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An Act To Break the Generational Cycle of Domestic Violence
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §264  is enacted to read:
§ 264. Counseling and educational services for children affected by domestic violence
 
1.  Referral.     A parent, guardian or relative of a child affected by domestic violence or a school, law enforcement agency, health care organization, health care provider or domestic violence resource center may refer a child affected by domestic violence to a nonprofit organization that provides counseling and educational services to children who are affected by domestic violence.
 
2.  Nonprofit organizations that provide counseling and educational services.     A nonprofit organization that provides counseling and educational services to children who are affected by domestic violence and that receives referrals as described in subsection 1 may apply to the department for funding for these services.
 
3.  Department to divide State into 8 regions; funding.     The department shall divide the State into 8 regions for purposes of providing funding to nonprofit organizations under this section. The department shall provide funding under this section to nonprofit organizations in all 8 regions of the State.
 
4.  Funding criteria.     In determining which nonprofit organizations to fund under this section, the department shall consider, among other factors, how much money each nonprofit organization spends on administration versus direct services and shall give special consideration to nonprofit organizations that minimize administrative expenses and to nonprofit organizations in rural areas. Services provided by a nonprofit organization funded under this section must be targeted to children who are 2 years of age or older and under 12 years of age.
Sec. 2. Report. The Department of Health and Human Services shall report on the implementation of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 22, section 264 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over public safety matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters no later than November 7, 2018.
 
SUMMARY
This bill provides that a nonprofit organization that provides counseling and educational services to children who are affected by domestic violence and that receives referrals from a parent, guardian or relative of a child affected by domestic violence or a school, law enforcement agency, health care organization, health care provider or domestic violence resource center may apply to the Department of Health and Human Services for funding for these services. The bill directs the department to divide the State into 8 regions for purposes of providing funding to these nonprofit organizations and to provide funding in all 8 regions. In determining which nonprofit organizations to fund, the department must consider, among other factors, how much money each nonprofit organization spends on administration versus direct services and must give special consideration to nonprofit organizations that minimize administrative expenses and to nonprofit organizations in rural areas. Services provided by the nonprofit organization must be targeted to children who are 2 years of age or older and under 12 years of age.
The bill provides that the department must report on the implementation of these provisions to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over public safety matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters no later than November 7, 2018.