allocations

unless the adult has been exempted or granted an extension by the department, the family unit in
which the adult is a member is ineligible for assistance. The department shall consider conditions
or situations beyond the control of the adult recipient, including but not limited to a physical or
mental condition that prevents the adult from obtaining or retaining gainful employment, being a
victim of domestic violence, participating in good standing in an approved education program or
a program that is expected to lead to gainful employment, being the caretaker relative in the
household who is not the parent of the child or children in the assistance unit and who is required
to remain at home to care for a dependent in the assistance unit and loss of employment by the
adult following termination of TANF under this subsection.
The department shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to
this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
Sec. FFFF-5. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§21 is enacted to read:
21. Job Readiness Requirement. Before TANF assistance may be granted to an
applicant by the department, the applicant must attend a job-readiness and vocational evaluation
and training program administered by the department or its designee.
Sec. FFFF-6. 22 MRSA §3762, sub-§22, is enacted to read:
22. Denial of assistance based on job quit - An applicant or recipient of TANF assistance will be
denied TANF assistance as described in this subsection.
A. If an applicant or recipient of TANF has quit or has lost a job without good cause in
the 30 days prior to application, during the application-processing period, or after
application approval, the family will be ineligible for TANF for a period of three months.
The ineligibility period includes the month employment ended and the next two months.
B. A job quit penalty is applied when an individual:
1. Voluntarily quits without good cause,
2. Leaves the job unannounced or does not return to work without good cause, or
3. Had been warned about performance or behavior by the employer, continues
the objectionable conduct after the warning, and is subsequently terminated.
C. This penalty is not applied when:
1. A person has terminated a self-employment enterprise, or
2. There is good cause.
D. There is no cure for the job-quit penalty. Once the penalty period begins, it continues
for the full three months, even if the individual obtains employment.
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