HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1052

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Human Services

Title:  An act relating to clarification of existing public assistance statutes.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions for public assistance.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Leonard, Winsley, Riley and Basich; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, February 21, 1991, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1052 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Riley, Vice Chair; Winsley, Ranking Minority Member; Tate, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Beck; Brekke; Hargrove; Hochstatter; R. King; and H. Myers.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  The Family Support Act of 1989, Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS), requires every state which participates in the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program (AFDC) to provide comprehensive employment and training programs for AFDC applicants and recipients.  States which have statutory authority to provide employment and training programs for AFDC recipients must comply with the Family Support Act of 1989.  In 1990 the Legislature authorized the Department of Social and Health Services to provide general assistance benefits to women who relinquish their baby for adoption.  The benefits will continue for six weeks after the birth of the child. 

Applicants for public assistance who own real property over the amount allowed for eligibility purposes, may receive assistance if they make a good faith effort to dispose of the property.  Parents who receive visitation rights in a divorce or separation may receive information from the Department of Social and Health Services concerning the last known address and location of the biological or adopted child.

Summary of Substitute Bill:   Existing statutes relating to the Community Work and Training Program are repealed and replaced with language authorizing the Department of Social and Health Services to operate a Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program consistent with the Family Support Act of 1989.  General assistance benefits to women who relinquish their baby for adoption are extended from six weeks following birth to the end of that month.  The applicants for public assistance who own real property over the amount allowed for eligibility purposes, may receive assistance for nine months if the applicant complies with procedures for disposing of real property.  Parents who have visitation rights will no longer receive information about the location of a biological or adopted child through the departments' Income Assistance Program.  This service will continue to be provided through the Office of Support Enforcement.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The requirement that real property be listed with a Multiple Listing Service realtor for disposal by a public assistance applicant is dropped.  Additional intent language and protection for JOBS applicants and recipients are added.  The language in existing statutes related to the sharing of information with parents who receive visitation rights on the location of children is maintained.  Coordination between the Office of Support Enforcement and public assistance staff is required for the dissemination of information on the child's location.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 12, 1991.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The legislation brings the Department of Social and Health Services in compliance with the federal Job Opportunity and Basic Skills Program (JOBS).  It also makes several technical changes to the public assistance statutes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Bernice Morehead, Department of Social and Health Services.