PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: January 1, 2007.
Purpose: This filing amends WAC 388-444-0005 The food stamp employment and training (FS E&T) program -- General requirements and 388-444-0015 When are clients not required to register for work or participate in FS E&T (exempt clients)?, to update the requirements for the food stamp employment and training program and adopt WorkFirst participation requirements in place of E&T requirements for persons who must participate in WorkFirst.
The changes also allow the department to use the food stamp allotment and the TANF grant to determine the maximum monthly hours a WorkFirst participant may be engaged in work experience or unpaid work under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-444-0005 and 388-444-0015.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090.
Other Authority: 7 C.F.R. 273.7, 7 C.F.R. 273.25.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 06-21-119 on October 17, 2006.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: November 27, 2006.
Andy Fernando, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
3809.1 (2) ((Clients who must register for work and may be
required to participate in FS E&T are called nonexempt
clients. All other members of the food assistance unit are
called exempt clients)) We determine if you must register for
work and participate in FS E&T under WAC 388-444-0010:
(a) If we require you to register for work and participate in FS E&T you are nonexempt from FS E&T.
(b) If you meet one of the conditions under WAC 388-444-0015, you are exempt from FS E&T. If you are exempt, you may choose to receive services through the FS E&T program.
(3) ((All nonexempt members of the food assistance unit
are registered for work by the department, at the first food
assistance application and once every twelve months
thereafter. A person who enters an existing assistance unit
will be registered for work and FS E&T, if not exempt)) If you
are nonexempt from FS E&T requirements, we register you for
work:
(a) When you apply for Basic Food benefits or are added to someone's assistance unit; and
(b) Every twelve months thereafter.
(4) ((Clients must comply with all FS E&T program
requirements as provided in subsection (5) of this section.
Failure to comply without good cause will disqualify the
client from receiving food assistance)) If you are nonexempt,
you must meet all the FS E&T program requirements in
subsections (5) through (7) of this section. If you fail to
meet the requirements without good cause, we disqualify you
from receiving Basic Food benefits:
(a) ((Good cause rules are provided in)) We define Good
cause for not meeting FS E&T requirements under WAC 388-444-0050; and
(b) ((Disqualification rules are provided in)) We
disqualify nonexempt persons who fail to meet E&T requirements
as described under WAC 388-444-0055.
(5) ((Nonexempt clients are required to)) If you are
nonexempt, you must:
(a) Report to ((DSHS)) us or ((the)) your FS E&T service
provider and participate as required;
(b) Provide information regarding your employment status
and availability for work ((as requested)) when we ask for it;
(c) Report to an employer when ((referred by DSHS)) we
refer you; and
(d) Accept a bona fide offer of suitable employment.
((Unsuitable employment is defined in)) We define unsuitable
employment under WAC 388-444-0060.
(6) ((A nonexempt client will participate)) If you are
nonexempt, you must participate in one or more of the
following FS E&T activities:
(a) Job search;
(b) ((General education development (GED) classes; or))
Paid or unpaid work;
(c) ((English as a second language (ESL) classes))
Training or work experience;
(d) General education development (GED) classes; or
(e) English as a second language (ESL) classes.
(7) ((A client is not required to participate in FS E&T
activities more than one hundred twenty hours in a month.
Hours of participation may include a combination of FS E&T
activities as described in subsection (6) of this section and
hours worked for pay, either cash or in-kind)) If you must
participate in WorkFirst under WAC 388-310-0200, you have
certain requirements for the Food Stamp Employment and
Training Program:
(a) Your FS E&T requirement is to fully participate in the WorkFirst activities approved in your Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) under WAC 388-310-0500; and
(b) If everyone who receives Basic Food with you receives TANF benefits and your IRP includes unpaid community service or work experience, we use your TANF grant and Basic Food allotment to determine the maximum hours of unpaid work we include in your plan.
(8) Your FS E&T activities including paid or unpaid work will not exceed one hundred twenty hours a month whether you are exempt or nonexempt.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-444-0005, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
(1) Age sixteen or seventeen and not the head-of-household and:
(a) Attending school (such as high school or GED programs); or
(b) Enrolled at least half time (as defined by the institution) in a program under temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), a program under The Workforce Investment Act, (formerly the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA)), a program under section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974, or other state or local employment and training programs.
(2) Determined to be physically or mentally unable to work;
(3) Responsible for the care of a dependent child under six years of age or of a person determined to be incapacitated;
(4) Applying for or receiving unemployment compensation (UC);
(5) Participating in an employment and training program under TANF;
(6) Employed or self-employed person working thirty hours or more per week, or receiving weekly earnings equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by thirty;
(7) Students eighteen or older enrolled at least half time as defined by the institution in:
(a) Any accredited school;
(b) Training program; or
(c) An institution of higher education. Students enrolled in higher education must follow the student criteria as defined in chapter 388-482 WAC, Student status.
(8) Regularly participating in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program)) Some people do not have to register for work or participate in the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program (FS E&T). These people are exempt from FS E&T.
(1) You are exempt from FS E&T requirements in chapter 388-444 WAC if you meet any of the following conditions:
(a) You are age sixteen or seventeen, not the head-of-household, and:
(i) Attend school such as high school or GED programs; or
(ii) Are enrolled at least half time (using the institutions definition) in an employment and training program under:
(A) The Workforce Investment Act (WIA);
(B) Section 236 of the Trade Act of 1974; or
(C) Another state or local employment and training program.
(b) You are a student age eighteen or older enrolled at least half time as defined by the institution in:
(i) Any accredited school;
(ii) A training program; or
(iii) An institution of higher education. If you are enrolled in higher education, you meet the requirements under WAC 388-482-0005 to be eligible for Basic Food benefits.
(c) you are an employed or self-employed person working thirty hours or more per week, or receiving weekly earnings equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by thirty.
(d) You receive unemployment compensation (UC) benefits or have an application pending for UC benefits;
(e) You are responsible to care for:
(i) A dependent child under age six; or
(ii) Someone who is incapacitated.
(f) We determine that you are physically or mentally unable to work; or
(g) You regularly participate in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program.
(2) If you are exempt, you may choose to receive services through the FS E&T program.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050 and 74.04.510. 00-04-006, § 388-444-0015, filed 1/20/00, effective 3/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-444-0015, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]