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An Act To Provide to Certain Benefit Recipients Information Regarding Personal Finance Planning and To Distribute Benefits More Frequently
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §3104, sub-§§15 and 16  are enacted to read:
 
15.  Frequency of payment.     The department shall pay monthly food supplement program benefits in 2 semimonthly installments.
 
16.  Information on money management to households.     The department shall provide to households receiving food supplement program benefits information about online and community courses on money management, including but not limited to budgeting courses offered online and by local adult education and volunteer programs.
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §3104-A, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 291, §3, is further amended to read:
 
3. Administration.   The department shall provide assistance under this section to eligible households on a monthly basisin 2 semimonthly installments through an electronic benefit transfer system.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §3762, sub-§3, ¶C  is enacted to read:
 
C.  The department shall pay monthly TANF benefits provided under this section in 2 semimonthly installments.
Sec. 4. 22 MRSA §3763, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 530, Pt. A, §16, is amended to read:
 
10. Home survival skills.   The department shall provide and may contract with public and private nonprofit agencies to provide instruction and experiential education for TANF recipients in nutrition, food preparation and home and money management. The department shall provide to TANF recipients information about online and community courses on money management, including but not limited to budgeting courses offered online and by local adult education and volunteer programs.
 
SUMMARY
This bill accomplishes the following.
1. It makes food supplement program benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or "TANF," benefits payable on a semimonthly schedule.
2. It requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide recipients of food supplement program benefits and TANF benefits with information about online and community resources on money management.