Rep. Lori Gramlich

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a previous resolution to provide additional funding for case management services aimed at helping people recover from addiction. The legislation directly affects the Department of Health and Human Services by allocating specific amounts from both the General Fund and the Federal Expenditures Fund for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years. These funds are intended to support an increase in targeted case management services resulting from changes to eligibility requirements. The bill does not alter the core policy of expanding eligibility but rather ensures there is sufficient budget to implement the expanded services.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to expand behavioral health services for children and adults involved in the child welfare system, with a specific focus on rural areas. To achieve this, the department must offer grants or incentives to providers to encourage them to serve these families and establish a reimbursement method for coordinating care. The legislation appropriates $500,000 for each of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 fiscal years to fund these grants and incentives.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a pilot program in Maine to test how solar energy development can coexist with farming and forestry operations. It directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to create an application process for landowners and developers who want to participate, allowing projects ranging from 20 to 60 megawatts. The program includes provisions for the department to accept public or private funding and to hire staff to manage the initiative. Additionally, the bill allocates specific state funds to cover a senior planner position and other administrative costs needed to run the pilot through 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a previous resolution to fund the design and implementation of a community-based mental health care model specifically for adolescents with co-occurring disorders in Maine. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to use a specific assertive continuing care protocol and provides $500,000 for the 2023-24 fiscal year, with an additional $1,000,000 allocated for 2024-25. The amendment also extends the deadline for reporting results from December 2025 to December 2026 and corrects the budget account used for these funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a procedural amendment that adds a fiscal note to a resolution proposing a constitutional change. The resolution itself would establish that all residents of Maine have equal rights under the law. The amendment does not alter the substance of the proposed constitutional language but includes required financial documentation for the legislative process.

Maddy summaryThis bill amendment clarifies the role of the Maine Agricultural Water Management Board in notifying agricultural producers about specific water use requirements set by the Board of Environmental Protection. It replaces vague references to low-flow areas with a mandate to address in-stream flows and lake or pond water levels, while also requiring the board to submit annual reports to the legislature's agriculture committee. Additionally, the bill allocates funding to hire a part-time hydrogeologist to support these oversight activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the Community School Program in Maine by removing the limit on how many schools the Department of Education can designate. Under the new rules, the department can select up to three schools starting in 2016-2017, five in 2020-2021, ten in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, and any number of additional schools beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. To support this expansion, the state will provide funding to the schools and may hire a coordinator to manage the program. The department must also publish application details and deadlines on its website for interested school districts.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to provide additional monthly funding to SNAP households that receive less than $95 in federal benefits. Starting January 1, 2024, the state will fill the gap between a household's current benefit amount and $95 to ensure a minimum combined total of $95 for all eligible recipients. The legislation appropriates approximately $8 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year and $16 million for 2024-25 to cover these costs. Additionally, the bill requires the department to establish the necessary rules to implement this state supplement by the beginning of 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a procedural amendment that removes the section regarding appropriations and allocations from a larger act allowing employees to request flexible work schedules. By deleting this specific financial provision, the amendment ensures that the final legislation focuses solely on the rules for requesting flexible hours without including budgetary details. The change does not alter the core policy of permitting flexible work arrangements but rather streamlines the text by eliminating a non-essential financial component.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to create a pilot program that reimburses MaineCare members for treating up to 25 individuals diagnosed with personality disorders or primary emotional dysregulation. The program will use a bundled payment rate covering various services, including dialectical behavior therapy, psychiatry, nursing, case management, and skills coaching. Funding of $650,000 is allocated for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to support this initiative, and the department must submit a report on the program's effectiveness by November 7, 2025, to determine if it should be expanded.