LD 126

APPROVED  CHAPTER
  APRIL 30, 2025  57
  BY GOVERNOR  PUBLIC LAW
  STATE OF MAINE
  _____
  IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FIVE
  _____
  S.P. 54 - L.D. 126
     An Act to Expand the Use of the Veterans' Homelessness Prevention
  Partnership Fund
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
    Sec. 1. 37-B MRSA §513-A, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 504, §2, is amended to read:
§513-A. Veterans' homelessness prevention coordination
    1. Veterans' homelessness prevention partnership. The director shall may, through
one or more collaborative agreements, establish a program of partnerships with human
services‑based volunteer organizations to provide transitional housing to homeless veterans
and 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. To the extent 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;
    C. Providing reimbursement disbursements to human services‑based volunteer
    organizations that provide transitional housing to homeless veterans pursuant to
    collaborative agreements entered into pursuant to this subsection; and
    D. 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. Rules. The bureau may adopt rules necessary to implement this section, including
to define "veterans" for purposes of this section, to govern collaborative agreements with
human services‑based volunteer organizations and to govern the reimbursement of
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organizations that provide transitional housing to homeless veterans through disbursements
from the Veterans' Homelessness Prevention Partnership Fund.
Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter
375, subchapter 2‑A.
     3. 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 shall use the fund to provide
reimbursement to human services‑based volunteer organizations that provide transitional
housing to homeless veterans disbursements to organizations, businesses, landlords or
other entities to prevent homelessness among veterans in this State and to otherwise carry
out the purposes of this section.
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