Bill
LD 429
Requires DHHS to track medical care for asylum seekers and pursue federal reimbursement for eligible costs; minor, absorbable General Fund impact; bill died.
LD 429 — Summary
Overview
- Title: An Act To Track Certain Information Regarding And Seek Federal Reimbursement For Medical Care Provided To Asylum Seekers
- Sponsor: Rep. Drinkwater (Milford)
- Committee: Health and Human Services
- Status: Dead (Placed in Legislative Files)
- Introduced: February 4, 2025
- Legislature: 132nd Maine Legislature
Purpose and intent
- The bill would require the state to track specific information related to medical care provided to asylum seekers and to pursue federal reimbursement for eligible medical costs. In short, it aims to improve data collection on asylum-seeker health care expenditures and to secure potential federal reimbursement for related costs.
Key provisions (as indicated by title and fiscal note)
- Data tracking: Mandate collection and maintenance of information regarding medical care provided to asylum seekers.
- Federal reimbursement: mandate and process steps for seeking federal reimbursement for eligible medical costs incurred for asylum seekers.
- Administrative coordination: Likely involvement of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to carry out data tracking and reimbursement efforts.
- Reporting and oversight: While specific reporting requirements are not detailed in the available content, the bill would typically entail reporting mechanisms to the Legislature on tracked information and reimbursement status.
Fiscal impact
- Preliminary Fiscal Impact Statement: Minor cost increase to the General Fund; any additional costs for DHHS are expected to be minor and absorbable within existing resources.
- Fiscal note status: No separate fiscal note required; the department’s impact is described as absorbable.
Who would be affected
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS): Primary administrator for data collection and pursuit of federal reimbursements.
- Asylum seekers who receive medical care in Maine (indirectly through DHHS programs and services).
- Healthcare providers and facilities rendering care that could be eligible for reimbursement (indirect impact through administrative processes).
Procedural/timeline highlights
- Referred to Committee: February 4, 2025
- Work session: April 15, 2025
- Reported out: May 12, 2025 (ONTP/OTP)
- Reports read: May 14, 2025
- Majority Ought Not to Pass report accepted: May 14–20, 2025
- Concurrence actions and final routing: May 14–20, 2025
- Final status: Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD) on May 20, 2025
Notes
- The bill did not advance to enactment and was not enacted into law.
- The fiscal impact is characterized as minor and absorbable within existing DHHS resources.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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