5967 AMS REGA GREJ 007

                

SB 5967 - S AMD TO S  AMD  (S-5227.3) 226

By Senators Regala, Brown

NOT ADOPTED 03/02/2012

    On page 66, line 6, increase the General Fund--State appropriation fiscal year 2012 by $17,950,000 and adjust the total appropriation accordingly.

 

    On page 66, line 8, increase the General Fund--State appropriation fiscal year 2013 by $127,925,000 and adjust the total appropriation accordingly.

 

On page 66, after line 15, strike all material down through page 67,  including line 30 and insert:

" (1) (($258,880,000)) $140,000,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2012, (($297,296,000)) $140,000,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013, and (($710,173,000)) $288,741,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation are provided solely for ((all components of the WorkFirst program)) assistance to clients including grants, diversion cash assistance under RCW 74.08A.210, and tribal assistance under RCW 74.08A.040. Under section 2 of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5921 (social services programs), the amounts in this subsection assume that any participant in the temporary assistance for needy families where their participation is suspended and does not volunteer to participate in WorkFirst services or unsubsidized employment does not receive child care subsidies or WorkFirst subsidies as a condition of the suspension. Within the amounts provided ((for the WorkFirst program)) in this subsection, the department may provide assistance using state-only funds for families eligible for temporary assistance for needy families.

(2)(a) $15,000,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2012, $15,000,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013, and $111,386,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation are provided solely for WorkFirst job search, education and training activities, and barrier removal services. Funding appropriated in this subsection (2)(a) must be allocated using a formula that accounts for client caseload and client outcomes, including outcome and accountability measures adopted by the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force under RCW 74.08A.260 and outcomes under RCW 74.08A.410. Funding must be allocated using this formula beginning July 1, 2012. The department shall present this formula, including outcome data, to the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force by July 1, 2012.

(((a))) (b) Within the amounts provided for WorkFirst in this subsection, the department shall continue to implement WorkFirst program improvements that are designed to achieve progress against outcome measures specified in RCW 74.08A.410.

(((b))) (c) The department may establish a career services work transition program.

(((c) Within the amounts provided in this subsection, $1,414,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2012 and $5,150,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013 are provided solely for the implementation and administration of the electronic benefit transfer system under section 12 of Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5921 (social services programs). The department shall transfer these amounts to the department of early learning for the implementation and administration of the project.))

(d) Within amounts appropriated in this subsection, the legislature expressly mandates that the department exercise its authority, granted in 1997 under RCW 74.08A.290, to contract for work activities services pursuant to that statutory authority and RCW 41.06.142(3).

(3) $44,729,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2012, $48,967,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013, and $246,921,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation are provided solely for the working connections child care program under RCW 43.215.135.

(((e))) (4) The department shall create a temporary assistance for needy families budget structure that allows for more transparent tracking of budget units and subunits of expenditures where these units and subunits are mutually exclusive from other department budget units. The budget structure shall include budget units for the following: Grants, child care, WorkFirst activities, and administration of the program. The department shall make quarterly expenditure reports to the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force and legislative fiscal committees.

(((2)(a) $11,825,000)) (5) $26,825,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation is provided solely for a contingency reserve in the event ((the temporary assistance for needy families cash benefit is)) that expenditures under subsections (1) and (3) of this section are projected to exceed ((forecasted amounts by more than one percent)) the appropriated amounts. The department shall only expend an amount equal to the forecasted over-expenditure. For purposes of this subsection, the temporary assistance forecast shall be completed every quarter and follow a similar schedule of the caseload forecast council forecasts.  The department shall report to the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force and legislative fiscal committees the need to access the contingency reserve.

(((b) If sufficient savings in subsection (1) of this section are achieved, the department of early learning shall increase the number of child care slots available for the working connections child care program.)) (6) The amounts in subsections (1) through (5) of this section shall be expended for the programs and in the amounts specified. However, the department may transfer funding between subsections (1) and (3) of this section, but only if the funding is available to transfer solely due to utilization or caseload changes. Amounts in subsection (2) of this section may be transferred to subsections (1) or (3) of this section. The approval of the director of financial management is required prior to any transfer under this subsection. The department shall provide notification prior to any transfer to the appropriate legislative committees and the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force."

 

On page 179, line 24, increase the General Fund--State appropriation fiscal year 2012 by $50,000 and adjust the total appropriation accordingly.

 

    On page 179, line 26, increase the General Fund--State appropriation fiscal year 2013 by $2,075,000 and adjust the total appropriation accordingly.

 

    On page 181, line 16, after "(7)", insert the following:

"(a) $153,558,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation is provided solely for the working connections child care program under RCW 43.215.135.

 (b)"

 

    On page 181, after line 21, insert the following:

"(c) The department is directed to examine, and revise if necessary, the good cause exemptions to the child support requirements for the working connections child care program, in cooperation with the department of social and health services and the office of financial management, to determine if additional exemptions may be necessary to prevent potential clients from being unable to access the program.

 (8)(a) $50,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2012 and $1,050,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013 are provided solely for implementation and administration of an electronic benefit transfer system. The system shall include electronic time keeping, integrated with an eligibility information technology system, and an electronic payment system. The department shall coordinate implementation of this system with the department of social and health services.

 (b) $100,000 of the general fund--state appropriation in this subsection is provided solely for the department to contract for an independent consultant to evaluate and recommend the optimum system for the eligibility determination process. The evaluation must include an analysis of lean management processes that, if adopted, could improve the cost effectiveness and delivery of eligibility determination. The department shall coordinate with the department of social and health services for this evaluation. The department must report to the office of financial management and the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the legislature by December 1, 2012."

    

     On page 181, line 26, after "fiscal committees", insert " and the legislative-executive WorkFirst oversight task force"

 

     On page 182, after line 6, insert the following:

"(13) $1,025,000 of the general fund--state appropriation for fiscal year 2013 and $6,712,000 of the general fund--federal appropriation are provided solely for the seasonal child care program."

 

Renumber sections accordingly.

 

 

 

    EFFECT: 

Provides funding within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for a 15 percent increase to grants and to remove a large family cap policy.

 

Provides funding for the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) program to serve up to 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and asks the Department of Early Learning (DEL)to examine good cause exemptions to the child support enforcement requirement for WCCC.

 

Puts programs within the TANF Box into separate provisos.

 

Moves funding for the electronic child care attendance system and seasonal child care to DEL.

 

Fiscal Impact: $148 million in GF-S  

 

 

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