Maine § 6112. - Statewide outreach

§ 6112.. Statewide outreach

To the extent resources are available pursuant to subsection 4, the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection shall engage in the following activities.   [PL 2009, c. 402, §15 (NEW).]

1.  Hotline.  The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection shall establish a statewide hotline to facilitate a mortgagor's communication with housing counselors approved by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for the purposes of discussing options to avoid foreclosure.

2.  Outreach; housing counseling services.  The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, in consultation with the Maine State Housing Authority, shall coordinate an outreach program to help families with their housing needs with the intent of expanding the outreach program statewide. The bureau shall use a portion of the funds received pursuant to subsection 4 for contracts with nonprofit organizations that provide housing counseling services and mortgage assistance.

3.  Form.  The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection, after consultation with interested parties, shall develop for use by the Supreme Judicial Court a one-page form notice for making a request for mediation and making an answer to a foreclosure complaint as described in section 6321‑A, subsection 2.

4.  Funding.  The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection shall deposit revenues transferred from the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services pursuant to Title 36, section 4641‑B, subsection 6 and any funds received from any public or private source. The Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection shall use the funds to cover the costs of carrying out the duties in this section and section 6111, subsections 3‑A, 3‑B and 4‑A, and the funds may not be used for any other purpose.

5.  Report.  Beginning January 1, 2010, the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation, Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection shall report every 6 months on the revenues received pursuant to subsection 4, the expenditures made to carry out the purposes of this section, any financial orders submitted by the bureau and any updated assumptions related to the bureau's revenues and expenditures in accordance with this section. The report must be submitted to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over insurance and financial services matters.