HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2818

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                 Children & Family Services

Title:  An act relating to household members excluded from WorkFirst assistance units.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to WorkFirst assistance units.

Sponsors:  Representatives Cooke and Boldt.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Children & Family Services:  1/27/98, 2/6/98 [DPS].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Cooke, Chairman; Boldt, Vice Chairman; Bush, Vice Chairman; Kastama, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Ballasiotes; Carrell; Gombosky and McDonald.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 3 members:  Representatives Tokuda, Ranking Minority Member; Dickerson and Wolfe.

Staff:  Douglas Ruth (786-7134).

Background:  If a parent in a family receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is not in the country legally, any income they earn is not counted when the Department of Social and Health Services determines the amount of the family's grant payment.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Any income earned by a parent who is not in the country legally will be counted when the Department of Social and Health Services determines the amount of the family=s grant payment.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill: Ineligibility on the basis of residency and citizenship were removed as grounds for allocating an ineligible family member=s income to the family.

  The substitute bill does not alter the way in which the department handles cases where only the child is eligible for a grant.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 3, 1998.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against: The potential impact of the bill is to treat aliens inequitably.  There is no reason to treat them differently.  The department currently allocates some of an ineligible family member=s income to the whole family when calculating grant amounts.  The full income is not allocated because it is assumed that the ineligible family member will use some of his/her income for his/her own subsistence.

Testified:  David Della, CAPAA (con); Manuel Romero, Hispanic Affairs (con); and Liz Dunbar, Assistant Secretary, Department of Social and Health Services (concerns).