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An Act To Feed Rural Citizens of the State
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§15  is enacted to read:
 
15.  Waiver of federal limits on assistance for individuals residing in high unemployment areas with insufficient jobs.     Beginning with federal fiscal year 2016 and for each federal fiscal year thereafter, the department shall seek a waiver pursuant to 7 United States Code Section 2015(o)(4) to allow individuals otherwise subject to the 3-month limit on food supplement program benefits pursuant to 7 United States Code Section 2015(o)(2) to continue to receive food supplement program benefits if those individuals reside in counties, labor market areas or other areas that qualify for a waiver because of high unemployment or a lack of a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for those individuals. The department shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to implement this subsection.
 
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to seek a waiver beginning with federal fiscal year 2016, which begins October 1, 2015, and for each federal fiscal year thereafter to allow individuals otherwise subject to a 3-month limit on federal food supplement program benefits to continue to receive benefits if those individuals reside in counties, labor market areas or other areas that qualify for a waiver because of high unemployment or a lack of a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for those individuals.