SB 5497 - DIGEST

     Declares an intent of the legislature to establish as a state goal the delivery of transitional public assistance, which should commit the state to supporting eligible families seeking state financial assistance in times of financial need on a temporary time-limited basis.

     Provides that the state should help eligible families solve their problems through relationships rather than through increased use of taxpayers money.

     Declares that, requiring recipients to live with other recipients of the same gender on public assistance will reduce the state's expenditures for child care by enabling them to share child care responsibilities and to share living expenses.

     Specifies that, 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 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 thirteen months have elapsed from the last day of the initial period of eligibility.

     Provides for resumption of eligibility.

     Provides that, if a recipient of public assistance marries and lives with and remains married to his or her spouse as a legally married couple for twelve months, the recipient shall receive a lump sum check at that time from the state for four times the monthly financial benefit level he or she would have received immediately following the marriage had he or she remained on public assistance.

     Declares that noncitizens are not eligible for financial grants; medical assistance; food stamps; or nutrition services including school lunches, breakfasts, child care nutrition programs, and women, infant, and children's nutrition program.

     Repeals RCW 74.12.240.