Bill > S2818

This bill creates the Home Works Program, a state-funded initiative designed to support children aged 5-14 who are currently residing in Emergency Assistance housing programs. The program will provide funding for out-of-school time and summer programs, covering up to 75% of local market rates for services and transportation costs. Licensed and non-licensed programs can apply for program slots, which will be allocated proportionally across areas with the highest number of children in Emergency Assistance housing. Programs must meet specific transportation requirements, including the ability to transport children to and from their current residence, and must conduct comprehensive criminal background checks, including a review of the National Sexual Offender Registry, for all staff working directly with children. The executive office of housing and livable communities will maintain a waitlist of eligible participants, and programs can draw from this list to fill their allocated slots. If a participant becomes ineligible, the program can replace them with another eligible child from the waitlist. The program is explicitly funded separately from existing Emergency Assistance program funds, and the executive office is required to develop implementing regulations within six months of the act's passage.

Budget and Finance

Joint Committee on Housing (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2818