Original Notice.

     Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 10-07-061.

     Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: The department proposes to amend WAC 388-450-0015 What types of income does the department not use to figure out my benefits?

     Hearing Location(s): Office Building 2, Auditorium, DSHS Headquarters, 1115 Washington, Olympia, WA 98504 (public parking at 11th and Jefferson. A map is available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/RPAU-OB-2directions.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on July 6, 2010, at 10:00 a.m.

     Date of Intended Adoption: No earlier than July 7, 2010.

     Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504-5850, delivery 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, e-mail DSHSRPAURulesCoordinator@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5 p.m. on July 6, 2010.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by June 22, 2010, 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: This amendment will exclude the federal $25 supplemental weekly unemployment compensation payment authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 as income or a resource when determining eligibility for cash, medicaid, and Basic Food benefits.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: On November 6, 2009, the president signed the federal Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009. Section 8 of the act requires that the $25 federal supplemental unemployment compensation benefit be excluded as income or a resource when determining eligibility and benefits for the supplemental nutrition assistance program or SNAP. SNAP is administered under the Washington Basic Food program in Washington.

     As federal regulations require these funds to be excluded for medicaid and SNAP, the department will exclude the payments for cash in order to provide consistent treatment of the payment across program lines.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090.

     Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.510, 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: Aurea Figueroa-Rogers, 712 Pear Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98504, (360) 725-4623.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. This proposed rule does not have an economic impact on small businesses, it only affects DSHS clients by setting standards used to determine eligibility and benefit levels for the Washington Basic Food program.

     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."

May 24, 2010

Katherine I. Vazquez [Vasquez]

Rules Coordinator

     (1) There are some types of income we do not count to figure out if you can get benefits and the amount you can get. Some examples of income we do not count are:

     (a) Bona fide loans as defined in WAC 388-470-0045, except certain student loans as specified under WAC 388-450-0035;

     (b) Federal earned income tax credit (EITC) payments;

     (c) Federal economic stimulus payments that are excluded for federal and federally assisted state programs;

     (d) Federal twenty-five dollar supplemental weekly unemployment compensation payment authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009;

     (e) Title IV-E and state foster care maintenance payments if you choose not to include the foster child in your assistance unit;

     (((e))) (f) Energy assistance payments;

     (((f))) (g) Educational assistance we do not count under WAC 388-450-0035;

     (((g))) (h) Native American benefits and payments we do not count under WAC 388-450-0040;

     (((h))) (i) Income from employment and training programs we do not count under WAC 388-450-0045;

     (((i))) (j) Money withheld from a benefit to repay an overpayment from the same income source. For Basic Food, we do not exclude money that is withheld because you were overpaid for purposely not meeting requirements of a federal, state, or local means tested program such as TANF/SFA, GA, and SSI;

     (((j))) (k) Legally obligated child support payments received by someone who gets TANF/SFA benefits;

     (((k))) (l) One-time payments issued under the Department of State or Department of Justice Reception and Replacement Programs, such as Voluntary Agency (VOLAG) payments; and

     (((l))) (m) Payments we are directly told to exclude as income under state or federal law.

     (((m))) (n) For cash and Basic Food: Payments made to someone outside of the household for the benefits of the assistance unit using funds that are not owed to the household;

     (((n))) (o) For Basic Food only: The total monthly amount of all legally obligated current or back child support payments paid by the assistance unit to someone outside of the assistance unit for:

     (i) A person who is not in the assistance unit; or

     (ii) A person who is in the assistance unit to cover a period of time when they were not living with the member of the assistance unit responsible for paying the child support on their behalf.

     (((o))) (p) For medical assistance: Only the portion of income used to repay the cost of obtaining that income source.

     (2) For children's, family, or pregnancy medical, we also do not count any insurance proceeds or other income you have recovered as a result of being a Holocaust survivor.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and P.L. 107-171, section 4101. 09-15-085, § 388-450-0015, filed 7/14/09, effective 11/15/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and 74.08.090. 09-09-103, § 388-450-0015, filed 4/20/09, effective 4/21/09; 06-07-078, § 388-450-0015, filed 3/13/06, effective 5/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090 and Public Law 106-419. 05-03-078, § 388-450-0015, filed 1/17/05, effective 2/17/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 02-14-022, § 388-450-0015, filed 6/21/02, effective 6/22/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.09.530 and 2000 2nd sp.s. c 1 § 210(12). 01-18-006, § 388-450-0015, filed 8/22/01, effective 9/22/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 99-17-025, § 388-450-0015, filed 8/10/99, effective 10/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-450-0015, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-505-0590.]

     Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.

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