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Page 1 - 132LR0272(02)
STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
_____
H.P. 49 - L.D. 85
An Act to Revitalize the Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Advisory Council
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§36-C, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §2,
is amended to read:
36-C.
Human
Services
Maine Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families Advisory
Council
Not Authorized
Expenses/Legislative
Per Diem for
Nonsalaried Employee
Members
22 MRSA
§3789‑D
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3789-D, as amended by PL 2017, c. 110, §7, is further amended
to read:
§3789-D. Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Advisory Council
1. Duties. The Maine Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Advisory Council,
as referred to in this section as "the council," is established by Title 5, section 12004‑I,
subsection 36‑C, shall to advise the commissioner or the commissioner's designee
regarding education, training, job opportunities, quality employment and business
ownership opportunities, the operation of any postsecondary education programs
administered by the department and other matters affecting recipients of TANF recipients
cash and other TANF recipients.
2. Members. The commissioner shall appoint the members of the council. Members
who fail to attend 2 meetings within a 12-month period may be removed from the council.
Members must include at least the following:
A. Two recipients of benefits under the TANF program;
B. One representative of employers within the State;
C. One representative of organized labor;
APPROVED
MARCH 21, 2025
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
5
PUBLIC LAW
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D. One representative of women's interests;
E. One or more representatives of organizations or agencies that have experience in
addressing the training, education and job needs of low-income women;
F. One representative of the one-stop delivery system established under the federal
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 United States Code, Section 3151; and
G. Two representatives of postsecondary education, one representing private
institutions and one representing public institutions.
3. Advice regarding postsecondary education programs. The council shall
establish a postsecondary education subcommittee, consisting of up to 15 members and
nonmembers of the council. The subcommittee must include but is not limited to the
following representatives:
A. A representative of the department, appointed by the commissioner;
B. A representative of the University of Maine System who represents the interests of
women or nontraditional students at one of the campuses, appointed by the chancellor;
C. A representative of the Finance Authority of Maine appointed by the chief executive
officer;
D. Representatives of the Maine Community College System, including a gender
coordinator at one of the campuses, appointed by the president; and
E. Representatives of the following groups, appointed by the council:
(1) Nonprofit service organizations that assist parents who are nontraditional
students;
(2) TANF participants or participants of the Parents as Scholars Program
established in chapter 1054‑B who are enrolled in postsecondary education
programs;
(3) Nonprofit organizations that prepare parents to be nontraditional
postsecondary education students;
(4) Organizations that represent low-income parents and that have significant
knowledge of public assistance programs;
(5) Organizations that advocate for the interests of women;
(6) The business community; and
(7) Private postsecondary educational institutions.
By March 1, 1998, the subcommittee shall make recommendations to the council for
improving the administration of the Parents as Scholars Program under section 3790,
improving the program to make it more successful for participants and maximizing
resources to meet the goals of the program. The council shall approve, disapprove or
modify the recommendations of the subcommittee and report their recommendation to the
commissioner.
4. Compensation and expenses. A member of the council who is not otherwise
compensated for the member's time serving on the council by the member's employer or
the entity the member represents may be compensated in an amount not to exceed the
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legislative per diem for the member's time and reimbursed for expenses, including but not
limited to meals and refreshments provided during a meeting of the council, child care and
travel.