H-1935.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2225

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Representatives Tokuda, Rockefeller, Kessler, Ogden and Ruderman

Read first time 02/23/1999.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Changing eligibility for children under the temporary assistance for needy children program.

    AN ACT Relating to eligibility standards for children under temporary assistance for needy families; and amending RCW 74.12.035.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 74.12.035 and 1997 c 59 s 18 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 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 temporary assistance for needy families is being provided shall be disregarded for six months per calendar year.

    (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 temporary assistance for needy families:  PROVIDED HOWEVER, That if such students do not successfully complete such program before reaching nineteen years of age, the assistance rendered under this subsection during such period shall not be a debt due the state.

(4) Children with disabilities who are over eighteen years of age and under twenty-one years of age and who are full-time students whose education is being provided in accordance with RCW 28A.155.020 are eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families benefits.

(5) The department is authorized to grant exceptions to the eligibility restrictions for children over eighteen years of age and under twenty-one years of age under subsection (3) and (4) of this section when it determines that such exceptions will facilitate the children's ability to complete their educations and increase their potential to achieve self-sufficiency in the future.

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