SENATE BILL REPORT

                  2SSB 6167

              As Passed Senate, February 14, 2000

Title:  An act relating to public assistance.

Brief Description:  Changing public assistance provisions.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Fairley and Thibaudeau).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Labor & Workforce Development:  1/18/2000, 1/31/2000 [DPS].

Ways & Means:  2/3/2000, 2/8/2000 [DP2S].

Passed Senate, 2/14/2000, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6167 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Fairley, Chair; Franklin, Vice Chair; Kline and Wojahn.

Staff:  Joanne Conrad (786-7472)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 6167 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Loveland, Chair; Bauer, Vice Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Fairley, Fraser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, Rasmussen, B. Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Winsley and Wojahn.

Staff:  Brian Sims (786-7431)

Background:  Concern exists that some applicants for public assistance may be unaware that they qualify for various benefits, or may be frustrated at the amount of application paperwork required when applying for public assistance.

Additional concerns involve streamlining or modernizing portions of Title 74, the part of the Revised Code of Washington that deals with public assistance.

Summary of Bill:  Applicants for public assistance use a single, streamlined universal application form, avoiding repetitive applications.  A purpose of the streamlined form is to assist the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in identifying applicants who may be eligible for more than one type of assistance, and cross-referring them to additional programs.

A customer service focus group is established.

Asset determination of Medicaid eligibility for families exiting Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is changed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  Accommodation of clients needing communication in their primary languages is important.  Medicaid asset and resource limits should also be streamlined.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Liz Dunbar, Department of Social and Health Services (concerns); Danielle Wellever, Lutheran Public Policy (pro); Cassie Sauer, Children=s Alliance (pro).