PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: To bring citizenship/alien status rules into compliance with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) guidelines. It expands the eligibility group of legally residing individuals which will allow: (1) Some children who are currently in a state-funded medical program to qualify for federally-funded medical coverage, and (2) some pregnant women to have their post partum period covered by federally funded medical. Note: The term PRUCOL has been replaced in this amendment by the term "nonqualified alien." Those formerly known as PRUCOL persons are still eligible for some state-funded benefits.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-400-0010, 388-424-0001, 388-424-0006, 388-424-0009, 388-424-0010, 388-424-0015, and 388-450-0156.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 11-10-073 on May 3, 2011.
Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: WAC 388-400-0010:
(2)(b) You are ((a alien who is permanently residing in
the United States under color of law (PRUCOL) as defined in
WAC 388-424-0001)) a nonqualified alien as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, who meets the Washington state residency
requirements as listed in WAC 388-468-0005;
(1) "Lawfully present" are immigrants or noncitizens who have been inspected and admitted into the United States and not overstayed the period for which they were admitted, or have current permission from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) to stay or live in the U.S.
(3) "Nonqualifed [nonqualified] aliens" are noncitizens
who are lawfully present in the U.S. and who are not included
in the definition of qualified aliens in subsection (1) of
this section. Nonqualifed [nonqualified] aliens may include
but are not limited to:
(4) "Undocumented aliens" are noncitizens without a lawful immigration status as defined in subsections (2) or (3) of this section....
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 7, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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 7, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: July 27, 2011.
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator
4297.4(2) You are eligible for SFA if you are not eligible for temporary assistance for needy families for the following reasons:
(a) You are a qualified alien and have been in the United States for less than five years as described in WAC 388-424-0006;
(b) You are ((a alien who is permanently residing in the
United States under color of law (PRUCOL) as defined in WAC 388-424-0001)) a nonqualified alien as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, who meets the Washington state residency
requirements as listed in WAC 388-468-0005;
(c) You are a nineteen or twenty-year-old student that meets the education requirements of WAC 388-404-0005;
(d) You are a caretaker relative of a nineteen or twenty-year-old student that meets the education requirements of WAC 388-404-0005; or
(e) You are a pregnant woman who has been convicted of misrepresenting their residence in order to receive benefits from two or more states at the same time.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.025, 74.08.090 and 21 U.S.C. 862a (d)(1)(A). 05-21-100, § 388-400-0010, filed 10/18/05, effective 11/18/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-400-0010, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 74.04.510. 00-05-007, § 388-400-0010, filed 2/4/00, effective 3/6/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-400-0010, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
(1) They were born in Canada and are of fifty percent American Indian blood (but need not belong to a federally recognized tribe); or
(2) They are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe or Alaskan native village or corporation.
"Hmong or Highland Lao." These are members of the Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe, which rendered military assistance to the U.S. during the Vietnam era (August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975), and are "lawfully present" in the United States. This category also includes the spouse (including unremarried widow or widower) or unmarried dependent child of such tribe members.
"Nonimmigrants." These individuals are allowed to enter the U.S. for a specific purpose, usually for a limited time. Examples include:
(1) Tourists,
(2) Students,
(3) Business visitors.
"PRUCOL" (Permanently residing under color of law) aliens. These are individuals who:
(1) Are not "qualified aliens" as described below; and
(2) Intend to reside indefinitely in the U.S.; and
(3) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS (formerly the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS) knows are residing in the U.S. and is not taking steps to enforce their departure.
"Qualified aliens." Federal law defines the following groups as "qualified aliens." All those not listed below are considered "nonqualified":
(1) Abused spouses or children, parents of abused children, or children of abused spouses, who have either:
(a) A pending or approved I-130 petition or application to immigrate as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen or as the spouse or unmarried son or daughter of a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) - see definition of LPR below; or
(b) A notice of "prima facie" approval of a pending self-petition under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA); or
(c) Proof of a pending application for suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal under VAWA; and
(d) The alien no longer resides with the person who committed the abuse.
(e) Children of an abused spouse do not need their own separate pending or approved petition but are included in their parent's petition if it was filed before they turned age twenty-one. Children of abused persons who meet the conditions above retain their "qualified alien" status even after they turn age twenty-one.
(f) An abused person who has initiated a self-petition under VAWA but has not received notice of prima facie approval is not a "qualified alien" but is considered PRUCOL. An abused person who continues to reside with the person who committed the domestic violence is also PRUCOL. For a definition of PRUCOL, see above.
(2) Amerasians who were born to U.S. citizen armed services members in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war.
(3) Individuals who have been granted asylum under Section 208 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
(4) Individuals who were admitted to the U.S. as conditional entrants under Section 203 (a)(7) of the INA prior to April 1, 1980.
(5) Cuban/Haitian entrants. These are nationals of Cuba or Haiti who were paroled into the U.S. or given other special status.
(6) Individuals who are lawful permanent residents (LPRs) under the INA.
(7) Persons who have been granted parole into the U.S. for at least a period of one year (or indefinitely) under Section 212 (d)(5) of the INA, including "public interest" parolees.
(8) Individuals who are admitted to the U.S. as refugees under Section 207 of the INA.
(9) Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan are individuals granted special immigrant status under section 101 (a)(27) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Under federal law, special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan, their spouses and unmarried children under twenty-one are to be treated the same as refugees in their eligibility for public assistance.
(10) Persons granted withholding of deportation or removal under Sections 243(h) (dated 1995) or 241 (b)(3) (dated 2003) of the INA.
"Undocumented aliens." These are persons who either:
(1) Entered the U.S. without inspection at the border, or
(2) Were lawfully admitted but have lost their status.
"U.S. citizens."
(1) The following individuals are considered to be citizens of the U.S.:
(a) Persons born in the U.S. or its territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; also residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who elected to become U.S. citizens); or
(b) Legal immigrants who have naturalized after immigrating to the U.S.
(2) Persons born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent may be U.S. citizens under certain conditions.
(3) Individuals under the age of eighteen automatically become citizens when they meet the following three conditions on or after February 27, 2001:
(a) The child is a lawful permanent resident (LPR);
(b) At least one of the parents is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization; and
(c) The child resides in the U.S. in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent.
(4) For those individuals who turned eighteen before February 27, 2001, the child would automatically be a citizen if still under eighteen when he or she began lawful permanent residence in the U.S. and both parents had naturalized. Such a child could have derived citizenship when only one parent had naturalized if the other parent were dead, a U.S. citizen by birth, or the parents were legally separated and the naturalizing parent had custody.
"U.S. nationals." A U.S. national is a person who owes permanent allegiance to the U.S. and may enter and work in the U.S. without restriction. The following are the only persons classified as U.S. nationals:
(1) Persons born in American Samoa or Swain's Island after December 24, 1952; and
(2) Residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who did not elect to become U.S. citizens.
"Victims of trafficking." According to federal law, victims of trafficking have been subject to one of the following:
(1) Sex trafficking, in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained eighteen years of age; or
(2) The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
(3) Under federal law, persons who have been certified or approved as victims of trafficking by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) are to be treated the same as refugees in their eligibility for public assistance.
(4) Immediate family members of victims are also eligible for public assistance benefits as refugees. Immediate family members are the spouse or child of a victim of any age and the parent or minor sibling if the victim is under twenty-one years old)) For the purposes of determining an individual's citizenship and alien status for public assistance, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Lawfully present" are immigrants or noncitizens who have been inspected and admitted into the United States and not overstayed the period for which they were admitted, or have current permission from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrant Services (CIS) to stay or live in the U.S.
(2) "Qualified aliens" are lawfully present immigrants defined in federal law as one of the following:
(a) Individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residence (LPRs).
(b) Individuals who are admitted to the U.S. as refugees under INA §207. The following individuals are treated the same as refugees in their eligibility for public assistance:
(i) Hmong or Highland Lao are members of a Hmong or Highland Laotian tribe which rendered military assistance to the U.S. during the Vietnam era (August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975), and are "lawfully present" in the U.S. This category also includes the spouse (including un-remarried widow or widower) or unmarried dependent child of such tribal members.
(ii) Victims of trafficking according to federal law are:
(A) Individuals who have been certified or approved as victims of trafficking by the federal office of refugee resettlement.
(B) Immediate family members of trafficking victims. Immediate family members are the spouse or child of a victim of any age and the parent or minor sibling if the victim is under twenty-one years old.
(iii) Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan are individuals granted special immigrant status under INA §101 (a)(27).
(c) Individuals who have been granted asylum under INA §208.
(d) Cuban/Haitian entrants. These are nationals of Cuba or Haiti who were paroled into the U.S. or given other special status.
(e) Abused spouses or children, parents of abused children, or children of abused spouses:
(i) When the alien no longer resides with the person who committed the abuse, and has one of the following:
(A) A pending or approved I-130 petition or application to immigrate as an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen or as the spouse or unmarried child under age twenty-one of a lawful permanent resident (LPR);
(B) A notice of "prima facie" approval of a pending self-petition under the violence against women act (VAWA); or
(C) Proof of a pending application for suspension of deportation or cancellation of removal under VAWA.
(ii) Children of an abused spouse do not need their own separate pending or approved petition, but are included in their parent's petition if it was filed before they turned twenty-one years old. Children of abused persons who meet the conditions above retain their "qualified alien" status even after they turn twenty-one years old.
(f) Individuals who have been granted parole into the U.S. for at least a period of one year (or indefinitely) under INA §212 (d)(5), including "public interest" parolees.
(g) Individual's granted withholding of deportation or removal under INA §243(h) or §241 (b)(3).
(h) Individuals who were admitted to the U.S. as conditional entrants under INA §203 (a)(7) prior to April 1, 1980.
(i) Amerasians who were born to U.S. citizen armed services members in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.
(3) "Nonqualifed aliens" are noncitizens who are lawfully present in the U.S. and who are not included in the definition of qualified aliens in subsection (1) of this section. Nonqualifed aliens include but are not limited to:
(a) Citizens of Marshall Islands, Micronesia or Palau;
(b) Immigrants paroled into the U.S. for less than one year;
(c) Immigrants granted temporary protected status; or
(d) Nonimmigrants who are allowed entry into the U.S. for a specific purpose usually for a limited time are also nonqualified. Examples include:
(i) Business visitors;
(ii) Students; and
(iii) Tourists.
(4) "Undocumented aliens" are noncitizens without a lawful immigration status as defined in subsections (2) or (3) of this section, and who:
(a) Entered the U.S. illegally; or
(b) Were lawfully admitted but whose status expired or was revoked per United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
(5) "U.S. citizens" are one of the following:
(a) Individual's born in the United States or its territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands; also residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who elected to become U.S. citizens).
(b) American Indians born outside the U.S. without regard to immigration status or date of entry if:
(i) They were born in Canada and are fifty percent American Indian blood (but need not belong to a federally recognized tribe); or
(ii) They are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe or Alaskan Native village or corporation.
(c) Individuals who have become naturalized U.S. citizens.
(d) Individuals born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent depending on conditions at the time of their birth, per title 8, subchapter III, section 1401 of the United States Code.
(e) Individuals who turn eighteen years of age on or after February 27, 2001, automatically become U.S. citizens if the following conditions are met while the individual is under age eighteen per INA 320.
(i) The individual is granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status;
(ii) At least one of the individual's parents is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization; and
(iii) The individual:
(A) Resides in the U.S. in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent; or
(B) Was adopted according to the requirements of INA 101 and resides in the U.S. in the legal and physical custody of the citizen parent.
(f) Individuals who turned eighteen before February 27, 2001, would have automatically become a citizen if, while the individual was still under eighteen, he or she became a lawful permanent resident and both his or her parents naturalized. Such individuals also may have derived citizenship when only one parent naturalized, if the other parent was dead or a U.S. citizen by birth, or the individual's parents were separated and the naturalized parent had custody.
(6) "U.S. nationals" are persons who owe permanent allegiance to the U.S. and may enter and work in the U.S. without restriction. The following are the only persons classified as U.S. nationals:
(a) Persons born in American Samoa or Swain's Island after December 24, 1952; and
(b) Residents of the Northern Mariana Islands who did not elect to become U.S. citizens.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.08A.020, and Sec. 8120 of Pub. L 111-118 (DOD appropriations law); USDA Food and Nutrition Service federal guidance from January 29, 2010; U.S. DHHS Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance federal guidance letter No. TANF-ACF-PI-2010-05 issued on June 16, 2010. 10-15-045, § 388-424-0001, filed 7/13/10, effective 7/27/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08A.320, 74.08.090, and Public Law 110-161 Section 525; Public Law 110-181 Section 1244; FNS Admin Notice 08-17; State Letter 04-12 from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. 08-14-116, § 388-424-0001, filed 6/30/08, effective 8/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0001, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04.]
Reviser's note: The spelling errors in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appear in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 10-15-045, filed 7/13/10,
effective 7/27/10)
WAC 388-424-0006
Citizenship and alien status -- Date of
entry.
(1) A person who physically entered the U.S. prior to
August 22, 1996 and who continuously resided in the U.S. prior
to becoming a "qualified alien" (as defined in WAC 388-424-0001) is not subject to the five-year bar on receiving
TANF((,)) and nonemergency medicaid((, and SCHIP)) for
nonpregnant adults.
(2) A person who entered the U.S. prior to August 22, 1996 but became "qualified" on or after August 22, 1996, or who physically entered the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996 and who requires five years of residency to be eligible for federal Basic Food, can only count years of residence during which they were a "qualified alien."
(3) A person who physically entered the U.S. on or after
August 22, 1996 is subject to the five-year bar ((on)) for
TANF((,)) and nonemergency medicaid((, and SCHIP)) for
nonpregnant adults, unless exempt. The five-year bar starts
on the date that "qualified" status is obtained. The medicaid
and CHIP programs do not have a five-year bar for children
under nineteen, children under twenty-one years of age who are
residing in a medical institution as described in WAC 388-505-0230, or pregnant women.
(4) The following "qualified aliens," as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, are exempt from the five-year bar:
(a) Amerasian lawful permanent residents;
(b) Asylees;
(c) Cuban/Haitian entrants;
(d) Persons granted withholding of deportation or removal;
(e) Refugees;
(f) Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan;
(g) Victims of trafficking who have been certified or had their eligibility approved by the office of refugee resettlement (ORR); and
(h) Lawful permanent residents, parolees, or battered aliens, as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, who are also an armed services member or veteran as described in WAC 388-424-0007.
(((5) In addition to subsection (4) of this section, the
following "qualified aliens" are also exempt from the
five-year bar on nonemergency medicaid and SCHIP:
(a) Pregnant women;
(b) Children under nineteen years of age; and
(c) Children under twenty-one years of age who are residing in a medical institution as described in WAC 388-505-0230.))
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.08A.020, and Sec. 8120 of Pub. L 111-118 (DOD appropriations law); USDA Food and Nutrition Service federal guidance from January 29, 2010; U.S. DHHS Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance federal guidance letter No. TANF-ACF-PI-2010-05 issued on June 16, 2010. 10-15-045, § 388-424-0006, filed 7/13/10, effective 7/27/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, and P.L. No. 111-3 (H.R. 2, Title II, Sec. 214 - Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009); P.L. No. 111-08 Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, Office of Refugee Resettlement State Letter #09-17. 09-15-082, § 388-424-0006, filed 7/14/09, effective 8/14/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.500, 74.09.530. 07-07-023, § 388-424-0006, filed 3/9/07, effective 4/9/07. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-16-055, § 388-424-0006, filed 7/28/05, effective 8/28/05; 04-15-004, § 388-424-0006, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04.]
(2) The following immigrants are not required to apply for an SSN:
(a) An alien, regardless of immigration status, who is applying for a program listed in WAC 388-476-0005(7);
(b) A ((PRUCOL (permanently residing under color of law)
alien who is not in one of the PRUCOL groups)) nonqualified
alien who is not applying for children or pregnancy related
medical as listed in WAC 388-424-0010(4); and
(c) Members of a household who are not applying for benefits for themselves.
(3) "Qualified and nonqualified aliens," as defined in
WAC 388-424-0001, ((and PRUCOL aliens in any of the PRUCOL
groups listed in WAC 388-424-0010(4),)) who are applying for
federal benefits but who are not authorized to work in the
U.S., must still apply for a nonwork SSN. The department must
assist them in this application without delay.
(4) ((An immigrant)) Any person who is otherwise eligible
for benefits may choose not to provide the department with an
SSN without jeopardizing the eligibility of others in the
household. See WAC 388-450-0140 for how the income of such
individuals is treated.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, and CHIPRA of 2009, P.L. No. 111-3, Sec. 214; Sec. 8120, Title VIII, Division A of Department of Defense Appropriation Act of 2010, P.L. No. 111-118. 10-15-068, § 388-424-0009, filed 7/16/10, effective 8/16/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0009, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04.]
(a) A United States (U.S.) citizen;
(b) A U.S. national;
(c) An American Indian born outside the U.S.;
(d) A "qualified alien";
(e) A victim of trafficking; or
(f) A Hmong or Highland Lao.
(2) A "qualified alien" who first physically entered the U.S. before August 22, 1996 as described in WAC 388-424-0006(1) may receive TANF, medicaid, and CHIP.
(3) A "qualified alien" who first physically entered the U.S. on or after August 22, 1996 cannot receive TANF, medicaid, or CHIP for five years after obtaining status as a qualified alien unless the criteria in WAC 388-424-0006 (4) or (5) are met.
(4) A lawfully present "nonqualified alien" child or
pregnant woman as defined in ((one of the following PRUCOL
(permanently residing under color of law) groups)) WAC 388-424-0001 who meet residency requirements as defined in WAC 388-468-0005 may receive medicaid or CHIP((:
(a) A citizen of a compact of free association state (Micronesia, Marshall Islands or Palau) who has been admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant;
(b) An individual in temporary resident status as an amnesty beneficiary;
(c) An individual in temporary protected status;
(d) A family unity beneficiary;
(e) An individual currently under deferred enforced departure;
(f) An individual who is a spouse or child of a U.S. citizen with an approved Visa petition pending adjustment of status;
(g) A parent or child of an individual with special immigration status;
(h) A fianc of a U.S. citizen;
(i) A religious worker;
(j) An individual assisting the Department of Justice in a criminal investigation; or
(k) An individual with a petition of status pending of three years or longer)).
(5) An alien who is ineligible for TANF, medicaid or CHIP because of the five-year bar or because of their immigration status may be eligible for:
(a) Emergency benefits as described in WAC 388-436-0015 (consolidated emergency assistance program) and WAC 388-438-0110 (alien medical program); or
(b) State-funded cash or chemical dependency benefits as
described in WAC 388-424-0015 (state family assistance (SFA),
((general assistance (GA))) disability lifeline (DL) and the
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Treatment and Support Act
(ADATSA)), and medical benefits as described in WAC 388-424-0016; or
(c) Pregnancy medical benefits for noncitizen women as described in WAC 388-462-0015(3); or
(d) State-funded apple health for kids as described in
WAC 388-505-0210 (((2) or)) (5).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.08.090, and CHIPRA of 2009, P.L. No. 111-3, Sec. 214; Sec. 8120, Title VIII, Division A of Department of Defense Appropriation Act of 2010, P.L. No. 111-118. 10-15-068, § 388-424-0010, filed 7/16/10, effective 8/16/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.120, and P.L. No. 111-3 (H.R. 2, Title II, Sec. 214 -Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009); P.L. No. 111-08 Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, Office of Refugee Resettlement State Letter #09-17. 09-15-082, § 388-424-0010, filed 7/14/09, effective 8/14/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08A.320, 74.08.090, and Public Law 110-161 Section 525; Public Law 110-181 Section 1244; FNS Admin Notice 08-17; State Letter 04-12 from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. 08-14-116, § 388-424-0010, filed 6/30/08, effective 8/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.530, and 74.09.415. 05-23-013, § 388-424-0010, filed 11/4/05, effective 1/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0010, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74.09.080, and 74.09.415. 02-17-030, § 388-424-0010, filed 8/12/02, effective 9/12/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.530, and Public Law 106-395. 02-03-008, § 388-424-0010, filed 1/4/02, effective 2/4/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.08A.100. 99-17-023, § 388-424-0010, filed 8/10/99, effective 9/10/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-424-0010, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-505-0520 and 388-518-1805.]
Reviser's note: The spelling error in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 04-15-004, filed 7/7/04,
effective 8/7/04)
WAC 388-424-0015
Immigrant eligibility restrictions for
the state family assistance, general assistance, and ADATSA
programs.
(1) To receive state family assistance (SFA)
benefits, you must be:
(a) A "qualified alien" as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 who is ineligible for TANF due to the five-year bar as described in WAC 388-424-0006(3); or
(b) A ((PRUCOL alien as defined in WAC 388-424-0001))
nonqualified alien who meets the Washington state residency
requirements as listed in WAC 388-468-0005, including a
noncitizen American Indian who does not meet the criteria in
WAC 388-424-0001.
(2) To receive general assistance (GA) benefits, you must be ineligible for the TANF, SFA, or SSI program for a reason other than failure to cooperate with program requirements, and belong to one of the following groups as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:
(a) A U.S. citizen;
(b) A U.S. national;
(c) An American Indian born outside the U.S.;
(d) A "qualified alien" or similarly defined lawful
immigrant such as ((Hmong or Highland Lao or)) victim of
trafficking; or
(e) A ((PRUCOL)) nonqualified alien who meets the
Washington state residency requirements as listed in WAC 388-468-0005.
(3) To receive ADATSA benefits, you must belong to one of the following groups as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:
(a) A U.S. citizen;
(b) A U.S. national;
(c) An American Indian born outside the U.S.;
(d) A "qualified alien" or similarly defined lawful
immigrant such as ((Hmong or Highland Lao or)) victim of
trafficking; or
(e) A ((PRUCOL)) nonqualified alien who meets the
Washington state residency requirements as listed in WAC 388-468-0005.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0015, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.08.090. 00-08-060, § 388-424-0015, filed 3/31/00, effective 4/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-424-0015, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-518-1805.]
(a) The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) does not
require you to have a sponsor. Immigrants who are not
required to have a sponsor include those with the following
status with ((Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)))
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
(i) Refugee;
(ii) Parolee;
(iii) Asylee;
(iv) Cuban/Haitian entrant; or
(v) ((Haitian entrant)) Special immigrant from Iraq or
Afghanistan.
(b) You were sponsored by an organization or group as opposed to an individual;
(c) You do not meet the alien status requirements to be eligible for benefits under chapter 388-424 WAC;
(d) You have worked or can get credit for forty qualifying quarters of work under Title II of the Social Security Act. We do not count a quarter of work toward this requirement if the person working received TANF, food stamps, Basic Food, SSI, CHIP, or nonemergency medicaid benefits. We count a quarter of work by the following people toward your forty qualifying quarters:
(i) Yourself;
(ii) Each of your parents for the time they worked before you turned eighteen years old (including the time they worked before you were born); and
(iii) Your spouse if you are still married or your spouse is deceased.
(e) You become a United States (U.S.) Citizen;
(f) Your sponsor is dead; or
(g) If ((INS)) USCIS or a court decides that you, your
child, or your parent was a victim of domestic violence from
your sponsor and:
(i) You no longer live with your sponsor; and
(ii) Leaving your sponsor caused your need for benefits.
(2) You are exempt from the deeming process while you are in the same AU as your sponsor;
(3) For children and pregnancy medical programs, you are exempt from sponsor deeming requirements.
(4) For Basic Food, you are exempt from deeming while you are under age eighteen.
(((4))) (5) For state family assistance, ((general
assistance)) disability lifeline (DL), state-funded Basic Food
benefits, and state-funded medical assistance for legal
immigrants you are exempt from the deeming process if:
(a) Your sponsor signed the affidavit of support more than five years ago;
(b) Your sponsor becomes permanently incapacitated; or
(c) You are a qualified alien according to WAC 388-424-0001 and you:
(i) Are on active duty with the U.S. armed forces or you are the spouse or unmarried dependent child of someone on active duty;
(ii) Are an honorably-discharged veteran of the U.S. armed forces or you are the spouse or unmarried dependent child of an honorably-discharged veteran;
(iii) Were employed by an agency of the U.S. government or served in the armed forces of an allied country during a military conflict between the U.S. and a military opponent; or
(iv) Are a victim of domestic violence and you have petitioned for legal status under the Violence Against Women Act.
(((5))) (6) If you, your child, or your parent was a
victim of domestic violence, you are exempt from the deeming
process for twelve months if:
(a) You no longer live with the person who committed the violence; and
(b) Leaving this person caused your need for benefits.
(((6))) (7) If your AU has income at or below one hundred
thirty percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), you are
exempt from the deeming process for twelve months. This is
called the "indigence exemption." You may choose to use this
exemption or not to use this exemption in full knowledge of
the possible risks involved. See risks in subsection (9)
below. For this rule, we count the following as income to
your AU:
(a) Earned and unearned income your AU receives from any source; and
(b) Any noncash items of value such as free rent, commodities, goods, or services you receive from an individual or organization.
(((7))) (8) If you use the indigence exemption, and are
eligible for a federal program, we are required by law to give
the United States attorney general the following information:
(a) The names of the sponsored people in your AU;
(b) That you are exempt from deeming due to your income;
(c) Your sponsor's name; and
(d) The effective date that your twelve-month exemption began.
(((8))) (9) If you use the indigence exemption, and are
eligible for a state program, we do not report to the United
States attorney general.
(((9))) (10) If you choose not to use the indigence
exemption:
(a) You could be found ineligible for benefits for not verifying your sponsor's income and resources; or
(b) You will be subject to regular deeming rules under WAC 388-450-0160.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 7 U.S.C. 2014(i); 7 C.F.R. § 273.4(c); USDA Food and Nutrition Service final rules for the FSRIA of 2002 (farm bill) final rule announcement. 10-15-043, § 388-450-0156, filed 7/13/10, effective 8/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-450-0156, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 03-05-030, § 388-450-0156, filed 2/10/03, effective 4/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and Title 7, Chapter II, Part 273 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 01-21-026, § 388-450-0156, filed 10/9/01, effective 11/1/01.]