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Committee advances a slate of supplemental budget line items, including veterans‑home payments and heating assistance
Summary
In addition to debated items, the Appropriations Committee moved a series of supplemental budget lines covering veterans‑home per diems and supplemental payments, income‑verification funding, education positions, DEP reclassification, and a heating assistance payment for SNAP households; most measures passed unanimously or by recorded roll call.
The Appropriations Committee advanced multiple supplemental budget lines across departments as it continued work on the governor’s change package.
Notable actions included:
- Maine Veterans Homes: Lines 147–149 were approved to adjust per‑diem rates to reflect service costs for MaineCare residents, and lines 150–152 passed to make a one‑time supplemental payment to Maine Veterans Home residential care facilities. Committee members described the actions as overdue and votes on both items were unanimous.
- Income‑verification services (Office for Family Independence): Lines 168–169 provide funding for projected increases in income verification workload tied to HR1. Representative Sherman opposed and suggested considering vendor alternatives; staff noted a vendor is already in use and the funding reflects additional vendor work. The motion carried 8–5.
- Education positions and child nutrition accounting: Line 33 (child nutrition expenditure allocation) and line 34 (continuation of limited‑period federal positions) were moved in as in the change package and passed unanimously.
- Department of Environmental Protection reclassification (line 58) was approved unanimously.
- Heating assistance for SNAP households: Part XX (related to HHS line 170) permits DHHS to issue an annual heating assistance payment to households receiving SNAP; the committee moved the language (8–5).
Several motions were seconded by senators and passed by roll call or unanimous voice vote. The committee paused consideration of some tax conformity language for later coordination with related parts of the change package. The committee will reconvene for more voting the following day.
