H-424                _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1135

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State of Washington                              49th Legistature                              1985 Regular session

By Representatives Zellinsky, Kremen, Haugen, Hargrove, Smitherman, Bristow, Crane, Valle, Baugher, Peery, Scott, Braddock, Day, Todd and Addison

Read first time 2/8/85 and Referred to Committee on Social & Health Services.

AN ACT Relating to public assistance; adding a new chapter to Title 74 RCW; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that a firm policy should be developed requiring that all recipients who are able to seek and accept work participate in activities designed to achieve long-term employment and self-sufficiency.  It is the intent of the legislature to improve the efficiency of work-related services provided to applicants and recipients of the aid to families with dependent children program.  Toward the achievement of this end, the department of social and health services shall establish a work incentive demonstration program in accordance with section 445 of the federal social security act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 645).  The department shall reduce the amount of reporting to the federal government to the extent permitted by federal work incentive demonstration program regulations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     As part of the work incentive demonstration program, the department of social and health services shall establish criteria and, to the extent possible, implement a program whereby funds are extended to public, private nonprofit, or private for-profit agencies that can demonstrate effectiveness in placing low-income and unskilled persons in unsubsidized employment on a long-term basis.

          It is the intent of the legislature that any nonprofit agency which provides private matching funds under its contract shall be allowed to operate its program with minimal state interference.

          The department of social and health services shall develop criteria to monitor and assess the performance of all contracts to ensure that satisfactory levels of service are being provided.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     (1) The department of social and health services shall establish a grant diversion program as part of the work incentive demonstration program.  In addition, the department shall seek appropriate waivers from the federal government, if necessary, in order to operate the grant diversion program.

          (2) The grant diversion program shall provide for the diversion of aid to pay a part of the wages of participants engaged in on-the-job training with employers who have agreed to employ participants upon successful completion of the training, or employed by a nonprofit agency which places recipients in training with employers and receives compensation from the employers for the services performed by the recipients.  On-the-job training programs utilizing grant diversions shall be for a period not exceeding one year, and the amount of the wage subsidy shall be periodically reduced during the period of training.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The department of social and health services shall report to the house and senate committees on social and health services and ways and means before submitting its work incentive program demonstration project proposal to the federal government for the review of such committees and to receive input from their members.  The department shall also report to these committees not less than once every six months after submission of the proposal to the federal government for the purpose of updating the committee members regarding the proposal's implementation.  The legislature acknowledges and reserves for itself the right to direct the department to bring about modifications in the demonstration project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 1 through 4 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 74 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.