Title 22

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…

The department may issue a certificate of lien 21 days after service of a notice to repay, unless collection action is stayed in accordance with section 3813, subsection 6. A lien issued by the department under this section attaches to all nonexempt real and personal property of …

The commissioner shall proceed as follows with respect to foreclosures on liens filed pursuant to section 3822. [PL 1993, c. 654, §1 (NEW).] 1. Liens on real property. Actions to foreclose liens on real property issued under section 3822 may be brought in the county where the pro…

The department may submit the names of obligors and the amounts of overpayments not recouped, repaid or otherwise recovered to a consumer credit reporting agency. The department may submit the name of an obligor and the amount owed only if the amount owed was established by judic…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "AFDC" means the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program administered pursuant to former chapter 1053. [PL 2001, c. 551, §2 (NEW).] B. "TAN…

The purpose of this chapter is to encourage and maintain coordinated community efforts in each county to prevent child abuse and neglect through the provision of family-strengthening programs, including, but not limited to, public awareness activities, child safety education, par…

As used in this chapter, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 483 (NEW).] 1. Community coordinating committee. 1-A. Child abuse and neglect prevention council. "Child abuse and neglect prevention council" means a co…

1. Duties. A child abuse and neglect prevention council shall review existing data to assess and monitor the extent and causes of child abuse and neglect in its county and carry out the following activities: A. Coordinate services, utilizing community, state and federal resources…

The department and other state agencies shall, from funds authorized to the department and state agencies, make grants to, or purchase services from, the child abuse and neglect prevention councils or fiscal agents to further the purposes of this chapter. [PL 2009, c. 204, §6 (AM…

A fiscal agent receiving grants or funds under this chapter shall act only in an administrative capacity to receive and distribute grant or fund money to the child abuse and neglect prevention councils, as described in the rules adopted by the department for regulating the local …

The child abuse and neglect prevention councils are responsible for facilitating the community programs under this chapter. Each council shall establish a governing or advisory board of directors. The board must be diverse with broad-based participation in each county. Terms of t…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1993, c. 600, Pt. A, §16 (NEW).] 1. Board. "Board" means the Board of the Maine Children's Trust Incorporated. 2. Eligible organization. "Eligible organization" m…

The Maine Children's Trust Incorporated, referred to in this chapter as the "trust," is established to provide a mechanism for voluntary contributions by individuals and groups for annual and long-term funding of prevention programs. [PL 1995, c. 402, Pt. A, §6 (AMD).] The trust …

1. Establishment. The Board of the Maine Children's Trust Incorporated, referred to in this chapter as the "board," is established. 2. Membership. The board consists of at least 17 members, appointed as follows: A. One Senator, appointed by the President of the Senate for a 2-yea…

1. Duties. The board shall: A. Develop a biennial working plan for trust activities that sets overall statewide goals and objectives for child abuse prevention activities, establishes priorities for distribution of money in the fund and provides a working plan for the trust for t…

1. Control. The board may accept funds from a public or private source. Revenue to the fund must be managed, deposited, invested and disbursed by the board in a manner that is independent of control by the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. 2. Grants disbursemen…

The board, notwithstanding section 3884‑A, subsection 1, paragraph F, may not enter into contracts, obligations or commitments of any kind on behalf of the State or its agencies, nor does it have the power of eminent domain or other powers not provided to business corporations ge…

Officers, directors, employees and other agents of the board entrusted with the custody of the securities of the fund or authorized to disburse the money of the fund must be bonded, either by a blanket bond or individual bonds, with a surety bond or bonds with a minimum limitatio…

An officer, director or employee of the trust or a spouse or dependent child of an officer, director or employee of the trust may not receive direct personal benefit from the activities of the trust in assisting a private entity. This provision does not prohibit corporations or o…

The State, through the Governor, may accept donations, bequests, devises, grants or other interests of any nature on behalf of the trust and shall transfer those funds, that property or other interests to the fund.

By February 15th, the board shall provide an annual report and an annual independent audit of its activities to the Governor, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human resources matters and the public. The annual report must provide a summary …

The following conditions apply to the operation or dissolution of the fund. [PL 1993, c. 600, Pt. A, §16 (NEW).] 1. Net earnings of the fund. A member, officer, director or employee may not benefit from any part of the net earnings of the fund. Net earnings of the fund may be use…

This chapter must be construed liberally to effect the interests and purposes of the fund for the prevention of child abuse and neglect in the State and must be broadly interpreted to effect the intent and purposes and may not be interpreted as a limitation of powers.

The department shall develop a training plan for persons employed in social worker and caseworker job classifications. The department shall establish the goals and objectives of the plan. The department shall also establish goals and objectives for each course and training progra…

The department shall establish a schedule governing successful completion of course and training requirements for newly employed social workers and caseworkers of the department and a schedule for all other social workers and caseworkers currently employed by the department.

The department shall report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over human resource matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government regarding the training plan and any findings and …

1. Help Maine Grow System established. The Help Maine Grow System, referred to in this chapter as "the system," is established in the department as a comprehensive, statewide, coordinated system of early identification, referral and follow-up for all children from prenatal care u…

The system shall: [PL 2021, c. 457, §1 (NEW).] 1. Expansion of services. Increase the percentage of children screened for developmental, social or emotional issues at all appropriate locations, including, but not limited to, early childhood education facilities, child care facili…

The department shall submit any annual and evaluation reports provided by the department to the national center under section 3921, subsection 1 to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and education matters, n…

1. Program established. The First 4 ME Early Care and Education Program is established under the department to provide funding to projects in order to achieve efficiencies, create opportunities and improve social, emotional, educational and health outcomes for children under 6 ye…