination,…

1. Department authority. The department may provide consultation services to any juvenile with an intellectual disability or autism committed to the Long Creek Youth Development Center if those services are requested by the Commissioner of Corrections or the commissioner's design…

Any unencumbered balance of General Fund appropriations remaining at the end of each fiscal year in the Mental Health Services - Child Medicaid account may not lapse but must be carried forward to be used for the same purposes.

This chapter may be cited as the "Due Process in Sterilization Act of 1982."

The Legislature finds and declares that sterilization procedures are generally irreversible and represent potentially permanent and highly significant consequences for the patient involved. The Legislature recognizes that certain legal safeguards are necessary to prevent indiscri…

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1983, c. 459, §7 (NEW).] 1. Custodian. "Custodian" means the person having care and custody over the individual seeking sterilization or the individual for whom s…

1. Informed consent required. Except as provided in this chapter, prior to initiating sterilization procedures on any individual, a physician shall obtain and record the informed consent of that individual. 2. Hearing required to determine ability to give informed consent for ste…