H-0518.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 1144

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Kessler, Tokuda, Ogden, Keiser, Cody, Santos, Edmonds, Kenney, Linville, Darneille, O'Brien, Ruderman, Rockefeller, Dickerson, McDermott, Edwards, Conway, Schual‑Berke, Jackley, Lovick, McIntire and Haigh

Read first time 01/18/2001.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Modifying good cause reasons for failure to participate in the WorkFirst program.

    AN ACT Relating to the WorkFirst program participation exemption; and amending RCW 74.08A.270.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 74.08A.270 and 1997 c 58 s 314 are each amended to read as follows:

    Good cause reasons for failure to participate in WorkFirst program components include:  (1) Situations where the recipient is a parent or other relative personally providing care for a child under the age of six years, and formal or informal child care, or day care for an incapacitated individual living in the same home as a dependent child, is necessary for an individual to participate or continue participation in the program or accept employment, and such care is not available, and the department fails to provide such care; or (2) ((until June 30, 1999,)) if the recipient is a parent with a child under the age of one year.  A parent may only receive this exemption for a total of twelve months, which may be consecutive or nonconsecutive((; or (3) after June 30, 1999, if the recipient is a parent with a child under three months of age)).

                            --- END ---