S-4619.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 6697

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By Senators McAuliffe, Winsley, Fairley and Goings

Read first time 01/24/96.  Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.

Excluding the income of certain dependent children when granting assistance to families in the aid to families with dependent children program.

    AN ACT Relating to aid to families with dependent children; amending RCW 74.12.035; and adding a new section to chapter 74.12 RCW.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 74.12.035 and 1985 c 335 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A family or assistance unit is not eligible for aid for any month if for that month the total income of the family or assistance unit, without application of income disregards, exceeds one hundred eighty-five percent of the state standard of need for a family of the same composition((:  PROVIDED, That)).  However, for the purposes of determining the total income of the family or assistance unit, the earned income of a dependent child who is a full-time student for whom aid to families with dependent children is being provided shall be disregarded for six months per calendar year.  The earned income of a dependent child participating in a paid work-based learning experience through the public school system as part of a vocational technical education skills training program must also be disregarded.

    (2) Participation in a strike does not constitute good cause to leave or to refuse to seek or accept employment.  Assistance is not payable to a family for any month in which any caretaker relative with whom the child is living is, on the last day of the month, participating in a strike.  An individual's need shall not be included in determining the amount of aid payable for any month to a family or assistance unit if, on the last day of the month, the individual is participating in a strike.

    (3) Children over eighteen years of age and under nineteen years of age who are full-time students reasonably expected to complete a program of secondary school, or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training, before reaching nineteen years of age are eligible to receive aid to families with dependent children((:  PROVIDED HOWEVER, That if such)).  However, if these students do not successfully complete ((such)) the program before reaching nineteen years of age, the assistance rendered under this subsection during ((such)) the period ((shall)) is not ((be)) a debt due the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 74.12 RCW to read as follows:

    The governor and the department of social and health services must seek all necessary exemptions and waivers from, and amendments to, federal statutes, rules, and regulations and must report to the appropriate committees in the house of representatives and senate quarterly on the efforts to secure the federal changes to permit full implementation of section 1 of this act at the earliest possible date.

                            --- END ---