Maine state government shutdown: What’s open, what’s working, which doors are closed
Effective at 12:01 a.m., July 1, 2017, non-emergency functions of the State of Maine were shut down until further notice. State employees should have been notified by supervisors by the close of business on Friday regarding the roles deemed necessary to work. What follows is a cobbling together of various press releases sent from state government concerning how to do business with the state, or not.
Dept. of Marine Resources
As a result of the state government shut down, the Maine Department of Marine Resources offices in Augusta, Lamoine, Boothbay Harbor, Bangor and Jonesboro will be closed until further notice. Notices of re-opening will be issued through media outlets, posted on Maine.gov, and through the Citizen Alert System at www.maine.gov/portal/CAS.
The majority of the staff will not be working during a shutdown. Some DMR staff who are needed during the time of a civil emergency have been directed to remain on the job. This will include Marine Patrol Officers and biotoxin staff in the Public Health Bureau.
During the shut down, license applications will still be available on the DMR website . Applications done through the online licensing system (LEEDS) will be processed as usual however lobster trap tag orders will not be processed until state offices re-open. In addition, paper applications will continue to be available for download and completion but not be processed until state offices are re-opened.
Question: Can I fish if my license application or tag order is not processed? Answer: Contact your local Marine Patrol officer. They will review each situation on a case by case basis.
The Public Health Bureau will continue to monitor and manage shellfish harvest areas for biotoxin along the coast and will make any adjustments to harvesting (i.e. opening, closing or changing the status of areas) as necessary. Water quality monitoring will be suspended during the shutdown. Water quality staff many be called back if the shutdown lasts for an extended period of time. This will be determined daily during the shutdown. Any emergency pollution events will be responded to by staff.
The Public Health Bureau can be contacted by email.
The Maine DMR website will be updated and notices will be sent directly to individuals who have subscribed to DMR bulletins. DMR would recommend that you check both during a shutdown period and contact your local marine patrol officer if further clarity is needed. Subscriptions to DMR Public Health and Safety bulletins can be completed online .
All Marine Patrol field personnel will be on active duty. The Colonel, Major and Pilot will be on call during this period. Division Offices will be closed, but the phones will be forwarded to the Division Lieutenants.
Contact information for the Marine Patrol can be found online .
For Marine emergencies during non-business hours, contact the Maine State Police at: • 1-800-482-0730 – New Hampshire border to Brunswick • 1-800-452-4664 – Boothbay, Augusta, Midcoast (Rockland – Rockport) • 1-800-432-7381 – Penobscot Bay to Canadian border
The Aquarium will be closed during the shut down.
Landings staff will continue to monitor landings reports for menhaden and herring because each fishery is quota-based. The menhaden fishery is scheduled to close on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
Until the close of the fishery, all menhaden harvesters must report landings daily to the Department. All herring harvester vessels shall send an email hail to DMR (herring.dmr@maine.gov) three hours prior to landing.
All meetings, hearings or scoping sessions will be re-scheduled for a time after the shut down.
The DMR website will remain available, as will DMR's online licensing system, Maine LEEDS. However, with the exception of public health notices, neither these sites nor the DMR/Marine Patrol social media sites will be managed or updated during the shutdown.
Maine State Library
As of July 1, 2017, the Maine State Library is closed due to the state government shutdown. All services of the Maine State Library will be unavailable until further notice.
Books borrowed prior to the shutdown can be returned without penalties when the library reopens OR can be returned to the library bookdrop in front of the Maine State Library entrance.
Information regarding the state shutdown, when it will end, and what it will mean for other state services, will be posted on the Maine.gov website, which can be accessed directly through the state's Citizen Alert System (CAS) at www.maine.gov/portal/CAS/
Department of Labor
Department of Labor offices including the CareerCenters and SafetyWorks! will be closed. Offices will reopen and resume regular operations the next business day once a budget is in place.
All Department of Labor online services will still be available at http://www.maine.gov/labor/ . The department advises the public to check local news as well as http://www.maine.gov/labor/ and the Maine Department of Labor Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/MaineDOL , and Twitter account, @maine_labor, for official notice as to when the offices will reopen and other messages relating to the department's services during the shutdown, including unemployment benefits.
Unemployment Benefits
Limited unemployment benefit services will be provided. The guidance below is for claims filed the week of July 2-8, 2017, should there be a shutdown; the Department of Labor will issue additional guidance if such a shutdown lasts longer than a week. **All regulations and requirements governing the filing of unemployment benefits, including being able, available and actively seeking work, remain in effect.**
Unemployment: Filing Claims
- The Unemployment Customer Service Claims Centers will be closed, and customer service representatives will not be available during the shutdown. - All initial claims for benefits, meaning that a person has never filed for unemployment benefits in Maine or has not filed for unemployment in the previous 12 months, must be filed via the website at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/benefits.html . - Claimants needing to reopen a benefit year, must also file online at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/benefits.html . - Claimants currently filing for weekly unemployment benefits can either use the automated telephone service at 1-800-593-7660 or the website to file a continued claim. - The department advises claimants to **be as accurate as possible in answering the questions when filing**. Claims with missing information or errors will be significantly delayed and claimants may need to speak to a customer service representative to resolve their specific issue when State government offices reopen. - If claimants have to speak to a customer service representative after State government reopens, expect long wait times on the phones. The department anticipates high call volumes when State offices reopen. - All claimants must still register on the Maine JobLink at https://joblink.maine.gov/ada/r/ . However, if claimants cannot access their older account, they will need to wait until the CareerCenters reopen to have the JobLink account reactivated. This will not affect the processing of the unemployment claim during the shutdown, although the claim could be delayed for other reasons. - Short videos that answer questions about the unemployment claims process can help avoid having to wait and call the department once State offices reopen. The videos are available online at http://www.maine.gov/labor/unemployment/videos/index.html .
Unemployment: Claims and Payment Processing
- All claims filed prior to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 29, were anticipated to be processed as usual on June 30. - All pending claims filed after 5 p.m. on June 29, if there is no budget in place as of 5 p.m. on June 30, will not be processed until July 6 in the case the State still lacks a budget on July 5. - In the event a budget is in place by July 2, all pending claims through 5 p.m. on July 3 will be processed on July 5, due to the July 4 holiday. Processing of claims will then proceed as usual. - **Use the online service to check the status of your claim** once State offices reopen to avoid calling the department. We anticipate long wait times on the phones.
Contacting Unemployment
- The Unemployment Customer Service Claims Centers will be closed. Claimants will not be able to speak to a customer service representative during the shutdown. - Employer Services will be closed. Employers with questions about claims and taxes should wait to contact the department until after State offices reopen. - People with questions about any aspect of unemployment can submit an email to the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation via the Contact Us page at https://www1.maine.gov/labor/contact/index.html . Questions will be processed in the order received when the State reopens. In the event of a shutdown, do not expect an immediate response. - Voice mails left on any Department of Labor phone will not be checked during a shutdown.
Unemployment: Fact-Findings and Appeals
- All fact-findings and appeals hearings to be held by either the Division of Administrative Hearings or the Unemployment Insurance Commission have been canceled for the week of July 3. - In the event of a shutdown that lasts longer than a week, for scheduled hearings during the week of July 10, please watch local news. If the state is shutdown that day, there will be no hearing held that day. - Claimants may still file appeals on at http://www.maine.gov/labor/appeals/filing.shtml . - The offices of the Division of Administrative Hearings and the Unemployment Insurance Commission will be closed during a shutdown; do not call the office to ask about when your hearing will be rescheduled. When State offices reopen, you will be contacted by the Division or Commission to reschedule your hearing. This may take a couple of days.
Safetyworks
- All SafetyWorks! scheduled trainings and consultations will be cancelled for the duration of a State shutdown. Trainings will resume as scheduled when offices reopen. Check the training calendar at http://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=Safetyworks_Classes&v=ListAll . - Online registration for classes online will remain available; however, those registrations will not be processed or confirmed until State offices reopen.
Public Sector Safety Enforcement
- **If there is a serious injury of a public sector employee requiring a hospital stay of at least 24 hours or a fatality of a public sector employee, the employing unit MUST report the incident to the Department of Labor within 24 hours (not on the next business day). To report such incidents that may occur during a potential shutdown, the employer must call 207-592-4501 and leave a message. This phone line will be monitored during a shutdown.**
Wage and Hour
- **If a worker, member of the public, employer or parent needs to report a serious violation of the laws governing minors that is placing a minor at risk of serious injury or death, immediately report that violation to 207-623-7925 and leave a message. This phone line will be monitored during a shutdown.** - Work permits for youth under 16 will not be processed. School systems should continue to mail permit applications in for processing when State offices reopen. - To file a complaint related to Wage and Hour violations during a shutdown, individuals or employers may call the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor at 1-866-487-9243 or visit www.wagehour.dol.gov to be advised on filing a complaint on a Maine-based employer. In some cases, Maine and federal laws differ, and USDOL may advise you to wait and file your complaint in Maine once State offices reopen. - To file complaints or make inquiries that are not time-sensitive, email the "Contact Us" page at https://www1.maine.gov/labor/contact/index.html . Questions will be processed in the order received when the State reopens. Do not expect an immediate response. - Voice mails left on any Department of Labor phone will not be checked during a shutdown. Do not expect an immediate response.
CareerCenter Services
- All CareerCenters will be closed. - All workshops, RESEA workshops and appointments, employer recruitments, and job fairs scheduled during a state shutdown will be canceled. - CareerCenter partners that have offices or appointments inside a CareerCenter, including Aroostook County Action Program, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Western Maine Community Action, and Workforce Solutions, will also be closed during the shutdown. - All Vocational Rehabilitation appointments will be canceled during a shutdown. - The CareerCenter Live Chat service on mainecareercenter.gov will not be available. - The CareerCenter Hotline will not be answered. - People with questions for their local CareerCenter may send an email to that CareerCenter. To find the closest CareerCenter, visit: http://www.mainecareercenter.gov/locations/index.shtml and click the link for the name of the CareerCenter. The email addresses are found on each CareerCenter's homepage. Emails sent to CareerCenters will be answered in the order received once State offices reopen.
Maine JobLink - maine.gov/joblink
- Maine JobLink will be available and operational for both employers and job seekers to use at http://www.maine.gov/joblink . - Employers that create a new job posting but do not see it live on the website should log back in and make sure all required fields are completed accurately. - Job seekers looking to create an account and had an older Maine JobLink or Maine Job Bank account, need to wait until the CareerCenters reopen to have their account reactivated. If these job seekers are also filing for unemployment, this will not affect the processing of their unemployment claim during the shutdown, although the claim could be delayed for other reasons. Frequently asked questions are available at https://joblink.maine.gov/ada/r/faq .
Rapid Response, Training and Other Employment Services Programs
- If a person is enrolled in a training program and receives support services, no reimbursements for services provided through June 30, 2017 will be processed until State offices reopen, in the likelihood of a shutdown. - If a person is enrolled in a training program and receives support services such as transportation or child care, the State will not be able to pay for or reimburse a trainee or provider for any such service performed while the State is shut down. Providers and trainees may make alternative, private arrangements to cover the costs of services during the period of a shutdown. - No Rapid Response sessions would be held during a shutdown. Employers seeking assistance with a layoff or avoiding a layoff, or questions about the legal requirements of a layoff, should send an email with "Rapid Response" in the subject line to mdol@maine.gov but will not receive an immediate reply; Rapid Response emails will be answered in the order received once State offices reopen. - No applications for enrollment in any job training programs, including Apprenticeship, Competitive Skills Scholarship, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act or other programs will be processed during a potential shutdown. - No Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) applications will be processed during a shutdown. Applications can still be sent in to be added to the processing queue once State offices reopen. - Employers may continue to place orders for H2-B workers using the Maine JobLink following the process here: http://www.mainecareercenter.gov/h2b/index.shtml . Employers/agents must inform Maine Department of Labor that a job order intended for an H-2B application has been posted on the Maine JobLink via email, with the employer name and job title indicating it is for H-2B, to joblink@maine.gov. These would be processed once State offices reopen. - The Hotline for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers will not be answered during a shutdown.
Rehabilitation Services
- All Vocational Rehabilitation and Independent Living client appointments will be canceled during a shutdown, and CareerCenters and Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, to include the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Division of Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI) offices, will be closed. - If a person is currently a VR or DBVI client receiving support services such as transportation or job coaching supports to help them be employed, the State would not be able to pay for or reimburse a client or a provider for any such service performed while the State is shut down. Providers and clients may make alternative, private arrangements to provide and cover the costs of services during the period of a shutdown. - If it appears a shutdown would extend into the week of July 9, a determination will be made no later than Friday, July 7, to cancel or shorten the DBVI Summer program, LIFE 101/201, scheduled for July 9 through 28. Participants would be contacted directly with information.
Maine State Lottery
The Maine State Lottery announced today that due to the state government shutdown the lottery's office will be closed and will not reopen until such time the shutdown is over and employees return to work. In addition the following multi-state games will not be available for purchase until the shutdown is over: Powerball, Mega Millions, Hot Lotto and Lucky for Life. Instant tickets, Megabucks, Pick 3, Pick 4, Gimme5 and World Poker Tour will remain on sale.
Department of Health & Human Services
• TANF, SNAP and MaineCare payments will be made.
• The Office of MaineCare Services will execute the scheduled July 5 MaineCare cycle process, ensuring there is no disruption to claims payments in Maine’s Medicaid program. The Department’s ability to make this payment is due to the LePage Administration’s disciplined financial management of taxpayer resources that fund the MaineCare program.
• The Office of Child and Family Services will execute the scheduled July 5 child care subsidy and child welfare payments, ensuring there is no disruption to Maine’s child care and child welfare programs. The Department’s ability to make these payments is due to the LePage Administration’s disciplined financial management of taxpayer resources that fund these programs.
• The Office for Family Independence will make July payments for the TANF and SNAP programs. Program beneficiaries have access to their respective benefits as previously scheduled. The Office for Family Independence would continue to accept and make eligibility determinations for MaineCare, TANF and SNAP.
• The Office of Child and Family Services will remain operational. Central Intake will be staffed on a 24/7 basis to receive calls related to child abuse and neglect and respond to the needs of children in foster care and adults under public guardianship or conservationship. Adult and Children Emergency Services (ACES) will accept referrals for Adult Protective Services regarding abuse, neglect or exploitation. Caseworkers will continue working to respond to reports of child abuse and neglect and will provide safe care and shelter for children in the state’s legal protective custody.
• DHHS will continue to receive and process child support payments during any shutdown period.
• The Office of Aging and Disability Services will continue to operate the Crisis Prevention and Intervention Team. Referrals for Adult Protectives Services will be received by Adult and Children Emergency Services (ACES). This process is standard procedure as followed after-hours and weekends during non-shutdown periods.
• The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will continue to operate the Health and Environmental Testing Lab (HETL), and the CDC will function on a continuity of operations plan that will deploy necessary resources should emergency situations arise, such as those related to public health, infectious disease or foodborne illness. The WIC program will continue to function.
• The Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services will staff four emergency staff members to include one rapid responder for mental health and substance abuse crisis statewide; a data analyst to oversee the Prescription Monitoring Program; a crisis services manager for youth and adult services; and a substance abuse program specialist to handle placement of individuals in the case of an emergency.
• Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center and Riverview Psychiatric Center will remain fully staffed and operational.
Maine Emergency Management Agency
• Maine Emergency Management Agency staff is committed to its mission to lessen the effects of disaster on the lives and property of the people of the State through leadership, coordination and support in the four phases of emergency management. Should a disaster occur during the shutdown, MEMA will call in necessary staff to fulfill our mission.
• The State EOC will remain at steady state/monitoring level. A natural, man-made or technological event would require a higher activation level.
Law enforcement / First responders, including,
• Department of Public Safety: State Police, Capitol Police, MDEA and Fire Marshal
• Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: Maine Warden Service
• Department of Marine Resources: Marine Patrol
• Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry: Forest Protection
• Maine National Guard facilities will remain staffed and secure
Department of Corrections
• All correctional facilities will remain operational
Bureau of Veterans’ Services
• The Bureau of Veterans’ Services will offer limited staffing to ensure that any time-sensitive veterans’ claims are processed in a timely manner.
• The Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System will provide staffing at each cemetery to ensure burials continue uninterrupted.
State Parks, including,
• All State Parks managed by the Bureau of Parks and Lands in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
• Baxter State Park
• Maine Wildlife Park, Swan Island, managed by Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
In addition to the Maine Warden Service, these facilities/programs will remain open with reduced staffing, as appropriate:
• Hatchery
• Moose Collaring Project – Mortality Response
• Online licensing
Department of Environmental Protection
• The Department will continue responses to environmental cleanup and emergencies.
• Environmental emergency response to oil and hazardous materials releases. Call 800-452-4664.
• DEP’s Oil and Hazardous Materials Responders will be on-call, 24/7 to respond to reports of potentially imminent environmental threats.
• High ozone alerts will be issued, if necessary.
Department of Transportation
• Maine State Ferry Service
• Emergency Traffic Incident Management Center Representatives
• Emergency Bridge Operators
• Emergency Crew Operations/Safety Response
• Emergency Disaster Response
• Construction-related personnel will continue on a limited basis
Department of Administrative and Financial Services
• Limited operations to support emergency functions throughout state government, including the Office of Information Technology and other state operating functions.
• Maine Revenue Services will continue revenue collection.
