H-3805              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2910

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Sayan, Moyer, Brekke, Leonard, Hine, Belcher, Brooks, Spanel, Wineberry, Valle, Van Luven, Anderson, Winsley, R. King, Jacobsen, Wang, Basich, Wolfe, Brumsickle, O'Brien, Ferguson, R. Meyers, Phillips, Grant, Heavey, Todd, Dellwo, P. King, Cole, Scott, Ebersole, Tate, Betrozoff, Walker, Bowman, Cooper, Raiter, Crane, Gallagher, Miller, Rayburn, Rasmussen, Vekich, Holland, Peery, Rust, Jones, Wood, Appelwick, Locke, Beck, Morris, Day, Padden, R. Fisher, Nutley, Fraser, Pruitt, Hargrove, Rector, Zellinsky, Smith, May, Hankins, D. Sommers, Fuhrman and Nelson

Read first 1/24/90; referred to Committees on Human Services/Approp.

AN ACT Relating to payment standards for public assistance programs; amending RCW 74.04.770; adding new sections to chapter 74.04 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that:

          (1) Poverty is a significant problem facing a large portion of Washington's children.

          (2) Poor children's families have experienced a severe erosion in purchasing power during the past decade because of a failure to provide income assistance based on actual minimal living costs.

          (3) Poor children will suffer disproportionate social disorders, health problems, and lowered educational achievements because of their impoverishment.

          (4) Adequate grant standards have a beneficial impact on the state economy by providing additional assistance to low-income consumers who use their increased purchasing power to obtain food, clothing, shelter, and other basic necessities of life.

          (5) A long-range plan with specific goals and objectives is an effective means to end poverty in Washington by the year 2000.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The department shall establish the grant standard for all income assistance programs as a percentage of the standard of need established under RCW 74.04.770.  The grant standard shall not be less than sixty percent of the standard of need by June 30, 1991.  The grant standard shall not be less than sixty-five percent of the standard of need by June 30, 1993.  The grant standard shall not be less than seventy percent of the standard of need by June 30, 1995.  The grant standard shall not be less than one hundred percent of the standard of need by June 30, 1999.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The maximum rateable reduction that may be imposed by the department shall not exceed fifteen percent of the grant standard for all income assistance programs.  Prior to imposing any rateable reduction, the department shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature the nature of the problem that requires a rateable reduction and all alternative solutions that were considered and rejected.

        Sec. 4.  Section 4, chapter 10, Laws of 1981 2nd ex. sess. as amended by section 38, chapter 41, Laws of 1983 1st ex. sess. and RCW 74.04.770 are each amended to read as follows:

          The department shall establish consolidated standards of need each fiscal year which may vary by geographical areas, program, and family size, for aid to families with dependent children, refugee assistance, supplemental security income, and general assistance.  Standards for aid to families with dependent children, refugee assistance, and general assistance shall be based on studies of actual living costs and generally recognized inflation indices and shall include reasonable allowances for shelter, fuel, food, transportation, clothing, household maintenance and operations, personal maintenance, and necessary incidentals.  The standard of need may take into account the economies of joint living arrangements, but unless explicitly required by federal statute, there shall not be proration of any portion of assistance grants unless the amount of the grant standard is equal to the standard of need.

          ((The department is authorized to establish rateable reductions and grant maximums consistent with federal law.

          Payment level will be equal to need or a lesser amount if rateable reductions or grant maximums are imposed.))  In no case shall a recipient of supplemental security income receive a state supplement less than the minimum required by federal law.

          The department may establish a separate standard for shelter provided at no cost.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 2 and 3 of this act are each added to chapter 74.04 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 3 and 4 of this act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.