Whereas, persons with disabilities are in need of personal care assistance services to aid them in leading productive and contented lives; and

Whereas, passage of this legislation is needed in order to bring assistance to disabled persons by July 1, 2004; and

Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Rulemaking. Resolved: That by July 1, 2004 the Department of Labor, Bureau of Rehabilitation Services shall adopt rules for the consumer-directed personal care assistance services program under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 26, section 1412-G in order to increase eligibility for those services.

1. Substance of rules. Rules adopted pursuant to this section must:

A. Reinforce individual autonomy and personal responsibility;

B. Provide for simplifying participation, be based on consumer medical and service needs and increase wages for direct-care workers and provide access to health benefits under Dirigo Health Insurance pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 24-A, section 6910;

C. Provide for 3rd-party review of consumer evaluations and expanded real-time reporting on system participants;

D. Provide for services at the following 3 levels:

(1) Up to 20 hours per week;

(2) Up to 35 hours per week; and

(3) Up to 50 hours per week;

E. Encourage the use of the consumer-directed program through incentives for participation, an active marketing campaign and promoting consideration of the program as the