SB 6749 - DIGEST

     Declares an intent of the state of Washington to provide temporary transition public assistance to families with children who are experiencing financial hardship. 

     Finds that a time limitation on public assistance coupled with an immediate but gradual reduction in grant amounts is more beneficial to establishing self-sufficiency than are other public assistance programs.

     Establishes, as a requirement to receive a larger financial grant from the state, a recipient must make a choice to either live communally with other recipients of the same gender in housing of his or her choice or to receive a reduced financial grant.

     Declares an intent of the legislature that the aid to families with dependent children program encourage marriage.

     Declares that a family or assistance unit is not eligible for a full welfare grant in any month if for that month the family or assistance unit cannot prove to the department that it is complying with the shared housing arrangement requirements.

     Declares that recipients of  public assistance are eligible for a total of twenty-seven months of public assistance in a lifetime, except that an individual may receive an additional twenty-seven months of public assistance after two hundred forty months have elapsed from the first day of the initial period of eligibility.

     Declares an intent of the legislature that new immigrants to Washington state provide for themselves and their families.  It is the intent of the legislature to limit access to certain public assistance benefits by noncitizens.

     Repeals RCW 74.12.420.