PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES

(Economic Services Administration)

[Filed December 27, 2023, 2:21 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: The department of social and health services (DSHS) is planning to amend WAC 388-408-0020 When am I not allowed to be in a TANF or SFA assistance unit?, 388-450-0050 How does your participation in the community jobs (CJ) program affect your cash assistance and basic food benefits?, 388-450-0105 Allocating the income of a financially responsible person included in the assistance unit, 388-450-0106 How does the department count my income if someone in my family cannot get assistance because of their alien status?, 388-450-0112 Does the department allocate the income of an ABD cash client to legal dependents?, 388-450-0113 Does the department allocate income of a housing and essential needs (HEN) referral recipient to legal dependents?, 388-450-0115 Does the department allocate the income of a financially responsible person who is excluded from the assistance unit?, 388-450-0116 How does the department count my income if I cannot get assistance because I am an alien?, 388-450-0120 Does the department allocate the income of financially responsible parents to a pregnant or parenting minor?, 388-450-0130 Does the department allocate the income of a nonapplying spouse to a caretaker relative?, 388-450-0137 Does the department allocate income of an ineligible spouse to an ABD cash client?, 388-450-0138 Does the department allocate income of an ineligible spouse to a housing and essential needs (HEN) referral recipient?, 388-450-0170 Does the department provide an earned income deduction as an incentive for persons who receive TANF/SFA to work?, 388-450-0177 Does the department offer an income deduction for the ABD cash program as an incentive for clients to work?, 388-450-0178 Does the department offer an income deduction for housing and essential needs (HEN) referral applicants and recipients as an incentive to work?, and 388-478-0035 What are the maximum earned income limits for TANF, SFA, PWA, and RCA? DSHS may amend other related rules as required.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Effective August 1, 2024, planned amendments will incorporate changes to earned income disregards for cash assistance programs, per 2SHB 1447 (chapter 418, Laws of 2023). If applicable, these amendments will make additional changes required to improve clarity, update policy, or better align rule language with state and federal law or regulations.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Not applicable.

Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Rocio Loera, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone 360-480-5477, email rocio.loera@dshs.wa.gov; or Kat Gussett, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone 509-290-8435, email Kathryn.gussett@dshs.wa.gov.

Katherine I. Vasquez