Bill > LD117

This bill addresses funding for sexual assault and domestic violence services by redirecting unused state funds originally appropriated to help replace federal grant reductions. Specifically, the bill provides that if the Department of Health and Human Services has any unused portions of a $3 million allocation for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 that were meant to offset reductions in federal victim assistance grants, those unused funds must be equally distributed between two statewide coalitions: one focused on domestic violence resource centers and another on sexual assault support centers. The department is required to identify any unused balance by March 30th of each year and disburse those funds accordingly. This legislation aims to ensure that community-based support services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault continue to receive financial support, even if federal grant funding becomes limited. The bill references the federal Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and involves grants administered by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime.

Health and Social Services

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=117&snum=132