S-1906               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 6005

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Lee, Kiskaddon, Wojahn and Barr

Read first time 2/26/87 and referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

AN ACT Relating to public assistance eligibility; amending RCW 74.12.035; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     Washington has a low percentage of recipients of aid to families with dependent children in the workforce.  The legislature has an interest in ensuring that citizens who are in economic need be provided appropriate financial assistance and services and an opportunity to become self-sustaining through appropriate gainful employment.  When state and federal laws and rules impede an individual's efforts to gain unsubsidized employment, those laws and rules should be changed.  Current state and federal social and employment policies and state and federal statutes are designed to discourage recipients of aid to families with dependent children from taking jobs offered by the private sector.  Current government disincentives discourage individuals from participating fully in the economic mainstream.

          It is the intent of the legislature that the changes proposed by this act be part of the federal structure of the aid to families with dependent children system under Title IV of the federal social security act.  However, the legislature recognizes that significant waiver and congressional action may be required to achieve these purposes.  The governor is instructed to request waiver and congressional action as is necessary to implement this act.

        Sec. 2.  Section 3, chapter 10, Laws of 1981 2nd ex. sess. as amended by section 1, chapter 335, Laws of 1985 and RCW 74.12.035 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) A family or assistance unit is not eligible for aid for any month if for that month the total net income of the family or assistance unit, ((without application of)) after excluding taxes, payroll deductions, and income disregards, exceeds one hundred eighty-five percent of the state standard of need for a family of the same composition:  PROVIDED, That for the purposes of determining the total income of the family or assistance unit, the earned income of a dependent child who is a full-time student for whom aid to families with dependent children is being provided shall be disregarded for six months per calendar year.

          (2) Participation in a strike does not constitute good cause to leave or to refuse to seek or accept employment.  Assistance is not payable to a family for any month in which any caretaker relative with whom the child is living is, on the last day of the month, participating in a strike.  An individual's need shall not be included in determining the amount of aid payable for any month to a family or assistance unit if, on the last day of the month, the individual is participating in a strike.

          (3) Children over eighteen years of age and under nineteen years of age who are full-time students reasonably expected to complete a program of secondary school, or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training, before reaching nineteen years of age are eligible to receive aid to families with dependent children:  PROVIDED HOWEVER, That if such students do not successfully complete such program before reaching nineteen years of age, the assistance rendered under this subsection during such period shall not be a debt due the state.