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An Act To Amend the Veterans' Homelessness Prevention Coordination Program
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 37-B MRSA §513, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 329, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 2.  37-B MRSA §513-A  is enacted to read:
§ 513-A. Veterans' homelessness prevention coordination
 
1.  Veterans' homelessness prevention partnership.     The director shall establish partnerships with human services-based volunteer organizations to coordinate efforts to remedy and prevent homelessness among veterans in this State. The volunteer organizations must have as their core programs addressing homelessness and veterans' services and have been active in the State for at least 2 years. Priority must be given to an organization founded, chartered or organized in the State. The director may accept donations from outside sources and state and federal funding to accomplish the priorities of the partnerships. If state, federal or outside funding is available, the priorities of these partnerships, listed in order of priority, include, but are not limited to:
 
A.  Identifying homeless veterans in the State;
 
B.  Identifying and securing temporary or permanent living space for veterans within the veterans' communities; and
 
C.  Conducting annual outreach events, targeted to reach the maximum number of veterans in need, to disseminate information on resources and services available to assist homeless veterans.
 
2.  Fund established.     The Veterans' Homelessness Prevention Partnership Fund, a nonlapsing fund, is established under the bureau for the purpose of receiving funds from state, federal and other sources, including donations from private citizens, corporations and entities for the purpose of this section. The bureau, in collaboration with the Department of Economic and Community Development, shall distribute any available funds in the fund to support the priorities described in this section.
 
SUMMARY
This bill repeals the current provisions regarding veterans' homelessness prevention coordination and instead enacts a provision that allows for multiple partnerships rather than a single partnership. It removes the requirement that the organizations chosen for the partnerships be national organizations in existence for at least 30 years. It requires that the organizations chosen be active in the State for at least 2 years, with priority given to organizations founded, chartered or organized in Maine. It changes the order of priorities for the partnerships, prioritizing identifying and securing temporary or permanent living space for veterans within the veterans' communities over conducting annual outreach events. It establishes a nonlapsing fund to support services for homeless veterans and directs the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services to collaborate with the Department of Economic and Community Development to distribute any funds.