Title 22, Title 22

The department shall develop and implement a system to provide salary supplements to child care providers and early childhood educators who provide direct services to children in a child care facility licensed under section 8301‑A, subsection 2 or who are family child care provid…

1. Establishment. The Office of Child Care and Head Start is established within the Division of Purchased and Support Services. 2. Powers and duties. The office has the following powers and duties: A. Maintain an inventory of child care information; [PL 1993, c. 158, §2 (NEW).] B…

The department shall evaluate child care subsidies provided under this chapter and, beginning January 15, 2024 and annually thereafter, submit a report of the evaluation with recommendations on increasing enrollment and reducing barriers to families receiving child care subsidies…

The department shall create and maintain an estimator tool in accordance with this section to calculate the actual cost of quality child care. [PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. VVV, §7 (NEW).] 1. Considerations. In developing the costs estimator tool, the department shall consider: A. Includ…

The department, in consultation with the Office of Child and Family Services, the Children's Cabinet, established under Title 5, section 19131, subsection 1, and the council, shall develop, in accordance with this section, a phased implementation plan with benchmarks for limiting…

This section governs data collection and reporting relating to an early childhood integrated data system. [PL 2023, c. 412, Pt. VVV, §9 (NEW).] 1. Data collection. To the extent permissible under state and federal laws governing early childhood programs and privacy and confidenti…

The department, at the discretion of the commissioner, may establish and operate a program of emergency assistance to needy families with children within the United States Social Security Act, Title IV‑A, Section 406(e), and any amendments and additions. [PL 1993, c. 707, Pt. I, …

The department shall promote family economic self-support in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. [PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16 (NEW).] 1. Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "…

1. Family contract. During the TANF orientation process, a representative of the department and the TANF recipient shall enter into a family contract. The family contract must state the responsibilities of the parties to the agreement including, but not limited to, cooperation in…

The Treasurer of State is the appropriate fiscal officer of the State to receive federal grants on account of the TANF program and administration of those grants, in accordance with the United States Social Security Act, and the State Controller shall authorize expenditures as ap…

When a relative with whom a child is living is found by the department to be incapable of taking care of the child's money, payment may be made only to a legally appointed guardian or conservator and, notwithstanding Title 18‑C, Article 5, Part 4, in the matter of infirmities of …

All rights to public assistance are absolutely inalienable by any assignment, sale, execution, pledge or otherwise and may not pass, in case of insolvency or bankruptcy, to any trustee, assignee or creditor.

The parents of a child receiving assistance under this chapter are responsible for partial or total support of that child, if they are of sufficient ability. In determining the ability of the parents, the department must consider the assets and income of the parent. [PL 1997, c. …

Any sums paid to or in behalf of any person under sections 3762 to 3765, as a result of any false statement, misrepresentation or concealment of assets or income, may be recovered in a civil action brought by the department against the person to whom such money was paid.

1. Payment priority. Payments made on behalf of the department for TANF assistance, the Parents as Scholars Program under chapter 1054‑B and for foster care have priority over other payments and must be made without delay whether or not they are pursuant to a state plan or contra…

The department shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. Except as specifically provided, rules adopted pursuant to this chapter are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II‑A.

1. Amount of assistance. It is the goal of this section to provide low-income families with children sufficient income to meet their most basic needs. If the commissioner determines that unexpended funds are available within the Department of Health and Human Services state or fe…

In fiscal year 2016-17 and annually thereafter, the Department of Health and Human Services may use $500,000 in funds provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to promote financial literacy and healthy savings habits of families with income less than …

In fiscal year 2017-18 and annually thereafter, the Department of Health and Human Services shall provide $3,000,000 in funds provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the Maine State Housing Authority to provide heating assistance for low-income f…

1. Use of block grant funds. In fiscal year 2020-21 and annually thereafter, the department shall provide up to $2,000,000 in funds provided under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to community action agencies designated pursuant to section 5324 or other com…

It is the policy of the State to use available resources and institutions to provide education, training and job opportunities to qualified and eligible recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program with the goal of enabling them to become self-sufficient and …

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to mean that any department, agency, institution or program shall be required to obligate or expend funds beyond existing funds available to them for these purposes.

1. ASPIRE-TANF program defined. "ASPIRE-TANF program" means the Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program established pursuant to this chapter and the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconcili…

1. Case management services. The department shall provide case management services to individuals participating in the ASPIRE-TANF program, referred to in this section as the "program." The department shall adopt rules in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act def…

An individual may not be sanctioned under this program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for failure to participate in the ASPIRE-TANF program if that failure to participate is based on good cause. Each individual participating in an ASPIRE-TANF orientation must receive …

Prior to imposing a sanction against an individual, the department must complete the sanction process, which includes the following. [PL 2001, c. 335, §1 (NEW).] 1. Procedures. Prior to imposing a sanction against an individual for failure to comply with Temporary Assistance for …

The department shall adopt rules in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act for the implementation of this chapter. [PL 1993, c. 385, §19 (AMD).] Rules governing services provided under this chapter apply equally to all participating Temporary Assistance for Needy …

Nothing in this chapter may be construed to mean that a department, agency, institution or program is required to obligate or expend funds beyond existing funds available to them for these purposes.

1. Notice of program assistance. The department shall provide written notice to all applicants for and recipients of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program of the range of education, employment and training opportunities, and the types of support services, including …

The department shall establish a MaineServe program designed to provide parents who are eligible for TANF assistance opportunities to serve their communities and the State. [PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §27 (AMD).] 1. Purposes. The purposes of the MaineServe program are as follows: A.…

The department shall establish an on-the-job training program called ASPIRE-Plus to encourage employers to develop jobs for ASPIRE-TANF program participants.

If federal law requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make a case decision, the authority to make that final decision is reserved to the department.

1. Duties. The Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Advisory Council, referred to in this section as "the council," is established by Title 5, section 12004‑I, subsection 36‑C to advise the commissioner or the commissioner's designee regarding education, training, job op…

1. Established. The department shall establish a student financial aid program based on need for up to 2000 participants known as the Parents as Scholars Program, referred to in this section as the "program," to aid needy students who have dependent children and who are matricula…

1. Program established. The department shall establish a student financial aid program based on need to be known as the Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment Program, referred to in this chapter as "the program," for a parent or caretaker relative of a minor child who is …

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1993, c. 654, §1 (NEW).] 1. Assistance unit. "Assistance unit" means the individuals whose need the department considers when determining whether an applicant or …

A notice of overpayment issued by a payor of program benefits must inform the recipient of the collection remedies available under this chapter.

1. Repayment. The department may serve a notice to repay upon an individual or other member of an assistance unit that received an overpayment that has not been recouped, repaid or otherwise recovered by the department if the individual or other member of the assistance unit no l…

The department may serve a notice to repay by certified mail, return receipt requested, by personal service by an authorized representative of the commissioner, or as specified by the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure.

An obligor's weekly income equal to 30 times the federal minimum wage as prescribed by the United States Code, Title 29, Section 206(a)(1), is exempt from collection by income withholding. Property otherwise exempt from trustee process, attachment and execution is exempt from col…

1. Payor duty. Twenty-one days after the department has served a notice to repay, the department may serve an income withholding order upon the obligor's employer or other payor of income to collect the amount of the overpayment not recouped, repaid or otherwise recovered by the …

The department may seek to collect an overpayment by executing an assignment of earnings with the obligor. An employer or other payor of income shall honor an assignment of earnings executed by the department and an obligor. An assignment of earnings continues until released in w…

The department may establish by rule a fee that an employer or other payor of income may deduct from the obligor's income as compensation for honoring an income withholding order or assignment of earnings.

An employer or other payor of income may not be held liable for action taken to honor a duly executed income withholding order or assignment of earnings issued by the department.

An employer or other payor of income who knowingly fails to honor an income withholding order or assignment of earnings is liable to the department for the amount of income not withheld or the amount of income withheld and not sent to the department, as applicable. A court may aw…

An employer may not discharge, refuse to hire, discipline or otherwise discriminate against an employee because of action by the department under this chapter. An employer who violates this section is subject to a fine of up to $5,000 payable to the State to be recovered in a civ…