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Amend the amendment in section 1 by striking out all of subsection 3 (page 1, lines 19 to 26 in amendment) and inserting the following:
 
‘3. Eligible person.   "Eligible person" means a person who is qualified to receive general assistance from a municipality according to standards of eligibility determined by the municipal officers whether or not that person has applied for general assistance. "Eligible person" does not include a person who is a fugitive from justice as defined in Title 15, section 201, subsection 4. In accordance with 8 United States Code, Section 1621(d), an "eligible person" includes a person who is lawfully present in the United States and who has expressed an intention to apply for United States citizenship.’
Amend the amendment by inserting after section 1 the following:
‘Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §4309, sub-§5  is enacted to read:
 
5.  Durational limit on benefits.    Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an eligible person may not receive general assistance benefits for more than 5 years.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment allows a person who is lawfully present in the United States to qualify for general assistance as long as that person has expressed an intention to become a United States citizen. This amendment also places a 5-year limit on general assistance benefits for all eligible persons.