§ 22 §4315 — False representation

Whoever knowingly and willfully makes any false representation of a material fact to the overseer of any municipality or to the department or its agents for the purpose of causing that or any other person to be granted assistance by the municipality or by the State is guilty of a Class E crime and shall reimburse the municipality for that assistance. Further assistance may be denied until that person reimburses the municipality for the assistance or enters into a written agreement, which must be reasonable under the circumstances, to reimburse the municipality or that person has been ineligible for assistance for a period of 120 days, whichever period is longer.
A person disqualified from receiving general assistance for making a false representation must be provided notice and an opportunity for an appeal as provided in sections 4321 and 4322.
If the overseer of any municipality or the fair hearing officer finds that a recipient made a false representation to the overseer in violation of this section, that recipient is required to reimburse the municipality for any assistance rendered for which that recipient was ineligible. The recipient is ineligible from receiving further assistance for a period of 120 days or until that person reimburses the municipality for the assistance or enters into a written agreement, which must be reasonable under the circumstances, to reimburse that municipality, whichever period is longer.
Any recipient whose assistance is terminated or denied under this section has the right to appeal that decision pursuant to the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 80-B.
No recipient who has been granted assistance, in accordance with this chapter, may have that assistance terminated prior to the decision of the fair hearing officer. In the event of any termination of assistance to any recipient, the dependents of that person may still apply for and, if eligible, receive assistance.

Legislative History

PL 1983, c. 577, §1 (NEW). PL 1991, c. 622, §M24 (AMD). PL 1993, c. 410, §AAA9 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 312, §§1, 2 (AMD).