6244-S.E AMH SOMM REDF 6

ESSB 6244 - H AMDS TO APP COMM AMD (H4310.3/94) 1203 ADOPTED22594

By Representative Sommers

On page 142, after line 27 of the amendment, insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 907. The department of social and health services shall design and implement a public assistance reform program which incorporates, but is not limited to, the following initiatives:

(a) Mandatory participation in the job opportunities and basic skills program for recipients of aid to families with dependent children who are pregnant or parenting teens or who have received assistance for 36 of the last 60 months;

(b) Ineligibility for public assistance for pregnant or parenting teens who do not live with another adult or are not subject to protective payee requirements;

(c) Payment of cash instead of food stamps or use of electronic benefits transfer for participants in the job opportunities and basic skills program;

(d) An annual benefit reduction of ten percent for individuals who have received public assistance for 48 of the last 60 months, combined with freezing other benefits to ensure that reductions are not diluted by increases in other benefits; and

(e) The ability for recipients subject to the benefit reduction to earn back amounts lost due to length of stay.

The department of social and health services shall make any state plan amendments that may be necessary to implement any of the initiatives described in this section. The department shall request the governor to seek congressional action on any federal legislation that may be necessary to implement any of the initiatives described in this section. By October 1, 1994, the department shall request the governor to seek federal agency action on any federal regulation that may require a federal waiver.

By January 1, 1995, the department of social and health services shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding the program design, necessary state legislation changes, status of waiver requests, a plan for implementation beginning on July 1, 1995, and the fiscal impact of the program."

Renumber the remaining sections consecutively and correct internal references accordingly.

On page 51, after line 36 of the amendment, insert the following:

(8) The job opportunities and basic skills training program shall place a high priority on participants gaining work experience and participants will normally be expected to take any job offered unless there is good cause to refuse to accept a job. Good cause shall be found if any of the conditions described in RCW 74.25.020(3) are met, or if accepting a job would result in a participant having to discontinue an education or job training program that is part of the participant's employability plan prior to completion of such education or job training program.

The department of social and health services shall track the experience of those recipients who accept any job offered as part of their job opportunities and basic skills program participation.

Hours of unsubsidized employment shall count towards participation requirements independent of date of hire or concurrent participation in other components of the job opportunities and basic skills program. The services specified in the employability plan will be targeted as follows:

(a) Participants under age twenty may be required to complete high school or other basic skills training;

(b) Participants who do not have recent work experience shall be required to participate in paid or unpaid work experience or activities leading directly to such experience, including job search, job readiness, and job skills training;

(c) Participants who have recent work experience and more than a high school diploma shall be required to participate in job search; and

(d) Vocational education programs shall be emphasized over postsecondary education programs."