Governor Janet Mills today signed the supplemental budget for Maine’s Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2019. The $7.5 million package, which garnered strong bipartisan support in the Legislature, repeals the limit on Medicaid-funded methadone to help combat the opioid crisis, dedicates $1 million towards the state’s upcoming 2020 bicentennial celebration, and funds other initiatives.
“This supplemental budget honors state government's obligations and makes important policy changes that will help us fight the opioid epidemic,” said Governor Mills. “I am proud this budget received strong bipartisan support, and I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature on passing the biennial budget.”
Key provisions contained in the supplemental budget, LD 1000, "An Act To Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government and To Change Certain Provisions of the Law Necessary to the Proper Operations of State Government for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2019." include:
- A repeal of the prior authorization requirement for Medicaid recipients receiving methadone treatment that exceeds the 24 months lifetime limit
- $2.5 million for disaster relief funds for Maine municipalities stemming from the October 2017 windstorm and the March 2018 York County coastal flooding
- $1 million for Maine’s Bicentennial celebration
- $320,000 for case support at the Office of the Public Advocate to be used for the costs of retaining expert witnesses and related costs associated with representing Maine ratepayers in the Emera Maine and Central Maine Power billing, metering, and rate cases.
- $400,000 for the leasing of accessible voting machines
In addition to the supplemental budget, Governor Mills also signed into law the following bills: