allocations

drug as defined in Title 17-A, section 1101, subsection 11. "Felony drug offense" does not
include conviction of a crime under the laws of another state that is classified by laws of that
state as a misdemeanor and is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 2 years or less. This
subsection applies to current recipients of and new applicants for food assistance.
Sec. EEEE-3. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§17, as enacted in PL 2001, c. 598, §2, is repealed.
Sec. EEEE-4. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§17-A is enacted to read:
17-A. Denial of assistance based on felony drug offense. An individual convicted of a
felony drug offense after August 22, 1996 is not eligible for TANF assistance. As used in this
subsection, "felony drug offense" means an offense that, at the time of conviction, is punishable
by imprisonment for one year or more under any law of the United States or of any state and that
has as an element the possession, use, or distribution of a controlled substance as defined in
Section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act, 21 United States Code 802(6) or a scheduled
drug as defined in Title 17-A, section 1101, subsection 11. "Felony drug offense" does not
include conviction of a crime under the laws of another state that is classified by laws of that
state as a misdemeanor and is punishable by a term of imprisonment of 2 years or less. This
subsection applies to current recipients of and new applicants for TANF assistance.
Sec. EEEE-5. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§20, as reallocated by RR 2011, c. 1, §33, is
repealed.
PART EEEE
SUMMARY
This Part repeals provisions of the TANF and Food Supplement statutes that prohibit the
Department from denying benefits based on a felony drug conviction. It also establishes a
requirement that to be eligible for TANF or Food Supplement benefits, an individual must not
have been convicted of a drug related felony. This part also repeals, as no longer necessary due
to the eligibility requirement, the provision about the Department administering drug tests to
convicted drug felons on the TANF program.
PART FFFF
Sec. FFFF-1. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16, is
amended to read:
4. Promoting support by both parents. The department shall enforce laws and establish
policies to ensure that both parents contribute to the economic support of their child or children
and to promote every child's right to economic support from both parents. Applicants for and
recipients of assistance may refuse to cooperate in the establishment of paternity or child support
enforcement for good cause related to domestic violence, including situations when cooperation
may result in harm to the parent or child, or when the child was conceived as a result of incest or
rape. Evidence supporting a good cause determination includes, but is not limited to, the
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