Z-0361.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1127

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

By Representatives Cooke, Thibaudeau, Lambert, Patterson, Brown and Wolfe; by request of Governor Lowry

Read first time 01/13/95.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Modifying criteria for JOBS program participation.

    AN ACT Relating to job opportunities and basic skills training program participation criteria; and amending RCW 74.25.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 74.25.020 and 1993 c 312 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The department of social and health services is authorized to contract with public and private employment and training agencies and other public service entities to provide services prescribed or allowed under the federal social security act, as amended, to carry out the purposes of the jobs training program.  The department of social and health services has sole authority and responsibility to carry out the job opportunities and basic skills training program.  No contracting entity shall have the authority to review, change, or disapprove any administrative decision, or otherwise substitute its judgment for that of the department of social and health services as to the application of policies and rules adopted by the department of social and health services.

    (2) ((To the extent feasible under federal law, the department of social and health services and all entities contracting with it shall give first priority of service to individuals volunteering for program participation.

    (3))) The department of social and health services shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW ((establishing)) that conform to the criteria in federal law for mandatory program participation as well as establish criteria constituting circumstances of good cause for an individual failing or refusing to participate in an assigned program component, or failing or refusing to accept or retain employment.  ((These)) The good cause criteria shall include, but not be limited to, the following circumstances:  (a) If the individual is a parent or other relative personally providing care for a child under age six years, and the employment would require the individual to work more than twenty hours per week; (b) if child care, or day care for an incapacitated individual living in the same home as a dependent child, is necessary for an individual to participate or continue participation in the program or accept employment, and such care is not available, and the department of social and health services fails to provide such care; (c) the employment would result in the family of the participant experiencing a net loss of cash income; or (d) circumstances that are beyond the control of the individual's household, either on a short-term or on an ongoing basis.

    (((4))) (3) The department of social and health services shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to effectuate the intent and purpose of this chapter.

                            --- END ---