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Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 4. 37-B MRSA §601, as repealed and replaced by PL 2009, c. 652, Pt. A, §59, is amended to read:
§ 601.Homes established; purpose
There must beare established public homes for veterans in Maine known as "Maine Veterans' Homes." for the purpose of providing long-term care, support and related services to eligible veterans and family members of veterans. In addition to the existing 120-bed home located in Augusta, a 120-bed home located in Scarborough, a home not to exceed 40 beds40-bed home located in Caribou, a 60-bed home located in Machias, a 120-bed home located in Bangor not to exceed 120 beds, of which 40 beds are dedicated to patients with dementia, and a 90-bed home located in South Paris not to exceed 90 beds, of which 30 beds are dedicated to patients with dementia, may be constructed if federal Veterans' Administration funds are available to meet part of the costs of each facility for construction or operation. In addition, a home located in Machias not to exceed 60 beds may be constructed if federal Veterans' Administration funds or funds from any other state, federal or private source are available to meet part of the costs of the facility for construction or operation, except that the Machias home may not begin operation prior to July 1, 1995 and the construction and funding of the Machias home may not in any way jeopardize the construction, funding or financial viability of any other home. The Maine Veterans' Homes also are authorized to provide nonnursing facility care and services to Maine veterans if approved by appropriate state and federal authorities. The Board of Trustees of the Maine Veterans' Homes shall plan and develop the Machias home and any nonnursing facility care and services using any funds available for that purpose, except for the Augusta facility's funded depreciation account. The Maine Veterans' Homes are authorized to construct community-based outpatient clinics for Maine veterans in cooperation with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and may construct and operate veterans hospice facilities, veterans housing facilities and other facilities authorized by the Board of Trustees of the Maine Veterans' Homes, using available funds. Any funds loaned to the Maine Veterans' Homes for operating purposes from the funded depreciation accounts of the Maine Veterans' Homes must be reimbursed from any funds received by the Maine Veterans' Homes and available for that purpose. The primary purpose of the Maine Veterans' Homes is to provide support and care for honorably discharged veterans who served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces or who served in the Reserves of the United States Armed Forces on active duty for other than training purposes.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment, which is the minority report, maintains existing law that prescribes the number of beds at various Maine Veterans' Homes locations but strikes the provisions that establish the number of beds that certain facilities may not exceed. The amendment maintains the requirement that some facilities have a specific number of beds dedicated to dementia patients. The bill proposes to remove any specific requirements for the number of beds at any facility and for the location of the facilities, which have already been constructed.