PROPOSED RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 09-14-072.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: The department is proposing to amend WAC 388-406-0055 When do my benefits start?
Hearing Location(s): Blake Office Park East, Rose Room, 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503 (one block north of the intersection of Pacific Avenue S.E. and Alhadeff Lane. A map or directions are available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/docket.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on September 22, 2009, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not earlier than September 23, 2009.
Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504, delivery 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, e-mail DSHSRPAURulesCoordinator@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5 p.m. on September 22, 2009.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by September 8, 2009, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6094 or by e-mail at johnsjl4@dshs.wa.gov.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The purpose of the proposed rule change is to eliminate the forty-five day processing timeframe for general assistance applications filed by a person in confinement in a correctional facility or institution.
In addition, there is a typographical error that the department is proposing to fix. In subsection (2)(d) the text reads "your applied" and should read "you applied" which is from a rule filing in 2003 (WSR 03-22-039).
Reasons Supporting Proposal: The proposed amendments are needed to comply with the statutory changes made to RCW 74.08.060 by the enactment of SSB 6024 (chapter 198, Laws of 2009). The governor signed the law on April 23, 2009, which goes into effect on November 1, 2009.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.060, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.08.060, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Department of social and health services, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: Melissa Mathson, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, (360) 725-4563.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. These proposed rules do not have an economic impact on small businesses. The proposed amendments only affect DSHS clients by defining when applications are accepted and when they will be processed.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. These amendments are exempt as allowed under RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(vii) which states in-part, "[t]his section does not apply to ... rules of the department of social and health services relating only to client medical or financial eligibility and rules concerning liability for care of dependents." These rules affect client applications for benefits.
August 13, 2009
Don Goldsby, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
-4131.1(1) Cash assistance, your benefits start:
(a) The date we have enough information to make an eligibility decision; or
(b) No later than the thirtieth day for TANF, SFA, or RCA; or
(c) No later than the forty-fifth day for general
assistance (((GAU))) (GA) unless you are confined in a
Washington State public institution as defined in WAC 388-406-0005 (6)(a) on the forty-fifth day, in which case your
benefits will start on the date you are released from
confinement.
(2) Basic Food, your benefits start from the date you applied unless:
(a) You are recertified for Basic Food. If you are recertified for Basic Food, we determine the date your benefits start under WAC 388-434-0010;
(b) You applied for Basic Food while living in an institution. If you apply for Basic Food while living in an institution, the date you are released from the institution determines your start date as follows. If you are expected to leave the institution:
(i) Within thirty days of the date we receive your application, your benefits start on the date you leave the institution; or
(ii) More than thirty days from the date we receive your application, we deny your application for Basic Food. You may apply for Basic Food again when your date of release from the institution is closer.
(c) We were unable to process your application within thirty days because of a delay on your part. If you caused the delay, but submit required verification by the end of the second thirty-day period, we approve your benefits starting the first day of the month following the month you applied for benefits. We start your benefits from this date even if we denied your application for Basic Food.
(d) We initially denied your application for Basic Food
and your assistance unit (AU) becomes categorically eligible
(CE) within sixty days from the date ((your)) you applied. If your AU becoming CE under
WAC 388-414-0001 makes you eligible for Basic Food, the date
we approve Basic Food is the date your AU became CE.
(e) You are approved for transitional food assistance under chapter 388-489 WAC. We determine the date transitional benefits start as described under WAC 388-489-0015.
(f) You receive transitional food assistance with people you used to live with, and are now approved to receive Basic Food in a different assistance unit:
(i) We must give the other assistance unit ten days notice as described under WAC 388-458-0025 before we remove you from the transitional food assistance benefits.
(ii) Your Basic Food benefits start the first of the month after we remove you from the transitional benefits. For example, if we remove you from transitional benefits on November 30th, you are eligible for Basic Food on December 1st.
(3) Medical assistance, the date your benefits start is stated in chapter 388-416 WAC.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. 05-19-060, § 388-406-0055, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-22-039, § 388-406-0055, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. 02-14-023, § 388-406-0055, filed 6/21/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-406-0055, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]