WSR 15-15-158

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed July 21, 2015, 1:18 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: The department is proposing to amend WAC 388-478-0020 Payment standards for TANF, SFA, and RCA, 388-478-0035 What are the maximum earned income limits for TANF, SFA, PWA, and RCA?, 388-436-0050 Determining financial need and benefit amount for CEAP, and any other related rules as may be required.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.08A.230.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The department is proposing to amend WAC 388-478-0020, 388-478-0035, 388-436-0050, and any other related rules as may be required to implement a nine percent increase in the payment standards for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), state family assistance (SFA), and refugee cash assistance (RCA), the financial need and benefit amount limits for the consolidated emergency assistance program (CEAP), and the nine percent increase in the maximum earned income limits for the TANF, SFA, RCA, and the pregnant women assistance (PWA) programs.

WAC 388-478-0020, 388-478-0035, and 388-436-0050 were amended via emergency adoption on July 1, 2015, as WSR 15-15-005.

Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Leslie Kozak, P.O. Box 45440 [45470], Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone (360) 725-4589, fax (360) 725-4904, e-mail leslie.kozak@dshs.wa.gov.

July 21, 2015

Katherine I. Vasquez

Rules Coordinator