9 a.m.

Health and Human Services Committee; public hearings; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 389, “An Act To Bring Fairness to General Assistance Programs by Changing the Method of Municipal Reimbursement”: changes the reimbursement of general assistance to municipalities so that they receive either a 50 percent reimbursement rate from the Department of Health and Human Services or a block grant equal to $3 multiplied by the population of the municipality, whichever is the greater.

L.D. 598, “Resolve, Directing All Relevant Agencies of State Government To Work in Concert with a Plan To End and Prevent Homelessness To Ensure That Resources Are Available To End Homelessness in the State”: requires all relevant state agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Education and the Maine State Housing Authority, to work with advocates and organizations serving the homeless population to eradicate homelessness in the State within four years.

L.D. 678, “An Act To Allow Random Drug Testing for Recipients of Certain Public Benefits”: allows the random drug testing of a person receiving MaineCare benefits, TANF program benefits or general assistance.

L.D. 892, “An Act Regarding Municipal General Assistance”: makes individuals who have reached the 60-month lifetime limit for benefits under the TANF program or who have had benefits fully terminated for noncompliance ineligible for municipal general assistance.

L.D. 967, “An Act Regarding Residency Requirements for General Assistance”: amends the municipal general assistance requirements to establish criteria to determine residency in a municipality.

L.D. 1030, “An Act To Require That Electronic Benefits Transfer System Cash Benefits Are Used for the Purpose for Which the Benefits Are Provided”: requires a recipient of benefits under the electronic benefits transfer system to retain a receipt of every cash transaction the recipient makes under the system and to provide the receipts monthly to the Department of Health and Human Services.

L.D. 1064, “Resolve, To Establish the Task Force on Independence from Public Assistance”: emergency bill, establishes the Task Force on Independence from Public Assistance and must report by Dec. 4, with its findings and recommendations and suggested legislation.

L.D. 1343, “An Act To Improve Work Readiness for Families Facing Significant Barriers to Employment”: provides that if the case manager of a participant in the ASPIRE-TANF program determines that the participant has physical or mental health impairments, learning disabilities, cognitive impairments or limitations, the case manager must explore whether the participant wishes to undergo a comprehensive screening with possible referral to alternative services, supports and benefits.

Transportation Committee; public hearings; room 126; State House

L.D. 429, “An Act To Authorize a GARVEE Bond for the Repair of Deficient Arterial State Highways and Bridges”: authorizes the Maine Municipal Bond Bank to issue $80 million in federally authorized grant anticipation revenue vehicle debt financing instruments, GARVEE bonds, to be repaid with federal highway funds.

L.D. 1168, “Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study How To Improve Maine’s Transportation Infrastructure”: emergency bill, establishes the Commission To Study How To Improve Maine’s Transportation Infrastructure and they are required to report to the Joint Standing Committee on Trasportation by Dec. 4.

L.D. 1208, “Resolve, To Establish the Commuter and Passenger Rail Advisory Task Force”: emergency bill, directs the Department of Transportation to establish and convene the Commuter and Passenger Rail Advisory Task Force to evaluate and prioritize investments in commuter and passenger rail service and report by Feb. 28, 2014.

L.D. 1257, “An Act To Create Corridor Transit Districts”: provide municipalities with the ability to form districts for the purpose of coordinating transit services, such as bike paths, pedestrian paths, bus routes and rail routes.

L.D. 1365, “An Act To Promote New Models of Mobility and Access to Transportation”: amends the Department of Transportation’s biennial operations plan for transit process in order to promote and facilitate new models of mobility and service and eliminates the Interagency Transportation Coordinating Committee and replaces it with a larger, more comprehensive Maine Public Transit Advisory Council.

10 a.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee; public hearing; room 436; State House

L.D. 1229, “An Act To Regulate and Tax Marijuana”: establishes a tax rate of $50 per ounce for marijuana that is sold or transferred by licensed marijuana cultivation facilities; removes the civil violation for adults 21 years of age and older who possess up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana; allows a person 21 years of age or older to possess, purchase and use marijuana; requires that the marijuana be secured from unauthorized access or from access by a person under 21 years of age; removes the fingerprinting and criminal history record check requirements from the existing laws that allow a person to apply to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry for a license to grow industrial hemp; provides that a person cannot be found to lack “good moral character” for personal, medical or commercial marijuana activities allowed by this legislation for purposes of obtaining a permit to carry a concealed handgun; and requires this legislation to be submitted to statewide referendum for approval by the voters.

Inland Fiseries and Wildlife Committee; public hearings; room 206; Cross Building

L.D. 738, “An Act To Promote the Northern Maine Economy and Support Maine’s Sporting Camp Tradition”: provides economic support for certain sporting camps by directing the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to offer for sale a certain number of moose permits for the camps’ use.

L.D. 857, “An Act To Examine Fees Charged by Municipalities Concerning Outdoor-related Activities”: examines fees charged by municipalities concerning outdoor-related activities.

L.D. 879, “An Act To Increase State Wildlife Revenues and Grow the Hunting and Fishing Industries”: limits the taking of bucks to those with three or more antler points on one side for those hunters without antlerless deer permits; creates a lifetime combination license for a nonresident 65 years of age or older for a $500 fee; directs the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to define “deer wintering area” and to develop tax incentives for landowners to take steps to protect deer wintering areas and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to work with land trusts to develop ways to protect deer wintering areas by conservation easement.

L.D. 1248, “An Act To Establish Trail Standards in Deer Wintering Areas”: directs the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in consultation with the Maine Land Use Planning Commission and the commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, to adopt rules that establish standards for the construction of trails in deer wintering areas.

L.D. 1264, “An Act Allowing the Harvesting of Yellow Perch with Seines”: emergency bill, allows the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to adopt rules to issue a permit allowing a person to use seines to fish for and possess yellow perch.

L.D. 1265, “An Act To Strengthen Maine’s Assent Language for Participation in the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act”: requires the commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to ensure that revenue raised by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is not diverted to any purpose other than administration of the department.

L.D. 1398, “An Act To Facilitate a Pilot Program for Sunday Hunting for Residents Only”: allows a person with a resident junior hunting license or a resident hunting license to hunt wild animals or wild birds on the last Sunday during the open hunting season.

Taxation Committee; work sessions; room 127; State House

L.D. 358, “An Act To Protect Family Farms and Working Waterfront Subject to Estate Tax and Reduce the Maine Estate Tax Exclusion”:

L.D. 692, “An Act To Provide Funding for Education by Restoring the 8.5 Percent Income Tax Rate for High-income Taxpayers”:

L.D. 815, “An Act To Tax Political Action Committees”:

L.D. 834, “An Act To Make the Income Tax More Equitable for Citizens of the State”:

L.D. 1110, “An Act To Simplify the Tax Code”:

L.D. 1113, “An Act To Provide Tax Fairness to Maine’s Middle Class and Working Families”:

L.D. 1124, “An Act To Provide Income Tax Relief”:

L.D. 1256, “An Act To Establish Tax Fairness”:

Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee; work sessions; room 437; State House

L.D. 227, “An Act Concerning High-stakes Beano”:

L.D. 350, “An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Gambling”:

L.D. 649, “An Act To Facilitate Consumer Taste Testings”:

L.D. 704, “An Act To Improve the Availability of Coupons in the State”:

L.D. 766, “An Act To Define “Brand” under the Liquor Laws”:

L.D. 941, “An Act To Facilitate the Expansion of the State’s Liquor Distribution System”:

L.D. 1042, “An Act To Increase the Opportunities for Taste-testing Events for On-premises Liquor Licensees”:

L.D. 1082, “An Act Concerning the Ability of Off-premises Liquor Licensees To Dispense Liquor in Sealed Refillable Containers”:

L.D. 1318, “An Act To Clarify the Law Regarding Advertising Signs outside Premises Licensed To Sell Alcohol”:

11 a.m.

Health and Human Resources Committee; public hearings; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 1411, “Resolve, To Require the Department of Health and Human Services To Request a Waiver To Prohibit the Use of Food Supplement Benefits for the Purchase of Taxable Food Items”: emergency, governor’s bill, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to request a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture to allow Maine to prohibit the use of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the purchase of certain food items.

L.D. 1416, “An Act Regarding Responsibility of General Assistance for a Person Who Is Released from Prison”: provides that if an applicant for general assistance has been released from a correctional facility within 45 days of application, the municipality of responsibility for the first 12 months of benefits is the municipality that was on record as the residence of the applicant when the applicant was committed to the correctional facility.

L.D. 1443, “An Act To Make Convicted Drug Felons Ineligible for TANF Assistance”: repeals the prohibition against the denial of TANF benefits for a conviction of a drug-related felony, instead providing that anyone who is convicted for a drug-related felony after August 22, 1996 is ineligible for TANF benefits.

1 p.m.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Commttee; work sessions; room 436; State House

L.D. 189, “An Act To Establish a Central Concealed Handgun Permit Database”:

L.D. 958, “An Act To Establish a Database To Prevent Individuals Involuntarily Admitted or Committed to a Mental Health Institution from Being Issued Concealed Handgun Permits”:

L.D. 1054, “An Act To Prohibit Enforcement by a Federal or State Official or Others of the National Defense Authorization Act For Fiscal Year 2012”:

Health and Human Resources Committee; public hearings; room 209; Cross Building

L.D. 535, “An Act To Promote Greater Flexibility in the Provision of Long-term Care Services”: allow licensed facilities to provide a continuum of care and services to clients residing in those facilities without requiring the clients to leave the facility, without requiring the creation of a licensed home health agency and without having to seek approval of area licensed home health agencies.

L.D. 538, “An Act To Align Costs Recognized for Transfer of Nursing Facilities and Residential Care Facilities with Ordinary Commercial and Government Contracting Standards”: provides that, to align treatment of long-term care providers with other government contractors and typical private transactions, MaineCare depreciation recapture from sellers of nursing facilities and residential care facilities does not apply to any sales on or after July 1, 2012.

L.D. 847, “Resolve, To Address Changes Needed for Providers of Private Nonmedical Institution Services”: directs the Department of Health and Human Services to take all necessary actions to convert private nonmedical institution services beds for adults with intellectual disabilities to home and community-based waiver beds for adults with intellectual disabilities.

L.D. 928, “An Act To Improve MaineCare Nursing Home Reimbursement To Preserve Access and Promote Quality”: provides supplemental MaineCare payments to nursing homes that serve a high percentage of MaineCare residents and establishes a pay-for-performance program in nursing homes.

L.D. 986, “Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study Long-term Care Facilities”: establishes the Commission To Study Long-term Care Facilities and report by Dec. 4.

L.D. 1189, “An Act Regarding Implementation of Cost-of-living Increases for Nursing Facilities”: emergency bill, amends the law governing the nursing facility and assisted living facility cost-of-living adjustment to specify that during the first year in which an adjustment is made, the reimbursement is reduced by that portion of the adjustment that exceeds the percentage increase in wages and benefits.

L.D. 1245, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services To Create a More Equitable, Transparent Resource Allocation System for Nursing Facilities Based on Residents’ Needs”: emergency bill, instructs the Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate the current nursing home reimbursement peer group limits and establish a capitated system that treats all facilities equally and requires the department to publish on a publicly accessible website its reimbursement rates and any related exception adjustments of all providers.

L.D. 1246, “An Act To Promote Greater Staffing Flexibility without Compromising Safety or Quality in Nursing Facilities”: emergency bill, requires the Department of Health and Human Services to adopt acuity-based staffing.

Taxation Committee; work sessions; room 127; State House

L.D. 427, “An Act To Authorize Options for Local Revenue Enhancement”:

L.D. 901, “An Act To Modify the Mining Excise Tax”:

L.D. 916, “An Act To Promote Investment in Maine’s Communications Network and Natural Gas Network”:

L.D. 936, “An Act To Authorize Municipalities To Impose Service Charges on Tax-exempt Property Owned by Certain Nonprofit Organizations”:

L.D. 1141, “An Act To Increase the Sales Tax To Support Revenue Sharing”:

L.D. 1205, “An Act To Lower the Rate of Excise Tax on Older Vehicles To Acknowledge the Longer Life Span of Motor Vehicles”:

L.D. 1206, “An Act To Ensure Equity in the Taxation of Food Items”:

L.D. 1227, “An Act To Promote Tourism and Economic Development”:

L.D. 1297, “An Act To Provide Funding for Public Education by Increasing the Sales Tax”:

L.D. 1314, “An Act To Allow a Local Option Tax on Meals and Lodging”:

L.D. 1370, “An Act To Exempt from Sales Tax the Sales of Adaptive Equipment To Make a Vehicle Handicapped Accessible”:

L.D. 1379, “An Act Regarding the Valuation of Certain Vehicles”:

L.D. 1402, “An Act To Amend the Taxes Imposed on Alcohol and Lodging”:

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