BILL REQ. #:  H-2601.1 

Read first time 03/01/2007.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to removing funding restrictions for the temporary assistance for needy families program; and amending RCW 74.08A.340.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 74.08A.340 and 2006 c 265 s 209 are each amended to read as follows:
     The department of social and health services shall operate the Washington WorkFirst program authorized under RCW 74.08A.200 through 74.08A.330, 43.330.145, 74.13.0903 and 74.25.040, and chapter 74.12 RCW within the following constraints:
     (1) The full amount of the temporary assistance for needy families block grant, plus qualifying state expenditures as appropriated in the biennial operating budget, shall be appropriated to the department each year in the biennial appropriations act to carry out the provisions of the program authorized in RCW 74.08A.200 through 74.08A.330, 43.330.145, 74.13.0903 and 74.25.040, and chapter 74.12 RCW.
     (2)(a) The department may expend funds defined in subsection (1) of this section in any manner that will effectively accomplish the outcome measures defined in RCW 74.08A.410 with the following exception: Beginning with the 2007-2009 biennium, funds that constitute the working connections child care program, child care quality programs, and child care licensing functions.
     (b) Beginning in the 2007-2009 fiscal biennium, the legislature shall appropriate and the department of early learning shall expend funds defined in subsection (1) of this section that constitute the working connections child care program, child care quality programs, and child care licensing functions in a manner that is consistent with the outcome measures defined in RCW 74.08A.410.
     (c) No more than fifteen percent of the amount provided in subsection (1) of this section may be spent for administrative purposes. For the purpose of this subsection, "administrative purposes" does not include expenditures for information technology and computerization needed for tracking and monitoring required by P.L. 104-193. The department ((shall not)) may increase grant levels to recipients of the program authorized in RCW 74.08A.200 through 74.08A.330 and 43.330.145 and chapter 74.12 RCW, if specifically authorized in the operating budget.
     (3) The department shall implement strategies that accomplish the outcome measures identified in RCW 74.08A.410 that are within the funding constraints in this section. Specifically, the department shall implement strategies that will cause the number of cases in the program authorized in RCW 74.08A.200 through 74.08A.330 and 43.330.145 and chapter 74.12 RCW to decrease by at least fifteen percent during the 1997-99 biennium and by at least five percent in the subsequent biennium. The department may transfer appropriation authority between funding categories within the economic services program in order to carry out the requirements of this subsection.
     (4) The department shall monitor expenditures against the appropriation levels provided for in subsection (1) of this section. The department shall quarterly make a determination as to whether expenditure levels will exceed available funding and communicate its finding to the legislature. If the determination indicates that expenditures will exceed funding at the end of the fiscal year, the department shall take all necessary actions to ensure that all services provided under this chapter shall be made available only to the extent of the availability and level of appropriation made by the legislature.