S-4264.2 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6167
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Senate Committee on Labor & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Fairley and Thibaudeau)
Read first time 01/31/2000.
AN ACT Relating to public assistance; amending RCW 74.08.050 and 74.09.530; and adding a new section to chapter 74.08A RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 74.08.050 and 1971 ex.s. c 169 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
Application
for a grant in any category of public assistance shall be made to the county
office by the applicant or by another on ((his)) the applicant's
behalf, and shall be reduced to writing upon a standard form((s))
prescribed by the department, and a written acknowledgment of receipt of the
application by the department shall be given to each applicant at the time of
making application. The application form shall be streamlined so that
applicants for various types of public assistance can be identified and
cross-referred to programs for which they are eligible, based upon a single,
universal assistance application form.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.08A RCW to read as follows:
The department shall convene a working group that includes stakeholders and recipients of public assistance to establish basic customer service performance measures and goals. The customer service measures and goals will seek to make support for working families a priority. Customer service measures may include, but are not limited to: Hours of operation that allow working families to get services without missing work; streamlining requirements to make it easier for working families to begin and continue using supportive benefits; wait times; access to benefits that support work; access to job training and education; and access to services for families with limited literacy or English skills, and families with special needs.
The department shall report to the legislature by January 2001 and make available to the public the establishment of customer service measures and goals, the process for agreeing on those measures and goals, and departmental action to assure the goals are being met. The department shall make a written report to the legislature on the ongoing attainment of customer service goals twice per year.
Sec. 3. RCW 74.09.530 and 1979 c 141 s 345 are each amended to read as follows:
The amount and nature of medical assistance and the determination of eligibility of recipients for medical assistance shall be the responsibility of the department of social and health services. The department shall establish reasonable standards of assistance and resource and income exemptions which shall be consistent with the provisions of the Social Security Act and with the regulations of the secretary of health, education and welfare for determining eligibility of individuals for medical assistance and the extent of such assistance to the extent that funds are available from the state and federal government. The department shall not consider assets in determining eligibility for medical assistance programs.
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