PROPOSED RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 08-03-095 and 08-13-055.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: The department is amending WAC 388-412-0015 General information about your Basic Food allotments and 388-450-0185 Does the department count all of my income to determine my eligibility and benefits for Basic Food?
Hearing Location(s): Blake Office Park East, Rose Room, 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503 (one block north of the intersection of Pacific Avenue S.E. and Alhadeff Lane. A map or directions are available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/docket.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on October 7, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not earlier than October 8, 2008.
Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504, delivery 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, e-mail schilse@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5:00 p.m. on October 7, 2008.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by September 30, 2008, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6094 or by e-mail at johnsjl4@dshs.wa.gov.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The rules provide standards used to determine monthly benefit levels for the Washington Basic Food program and WASHCAP program.
The proposed changes update income and deduction standards used for Basic Food and WASHCAP as required under regulations for the food stamp program. Rules in this filing will be emergency adopted effective October 1, 2008, because federal implementation time frames do not allow sufficient time to make the changes using the standard adoption process.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: 7 C.F.R. 273.9 requires the department to update the standards contained in these rules on an annual basis. The department updates these standards as provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). FNS requires these changes to be effective with the new federal fiscal year each October.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, 7 C.F.R. 273.9.
Name of Proponent: Department of social and health services, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: Don Winslow, 712 Pear Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 725-4580.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. This proposed rule does not have an economic impact on small businesses, it only affects DSHS clients by setting standards used to determine eligibility and benefit levels for the Washington Basic Food program.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. These amendments are exempt as allowed under RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(vii) which states in-part, "[t]his section does not apply to...rules of the department of social and health services relating only to client medical or financial eligibility and rules concerning liability for care of dependents."
August 27, 2008
Stephanie E. Schiller
Rules Coordinator
4013.2(2) You cannot receive the same type of benefit in:
(a) Two states in the same month;
(b) Two AUs in the same month, unless;
(c) You left the AU to live in a shelter for battered women and children. See WAC 388-408-0045.
(3) If your AU does not have any countable net income, you get the maximum allotment for the number of eligible people in your AU. See WAC 388-478-0060 for the maximum allotments.
(4) If your AU has countable net income under WAC 388-450-0162, we calculate, your allotment by:
(a) Multiplying your AU's countable net monthly income by thirty percent;
(b) Rounding this amount up to the next whole dollar; and
(c) Subtracting the result from the maximum allotment.
(5) If we determine you are eligible for Basic Food, your first month's benefits are from the date you applied for benefits through the end of the month of your application. If there was a delay in processing your application, we determine when your benefits start under WAC 388-406-0055. This is called proration and is based on a thirty-day month.
(6) If you apply for benefits on or after the sixteenth of the month, and we determine you are eligible for Basic Food, we issue both your first and second months benefits in one allotment if you are eligible for both months.
(7) If your prorated benefits for the first month are under ten dollars, you will not receive an allotment for the first month.
(8) If your AU has one or two members, your monthly
allotment will be at least ((ten)) fourteen dollars unless:
(a) It is the first month of your certification period;
(b) Your AU is eligible for only a partial month; and
(c) We reduced your first month's allotment below ((ten))
fourteen dollars based on the date you became eligible for
Basic Food under WAC 388-406-0055.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-02-016, § 388-412-0015, filed 12/27/04, effective 1/27/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-22-038, § 388-412-0015, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 74.08.090. 01-18-054, § 388-412-0015, filed 8/30/01, effective 9/30/01; 99-16-024, § 388-412-0015, filed 7/26/99, effective 9/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-412-0015, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
(1) A standard deduction based on the number of people in your AU under WAC 388-408-0035:
| Eligible and ineligible AU members |
Standard deduction |
| 1 | $(( |
| 2 | $(( |
| 3 | $(( |
| 4 | $(( |
| 5 | $(( |
| 6 or more | $(( |
(3) Your AU's expected monthly dependent care expense
((as described below)) needed for an AU member to:
(a) ((The dependent care must be needed for AU member to:
(i))) Keep work, look for work, or accept work;
(((ii))) (b) Attend training or education to prepare for
employment; or
(((iii))) (c) Meet employment and training requirements
under chapter 388-444 WAC.
(((b) We subtract allowable dependent care expenses that
are payable to someone outside of your AU:
(i) Up to two hundred dollars for each dependent under age two; and
(ii) Up to one hundred seventy-five dollars for each dependent age two or older.))
(4) Medical expenses over thirty-five dollars a month owed or anticipated by an elderly or disabled person in your AU as allowed under WAC 388-450-0200.
(5) Legally obligated current or back child support paid to someone outside of your AU:
(a) For a person who is not in your AU; or
(b) For a person who is in your AU to cover a period of time when they were not living with you.
(6) A portion of your shelter costs as described in WAC 388-450-0190.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and 7 C.F.R. § 273.9. 07-22-035, § 388-450-0185, filed 10/30/07, effective 11/30/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090 and 7 C.F.R. § 273.9. 06-21-012, § 388-450-0185, filed 10/6/06, effective 11/6/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. 05-21-101, § 388-450-0185, filed 10/18/05, effective 11/18/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057. 04-23-025, § 388-450-0185, filed 11/8/04, effective 12/9/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-21-030, § 388-450-0185, filed 10/7/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and H.R. 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. 02-22-044, § 388-450-0185, filed 10/30/02, effective 12/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 99-16-024, § 388-450-0185, filed 7/26/99, effective 9/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-450-0185, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]