October 20, 2025
Minutes
Minutes
Attendees via Zoom: Alana Rodriguez, Bridget McCabe, Carrie Woodcock, David Cowing, Dawn Cedrone, Debbie Dionne, Derek Fales, Jamie Whitehouse, Jennifer Putnam, Karen McDonald, Keri Lopes, Kim Humphrey, Jennifer Frey, L Maxwell, Libby Stone-Sterling, Margaret Cardoza, Mindy Ward, Rob Moran, Robin Levesque, Sara Fleurant, Shelley Zielinski, Stacy Lamontagne, Cullen Ryan, Vickey Merrill, and possibly a few people who joined after the meeting began and left prior to the conclusion of the meeting.
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted.
Featured Speaker: Carrie Woodcock, Executive Director, Maine Parent Federation. www.mpf.org Topic: An overview of the Offices of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) reduction in workforce and what this means for individuals with disabilities in Maine.
Cullen: Today I am pleased to welcome Carrie Woodcock, Executive Director of the Maine Parent Federation, who will be providing an overview of the Offices of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) reduction in workforce and what this means for individuals with disabilities in Maine. As you might be aware, the Administration has made some changes to the Department of Education’s workforce which may have consequences across the country and in Maine. This is a very important topic and quite worrying. Thank you for being here today to go over this in detail, Carrie!
Carrie Woodcock: Thank you for having me!
Begin Presentation (Click here for the presentation).
Carrie’s presentation reviewed the workforce reductions in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) – including an overview of the Offices, what has occurred, and the implications of the reduction.
Carrie suggested that the group review the cheat sheets for each Department, which includes much more detailed information that people may find helpful/informative:
Cullen: What a mess. I’m glad Maine Parent Federation isn’t affected this year, but the prospect of future cuts is indeed worrisome. Thank you for all of your tremendous advocacy around this!
Discussion:
- A provider stated that this is awful. She asked what Maine’s Delegation and State Legislators say about this.
Carrie: This is the third time IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) has come under attack by the Administration. We’re working closely with the federal Delegation. Special Education block grants were proposed earlier this year in the Administration’s Budget which would have eliminated funding for IDEA. Senator Collins led the charge on the Senate side in putting together the Labor & Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill that proposed status quo funding for IDEA, as did the House version. I haven’t spoken with anyone in the Legislature yet, mostly because there’s nothing that the State can do at this point in time. I’m spending the majority of my time advocating at the federal level.
-A parent asked if there was anything the group could do. She stated she’s heard several states have started a lawsuit to contest the reduction. It was asked if Maine was planning to join the lawsuit. She asked what will happen to the specialized schools in the state that receive federal funding.
Carrie: There is a lawsuit that was filed in California last week and a federal judge put a temporary restraining order on the workforce reduction. The Administration had until Friday, 10/17, at 5pm to push back on the Judge’s opinion that the workforce reduction was politically motivated. The reduction can’t go into effect until 12/9, because there is a 60-day waiting period per federal law. There is no impact currently to any state programming – people with DOE grants have been able to draw down funds as long as their budget year is in place. There are a number of grants that expired on 9/30/25, and with the federal government shut down and federal staff furloughed the renewals/extensions of those grants have not been announced.
-A parent stated that when you think of all the energy from the disability community focused on progress and what we have accomplished over the past 50 years it is gut-wrenching to have someone arbitrarily take a sledgehammer to it. She stated it’s hard to believe that everyone who has benefited from this will let this stand and it is terrifying that people in power could do this in the first place.
Carrie: Another concern is even if staff are reinstated, how many federal employees choose to get employed somewhere else in the interim? Especially considering they were already working in hostile work environments this is definitely possible. We may very well lose some great people and advocates.
-A self-advocate stated that she has heard that the current Administration is looking to re-institutionalize people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities specifically. She voiced skepticism and anger about the motivations behind this.
Cullen: Yes, and I echo your concerns. We have effective modalities aimed at getting people stabilized via permanent supportive housing (PSH) – for homeless populations and people with ID/DD. This type of housing allows the housing to provide stability while having essential support services wrapped around people as needed – meeting people where’re they’re at. Unfortunately, PSH is also currently under attack. We will be monitoring these developments closely as they could significantly affect housing policies.
Carrie: What we’ve heard as the vision for IDEA is to move everything under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In order to eliminate IDEA, Congress would need to act. Instead, the tactic appears to be starving it of funding and staff. Earlier in the year, after numerous calls with Delegation staffers describing the human aspect of the cuts, we kept being asked the question “we have to save money, where do we cut?” Where I saw the needle move with our Delegation was saying: MPF is getting $350,000 per year; nationwide the program costs $33 million. The return on investment is huge. These programs connect students with the right services at the right time. This increases employment and earning outcomes, which subsequently reduces the need for federally funded benefits. There are people who will always need those benefits, but programs like this are currently saving the federal government money. It will cost the government more to defund them.
-A self-advocate stated how overwhelming the constant chaos in Washington has been. It is not only overwhelming but scary to hear and see progress lost and feel like we’re moving backwards.
Carrie: We have been working hard at moving forward for so long, but now it has shifted and we’re working extremely hard not to move backward. This is purposeful and intentional by the Administration. That’s one side of government. Congress does not appear to have the same interests. Every attempt thus far from the Administration we’ve been successful in asking Congress to push back on, but we still have to be on top of our game.
Cullen: It is overwhelming – and it is terrifying, for me and others. I think it may be helpful to remember that this is a small minority trying to assert control. I don’t know how this will all play out, and it is terrifying, but I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that this is not a widespread ideology held by the majority of people in the country.
Cullen: Thank you, Carrie, for opening the door to all of this information and how it will play out. Thank you for your quick work and giving us a lot of great information – and information is our saving grace. And thank you for ensuring none of us feel alone in all of this. In your presentation you really modeled effective advocacy. When you reach out to lawmakers and challenge their thinking on things it really helps to reset the balance for them. It helps people understand how this will affect human beings and challenges lawmakers to help them to make better decisions. I also want to thank MPF for its decades of efforts in making the world a better place for people with disabilities. It is a tremendous organization.
-Members of the group discussed the great work MPF does and how thankful they are for all of their efforts.
Carrie: We’re lucky in Maine to have such a strong, powerful disability coalition. None of us can do this work alone. We’re all personally affected, which is why we care so deeply.
Cullen: Thank you again; well done!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Derek Fales – Acting Associate Director: I wanted to share a few updates with the group.
Lifespan Waiver Updates: We are continuing to work diligently on the Lifespan waiver itself. This is still under development. We’re hoping to provide a draft for public comment soon.
Licensing Rule Updates:
Derek: We are also excited to announce that we are filling new positions, including three community resource coordinators across Maine. These positions will assist with Lifespan implementation. We’re excited about the work ahead that will result in new programs and new opportunities. Our experience so far with CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is that they continue to work and provide technical assistance and support.
Sara Fleurant: We have just completed a training series on Housing Support Funds. That training series is available online (click here for the Housing Support Funds for Individuals presentation; click here for the Housing Support Funds for Providers presentation). This is a program we operate to support people with their housing costs on Section 21 or 29. If anyone has questions about this program, please reach out to me ([email protected]). We also have the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRS) Program. There’s information about that program on our website as well, including an eligibility document. I wanted to highlight that this program is moving quite quickly; we’re seeing a lot of turnover on the waitlist. If you are interested in joining the waitlist for Section 811 PRA and meet the eligibility criteria listed above, reach out to me or you can email [email protected].
Cullen: Thank you both for being here and for sharing these updates!
DHHS – Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/obh/support-services/childrens-behavioral-health - No Update
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I hope people heard Carrie’s message that services continue as usual at this time. We’ve heard from the community and people scheduled for intakes inquiring if they should still attend. We have all of our staff working and we certainly do not want people to miss opportunities because of assumptions due to the shutdown.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. You can read the Governor’s proclamation for this online.
We also have some information online about activities going on to celebrate this!
October is also Blindness Awareness Month. There are a number of activities going on for that to promote awareness about all the ways in which people who are blind or visually impaired contribute to our communities. You can read the Governor’s proclamation for this online.
-A self-advocate shared an uplifting success story about a 63-year-old receiving vocational rehabilitation services in Maine.
Libby: Thank you for sharing that! We don’t always get to hear stories like this, so I very much appreciate you sharing it!
Cullen: Thank you very much, Libby!
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed - No Update
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) - No Update
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: The biggest update is around the federal government shutdown, which is in its 20th day. The Senate is set to vote on this again for the 11th time, today. If Congress doesn’t pass a budget bill (continuing resolution or omnibus) and reopen the government soon, people may lose access to their SNAP benefits, and their Section 8 rental assistance may not be paid. As we saw in the presentation, the Administration also began laying off federal workers during the shutdown. However, a judge has issued a temporary restraining order regarding this practice.
We are closely following everything going on at the federal level which would affect housing, services, and other resources for people with ID/DD. When things arise, we will be sure to make you aware through regular updates and action alerts.
Previous updates that we’re still following:
Medicaid cuts remain a large threat, specifically and most recently in the Budget Reconciliation Bill (HR 1, One Big Beautiful Act) which was signed by the President on 7/4 (see below for more information). The entire Maine Delegation attempted to thwart efforts to include cuts to Medicaid in this reconciliation bill by voting against it. The cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will take effect in the fall of 2026, right around the Mid-Term Elections.
Previous Item Reconciliation Bill, HR 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act: On 7/4 President Trump signed HR 1 into law. The bill cuts over $1 trillion in funding for safety net programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Even with these cuts, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill will add over $3.9 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.
-Includes portions of the AHCIA: The bill does include key pieces of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) (S 1515 / HR 2725) that would expand and reform the LIHTC program.
-SNAP:
Executive Orders: No new updates. Previous update:
President Trump initiated a series of Executive Orders (EOs) which, if implemented/upheld by the courts, could make it more difficult for everyone to access to an affordable, accessible home. Per NLIHC, the new Administration’s first actions include:
House & Senate FY 26 Budgets (including T-HUD): Updates: The House and Senate have both passed their T-HUD bills. However, they have yet to reconcile them. Being unable to come to consensus or pass a short-term continuing resolution (CR), the federal Government entered a partial shutdown at midnight on 10/1.
Senate THUD Budget: No new updates. Previous updates: The Senate passed its FY 26 THUD spending bill that would provide $73.3 billion for HUD, significantly more than the $67.8 billion provided for HUD in the House’s draft FY26 spending bill. Per NLIHC, like the House’s FY26 THUD spending proposal, the Senate’s proposal rejects the funding cuts and policy proposals in the Trump administration’s FY26 appropriations request, which would have overhauled and cut funding for rental and homelessness assistance programs. The bill includes:
House FY 26 THUD Budget: No new updates. Previous updates: On 7/17 the full House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 26 THUD spending bill. After accounting for housing revenues, $96.8 billion is provided for federal transportation and housing programs, a cut of nearly $6 billion, or 6%, from 2025. The proposal would fund HUD at $67.8 billion, a decrease of $939 million from the $74.6 billion provided for HUD programs in FY25. Though this level of funding is not sufficient to maintain investments in affordable housing programs, the bill also largely rejects many of the cuts the President called for in his FY 26 spending request for HUD. Per NLIHC the bill provides the following:
Federal Bills: No new updates. Previous updates:
State Legislature Update
Cullen: This is a really good time to reach out to Legislators, especially ones in your district, to tell your story and advocate for necessary resources to meet the needs of people with ID/DD in Maine. The Second Session, or the “short session”, is scheduled to start 1/7/26, and the statutory adjournment date (the 3rd Wednesday of April) is scheduled for 4/15/26. Cloture occurred September 26, 2025. Only bills deemed to be “emergency bills” and bills put forth by the Governor can be considered, along with bills that were carried over from the previous session. The list of bills is out and can be found online. You can view the requests by bill sponsor, broad subject, or Department/Agency online. The Legislative Council will meet soon to determine what bills will move forward and be considered in the Second Session.
As this group knows, there are a whole host of bills that either didn’t move through the House and Senate for votes for enactment or didn’t get funded off the Table. The vast majority of these bills were carried over into the next Legislative Session. And there are some bills that were enacted and sent to the Governor, but since the Legislature adjourned Sine Die, they were held by the Governor and will become law when the Legislature next convenes for at least three days. This will likely happen in January. We are expecting a Supplemental Budget, which the Governor is already working on and is expected to release in January.
Thank you all for your time, effort, and advocacy for people with ID/DD in Maine in the last Legislative Session. I hope you will continue to advocate and raise your voice in the Second Session.
Other Business: None.
Cullen: If you know people who could benefit from being here, I encourage you to reach out and have them forward their email to Vickey [email protected] or join by going on the website.
The next meeting will be on Monday, November 10, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*
Featured Speaker: Julianne Zaharis, Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC), Maine Medical Center.
Topic: An overview and Update on the Maine Benefits Counseling Services Program.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2026 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].
Cullen Ryan introduced himself and welcomed the group. Minutes from the last meeting were accepted.
Featured Speaker: Carrie Woodcock, Executive Director, Maine Parent Federation. www.mpf.org Topic: An overview of the Offices of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) reduction in workforce and what this means for individuals with disabilities in Maine.
Cullen: Today I am pleased to welcome Carrie Woodcock, Executive Director of the Maine Parent Federation, who will be providing an overview of the Offices of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and Rehabilitative Services (OSER) reduction in workforce and what this means for individuals with disabilities in Maine. As you might be aware, the Administration has made some changes to the Department of Education’s workforce which may have consequences across the country and in Maine. This is a very important topic and quite worrying. Thank you for being here today to go over this in detail, Carrie!
Carrie Woodcock: Thank you for having me!
Begin Presentation (Click here for the presentation).
Carrie’s presentation reviewed the workforce reductions in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), and the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) – including an overview of the Offices, what has occurred, and the implications of the reduction.
Carrie suggested that the group review the cheat sheets for each Department, which includes much more detailed information that people may find helpful/informative:
- Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
- Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
- Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
Cullen: What a mess. I’m glad Maine Parent Federation isn’t affected this year, but the prospect of future cuts is indeed worrisome. Thank you for all of your tremendous advocacy around this!
Discussion:
- A provider stated that this is awful. She asked what Maine’s Delegation and State Legislators say about this.
Carrie: This is the third time IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) has come under attack by the Administration. We’re working closely with the federal Delegation. Special Education block grants were proposed earlier this year in the Administration’s Budget which would have eliminated funding for IDEA. Senator Collins led the charge on the Senate side in putting together the Labor & Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill that proposed status quo funding for IDEA, as did the House version. I haven’t spoken with anyone in the Legislature yet, mostly because there’s nothing that the State can do at this point in time. I’m spending the majority of my time advocating at the federal level.
-A parent asked if there was anything the group could do. She stated she’s heard several states have started a lawsuit to contest the reduction. It was asked if Maine was planning to join the lawsuit. She asked what will happen to the specialized schools in the state that receive federal funding.
Carrie: There is a lawsuit that was filed in California last week and a federal judge put a temporary restraining order on the workforce reduction. The Administration had until Friday, 10/17, at 5pm to push back on the Judge’s opinion that the workforce reduction was politically motivated. The reduction can’t go into effect until 12/9, because there is a 60-day waiting period per federal law. There is no impact currently to any state programming – people with DOE grants have been able to draw down funds as long as their budget year is in place. There are a number of grants that expired on 9/30/25, and with the federal government shut down and federal staff furloughed the renewals/extensions of those grants have not been announced.
-A parent stated that when you think of all the energy from the disability community focused on progress and what we have accomplished over the past 50 years it is gut-wrenching to have someone arbitrarily take a sledgehammer to it. She stated it’s hard to believe that everyone who has benefited from this will let this stand and it is terrifying that people in power could do this in the first place.
Carrie: Another concern is even if staff are reinstated, how many federal employees choose to get employed somewhere else in the interim? Especially considering they were already working in hostile work environments this is definitely possible. We may very well lose some great people and advocates.
-A self-advocate stated that she has heard that the current Administration is looking to re-institutionalize people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities specifically. She voiced skepticism and anger about the motivations behind this.
Cullen: Yes, and I echo your concerns. We have effective modalities aimed at getting people stabilized via permanent supportive housing (PSH) – for homeless populations and people with ID/DD. This type of housing allows the housing to provide stability while having essential support services wrapped around people as needed – meeting people where’re they’re at. Unfortunately, PSH is also currently under attack. We will be monitoring these developments closely as they could significantly affect housing policies.
Carrie: What we’ve heard as the vision for IDEA is to move everything under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In order to eliminate IDEA, Congress would need to act. Instead, the tactic appears to be starving it of funding and staff. Earlier in the year, after numerous calls with Delegation staffers describing the human aspect of the cuts, we kept being asked the question “we have to save money, where do we cut?” Where I saw the needle move with our Delegation was saying: MPF is getting $350,000 per year; nationwide the program costs $33 million. The return on investment is huge. These programs connect students with the right services at the right time. This increases employment and earning outcomes, which subsequently reduces the need for federally funded benefits. There are people who will always need those benefits, but programs like this are currently saving the federal government money. It will cost the government more to defund them.
-A self-advocate stated how overwhelming the constant chaos in Washington has been. It is not only overwhelming but scary to hear and see progress lost and feel like we’re moving backwards.
Carrie: We have been working hard at moving forward for so long, but now it has shifted and we’re working extremely hard not to move backward. This is purposeful and intentional by the Administration. That’s one side of government. Congress does not appear to have the same interests. Every attempt thus far from the Administration we’ve been successful in asking Congress to push back on, but we still have to be on top of our game.
Cullen: It is overwhelming – and it is terrifying, for me and others. I think it may be helpful to remember that this is a small minority trying to assert control. I don’t know how this will all play out, and it is terrifying, but I hope you can find some comfort in knowing that this is not a widespread ideology held by the majority of people in the country.
Cullen: Thank you, Carrie, for opening the door to all of this information and how it will play out. Thank you for your quick work and giving us a lot of great information – and information is our saving grace. And thank you for ensuring none of us feel alone in all of this. In your presentation you really modeled effective advocacy. When you reach out to lawmakers and challenge their thinking on things it really helps to reset the balance for them. It helps people understand how this will affect human beings and challenges lawmakers to help them to make better decisions. I also want to thank MPF for its decades of efforts in making the world a better place for people with disabilities. It is a tremendous organization.
-Members of the group discussed the great work MPF does and how thankful they are for all of their efforts.
Carrie: We’re lucky in Maine to have such a strong, powerful disability coalition. None of us can do this work alone. We’re all personally affected, which is why we care so deeply.
Cullen: Thank you again; well done!
End Presentation (round of applause would have occurred were it not for everyone being muted and on Zoom)
DHHS – Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/oads
Derek Fales – Acting Associate Director: I wanted to share a few updates with the group.
Lifespan Waiver Updates: We are continuing to work diligently on the Lifespan waiver itself. This is still under development. We’re hoping to provide a draft for public comment soon.
Licensing Rule Updates:
- HCBS Emergency licensing rule – In effect for 90 days. There was a town hall meeting for providers on Wednesday, September 10 to discuss the rulemaking process and to answer questions about the emergency rule.
- Full Proposed Licensing Rule: The Rule can be found here. We cannot comment on this since it is still proposed. We are in the process of responding to comments.
- Background on the Licensing Rules: Some agencies that were previously licensed under the Assisted Housing Rule will have to transition their residential programs to the Home and Community Support Service Agencies Licensing Rule. The Emergency Rule is acting as a bridge for these providers until the Full Rule is finalized and adopted.
Derek: We are also excited to announce that we are filling new positions, including three community resource coordinators across Maine. These positions will assist with Lifespan implementation. We’re excited about the work ahead that will result in new programs and new opportunities. Our experience so far with CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) is that they continue to work and provide technical assistance and support.
Sara Fleurant: We have just completed a training series on Housing Support Funds. That training series is available online (click here for the Housing Support Funds for Individuals presentation; click here for the Housing Support Funds for Providers presentation). This is a program we operate to support people with their housing costs on Section 21 or 29. If anyone has questions about this program, please reach out to me ([email protected]). We also have the Section 811 Project Rental Assistance (PRS) Program. There’s information about that program on our website as well, including an eligibility document. I wanted to highlight that this program is moving quite quickly; we’re seeing a lot of turnover on the waitlist. If you are interested in joining the waitlist for Section 811 PRA and meet the eligibility criteria listed above, reach out to me or you can email [email protected].
Cullen: Thank you both for being here and for sharing these updates!
DHHS – Children’s Behavioral Health Services (CBHS), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH) - www.maine.gov/dhhs/obh/support-services/childrens-behavioral-health - No Update
DOL – Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) - www.maine.gov/rehab/dvr
Libby Stone-Sterling: I hope people heard Carrie’s message that services continue as usual at this time. We’ve heard from the community and people scheduled for intakes inquiring if they should still attend. We have all of our staff working and we certainly do not want people to miss opportunities because of assumptions due to the shutdown.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. You can read the Governor’s proclamation for this online.
We also have some information online about activities going on to celebrate this!
October is also Blindness Awareness Month. There are a number of activities going on for that to promote awareness about all the ways in which people who are blind or visually impaired contribute to our communities. You can read the Governor’s proclamation for this online.
-A self-advocate shared an uplifting success story about a 63-year-old receiving vocational rehabilitation services in Maine.
Libby: Thank you for sharing that! We don’t always get to hear stories like this, so I very much appreciate you sharing it!
Cullen: Thank you very much, Libby!
Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education (OSSIE) - www.maine.gov/doe/learning/specialed - No Update
Disability Rights Maine (DRM) - No Update
Federal & Housing Updates:
Cullen: The biggest update is around the federal government shutdown, which is in its 20th day. The Senate is set to vote on this again for the 11th time, today. If Congress doesn’t pass a budget bill (continuing resolution or omnibus) and reopen the government soon, people may lose access to their SNAP benefits, and their Section 8 rental assistance may not be paid. As we saw in the presentation, the Administration also began laying off federal workers during the shutdown. However, a judge has issued a temporary restraining order regarding this practice.
We are closely following everything going on at the federal level which would affect housing, services, and other resources for people with ID/DD. When things arise, we will be sure to make you aware through regular updates and action alerts.
Previous updates that we’re still following:
Medicaid cuts remain a large threat, specifically and most recently in the Budget Reconciliation Bill (HR 1, One Big Beautiful Act) which was signed by the President on 7/4 (see below for more information). The entire Maine Delegation attempted to thwart efforts to include cuts to Medicaid in this reconciliation bill by voting against it. The cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will take effect in the fall of 2026, right around the Mid-Term Elections.
Previous Item Reconciliation Bill, HR 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act: On 7/4 President Trump signed HR 1 into law. The bill cuts over $1 trillion in funding for safety net programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Even with these cuts, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the bill will add over $3.9 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade.
-Includes portions of the AHCIA: The bill does include key pieces of the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) (S 1515 / HR 2725) that would expand and reform the LIHTC program.
- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Expansion: The act permanently increases LIHTC allocations and reduces the bond financing requirement for certain properties. These changes are anticipated to support the creation of over a million additional affordable homes over the next decade.
- Opportunity Zone (OZ) Program: The Reconciliation Bill makes the OZ program permanent with changes to eligibility and a requirement for a percentage of zones to be in rural areas.
- Other Relevant Provisions: The bill includes extensions of the New Markets Tax Credit and bonus depreciation, along with a phase-down of certain green energy tax credits.
- Cuts Medicaid by more than $1 trillion – the largest cut in history.
- Work Requirements: The bill expands the provision taking away Medicaid from people who don’t meet a work requirement so that it would apply to parents enrolled through the Medicaid expansion who have children older than 13.
- Severely limits how some states finance their Medicaid programs.
- Per capita cap/block granting
- Cuts eligibility across all major health coverage programs for most categories of immigrants living lawfully in the U.S.
- $430 million to $522 million per year in Medicaid costs could be shifted to the State.
- 4,300 state jobs could be lost.
- $700 million in potential lost hospital revenue annually.
- The changes could lead to tens of thousands of Mainers losing health coverage altogether.
-SNAP:
- SNAP would be cut by $186 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) (about a 20% cut). This is the largest SNAP cut in history, which could lead some states to end their program entirely.
- Most states would be required to pay 5 to 15 percent of food benefits. If a state can’t make up for these massive federal cuts with tax increases or spending cuts elsewhere in its budget, it would have to cut its SNAP program (such as by restricting eligibility or making it harder for people to enroll) or it could opt out of the program altogether.
- Work Requirements: Under current SNAP rules, most non-elderly, non-disabled adults without children in their homes can’t receive benefits for more than three months out of every three years if they don’t document they are working at least 20 hours per week or prove they qualify for an exemption. The Bill expands this restriction to older adults aged 55-64 and to parents whose youngest child is at least 14 years old, while also significantly limiting waivers for areas with poor economic conditions. The final version of this bill strips current exemptions from the work requirement for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth.
- Cut food benefits by an average of $100 per month for about 600,000 low-income households by eliminating an administrative simplification for calculating utility expenses for many households.
- Up to 30,000 people on SNAP in Maine who were previously exempt from work requirements will likely now have to meet them.
- Approximately 2,000 New Mainers are expected to lose SNAP eligibility.
- As many as 31,000 residents are at risk of losing some or all of their SNAP benefits.
Executive Orders: No new updates. Previous update:
President Trump initiated a series of Executive Orders (EOs) which, if implemented/upheld by the courts, could make it more difficult for everyone to access to an affordable, accessible home. Per NLIHC, the new Administration’s first actions include:
- Directing federal agencies to terminate all diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) practices and policies and rescind previous executive actions expanding DEI efforts to underserved communities.
- Institute a hiring freeze which would prevent HUD from hiring essential staff.
- Denying fair housing and civil rights protections to LGBTQ individuals.
- Directing federal agencies to prevent sanctuary jurisdictions, or jurisdictions that limit or deny cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, from receiving federal investments. If this EO is used to deny states and localities access to federal funding, it could undermine local governments’ ability to help families purchase a home and build more affordable rental housing.
House & Senate FY 26 Budgets (including T-HUD): Updates: The House and Senate have both passed their T-HUD bills. However, they have yet to reconcile them. Being unable to come to consensus or pass a short-term continuing resolution (CR), the federal Government entered a partial shutdown at midnight on 10/1.
Senate THUD Budget: No new updates. Previous updates: The Senate passed its FY 26 THUD spending bill that would provide $73.3 billion for HUD, significantly more than the $67.8 billion provided for HUD in the House’s draft FY26 spending bill. Per NLIHC, like the House’s FY26 THUD spending proposal, the Senate’s proposal rejects the funding cuts and policy proposals in the Trump administration’s FY26 appropriations request, which would have overhauled and cut funding for rental and homelessness assistance programs. The bill includes:
- Section 8: $37.4 billion, an increase from $36.04 billion in FY 25. This includes an additional $1.82 billion to renew existing Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) contracts, totaling $33.97 billion for contract renewals in FY26.
- Project-Based Section 8: $17.8 billion for PBS8, an increase from $16.8 billion in FY 2025.
- FedHOME: $1.25 billion in funding for the HOME Investment Partnership program, which was zeroed out in the President’s proposal and the House’s draft FY26 THUD spending bill.
House FY 26 THUD Budget: No new updates. Previous updates: On 7/17 the full House Appropriations Committee passed the FY 26 THUD spending bill. After accounting for housing revenues, $96.8 billion is provided for federal transportation and housing programs, a cut of nearly $6 billion, or 6%, from 2025. The proposal would fund HUD at $67.8 billion, a decrease of $939 million from the $74.6 billion provided for HUD programs in FY25. Though this level of funding is not sufficient to maintain investments in affordable housing programs, the bill also largely rejects many of the cuts the President called for in his FY 26 spending request for HUD. Per NLIHC the bill provides the following:
- Section 8: $35.26 billion – a $773 million decrease vs FY 25 this includes level funding, $32.14 billion, to renew existing HCV contracts. Because the cost of rent increases from year to year, flat funding acts as a cut to rental assistance programs. Per CBPP this would result in more than 400,000 fewer people receiving assistance to help them afford housing.
- Project-Based Section 8: $17.12 billion – a $237 million increase vs FY 25, which is at least $500 million short of what is needed to prevent the eviction of nearly 45,000 very low- and low-income households.
- FedHOME: Eliminates HOME completely.
Federal Bills: No new updates. Previous updates:
- The Home Accessibility Tax Credit Act: Introduced by Senators King and Welch, this bill would establish a refundable tax credit for eligible home modifications designed to improve accessibility — saving both Americans with the highest risk of falling, as well as taxpayers, from the high medical costs associated with falls.
- S 1234 / HR 2540 SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act: This is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to update the resource limit for supplemental security income eligibility. This bill would update SSI’s asset limits for the first time since the 1980s to ensure people with disabilities and seniors are able to prepare themselves for a financial emergency without putting the benefits that they rely on to live at risk.
- S 343/HR 869 Keep our PACT Act: This bill would require full funding of part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
- HR 1634 Think DIFFERENTLY About Disability Employment Act: This bill would provide for a memorandum of understanding between the Small Business Administration and the National Council on Disability to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and for other purposes.
- HR 1757 EMPSA Act: This bill would amend title XVI of the Social Security Act to provide that the supplemental security income benefits of adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities shall not be reduced by marriage.
- S 466 Fairness for Disabled Young Adults Act: This bill would amend title II of the Social Security Act to increase the age threshold for eligibility for child's insurance benefits on the basis of disability.
State Legislature Update
Cullen: This is a really good time to reach out to Legislators, especially ones in your district, to tell your story and advocate for necessary resources to meet the needs of people with ID/DD in Maine. The Second Session, or the “short session”, is scheduled to start 1/7/26, and the statutory adjournment date (the 3rd Wednesday of April) is scheduled for 4/15/26. Cloture occurred September 26, 2025. Only bills deemed to be “emergency bills” and bills put forth by the Governor can be considered, along with bills that were carried over from the previous session. The list of bills is out and can be found online. You can view the requests by bill sponsor, broad subject, or Department/Agency online. The Legislative Council will meet soon to determine what bills will move forward and be considered in the Second Session.
As this group knows, there are a whole host of bills that either didn’t move through the House and Senate for votes for enactment or didn’t get funded off the Table. The vast majority of these bills were carried over into the next Legislative Session. And there are some bills that were enacted and sent to the Governor, but since the Legislature adjourned Sine Die, they were held by the Governor and will become law when the Legislature next convenes for at least three days. This will likely happen in January. We are expecting a Supplemental Budget, which the Governor is already working on and is expected to release in January.
Thank you all for your time, effort, and advocacy for people with ID/DD in Maine in the last Legislative Session. I hope you will continue to advocate and raise your voice in the Second Session.
Other Business: None.
Cullen: If you know people who could benefit from being here, I encourage you to reach out and have them forward their email to Vickey [email protected] or join by going on the website.
The next meeting will be on Monday, November 10, 2025, 12-2:00pm, via Zoom*
Featured Speaker: Julianne Zaharis, Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC), Maine Medical Center.
Topic: An overview and Update on the Maine Benefits Counseling Services Program.
Unless changed, Coalition meetings are on the 2nd Monday of the month from 12-2pm.
(In 2026 the October meeting will be the 3rd Monday due to the holiday)
The Maine Coalition for Housing and Quality Services provides equal opportunity for meeting participation. If you wish to attend but require an interpreter or other accommodation, please forward your request two weeks prior to the monthly meeting to [email protected].