SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

(Economic Services Administration)

[Filed September 21, 2022, 9:19 a.m., effective October 22, 2022]

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

Purpose: The department is adopting amendments to WAC 388-436-0050 Determining financial need and benefit amount for CEAP and 388-478-0005 Cash assistance need and payment standards and grant maximum, to increase the temporary assistance for needy families and state family assistance payment standard for households with nine or more assistance unit members. Amendments also update net income limits and allowable benefit amounts for the consolidated emergency assistance program.

These changes were funded in the 2022 supplemental operating budget. Emergency amendments to implement this change took effect July 1, 2022, under WSR 22-14-046.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-436-0050 and 388-478-0005.

Other Authority: 2022 Supplemental operating budget (chapter 297, Laws of 2022).

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 22-13-181 on June 22, 2022.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 2, Repealed 0.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: September 21, 2022.

Katherine I. Vasquez

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 21-21-054, filed 10/15/21, effective 11/15/21)

WAC 388-436-0050Determining financial need and benefit amount for CEAP.

(1) To be eligible for the consolidated emergency assistance program (CEAP), the assistance unit's nonexcluded income, minus allowable deductions, must be less than or equal to ((ninety percent))90% of the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) payment standard. The net income limit for CEAP assistance units is:

Assistance unit members	Net income limit
1	$375
2	475
3	589
4	694
5	799
6	908
7	1,049
8 ((or more))	1,160
9	1,274
10 or more	1,385

(2) The assistance unit's allowable amount of need is the lesser of:

(a) The TANF payment standard, based on assistance unit size, as specified under WAC 388-478-0020; or

(b) The assistance unit's actual emergent need, not to exceed maximum allowable amounts, for the following items:

Need item: Maximum allowable amount by assistance unit size:

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8 ((or more))	9	10 or more
Food	$253	$322	$397	$469	$539	$612	$699	$773	$864	$939
Shelter	308	390	485	572	657	744	863	952	1,048	1,139
Clothing	36	45	56	66	76	89	98	112	127	139
Minor medical care	214	273	338	397	458	516	603	665	736	800
Utilities	105	132	163	191	220	253	292	322	354	385
Household maintenance	76	97	121	140	163	185	214	235	255	277
Job related transportation	417	528	654	771	888	1,009	1,165	1,289	1,416	1,539
Child related transportation	417	528	654	771	888	1,009	1,165	1,289	1,416	1,539

(3) The assistance unit's CEAP payment is determined by computing the difference between the allowable amount of need, as determined under subsection (2) of this section, and the total of:

(a) The assistance unit's net income, as determined under subsection (1) of this section and WAC 388-436-0045;

(b) Cash on hand, if not already counted as income; and

(4) The assistance unit is not eligible for CEAP if the amount of income and resources, as determined in subsection (3) of this section, is equal to or exceeds its allowable amount of need.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 20-20-007, filed 9/24/20, effective 10/25/20)

WAC 388-478-0005Cash assistance need and payment standards and grant maximum.

(1) Need standards for cash assistance programs represent the amount of income required by individuals and families to maintain a minimum and adequate standard of living. Need standards are based on assistance unit size and include basic requirements for food, clothing, shelter, energy costs, transportation, household maintenance and operations, personal maintenance, and necessary incidentals.

(2) Payment standards for assistance units in medical institutions and other facilities are based on the need for clothing, personal maintenance, and necessary incidentals (see WAC 388-478-0006).

(3) Need and payment standards for persons and families who do not reside in medical institutions and other facilities are based on program grant standards.

(((4) Starting July 1, 2012, the monthly cash assistance grant for an assistance unit cannot exceed the payment standard for a family of 8 listed in WAC 388-478-0020(1).))