BILL REQ. #:  S-1142.1 

Read first time 02/03/11.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to public assistance; amending RCW 74.12.030, 74.08.580, and 43.88C.010; adding new sections to chapter 74.08A RCW; repealing RCW 74.08A.340; and providing effective dates.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 74.08A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The full amount of the temporary assistance for needy families block grant, plus qualifying state expenditures shall be appropriated to the department each year in the omnibus appropriations act subject to the following restrictions:
     (a) The amount appropriated to the department for cash assistance shall not be exceeded and shall be spent only for cash assistance;
     (b) The amount appropriated for WorkFirst activities shall not be exceeded and may be transferred within the WorkFirst activities, including to other state agencies that provide some of those activities;
     (c) No more than fifteen percent of the total amount in subsections (1) and (2) of this section may be spent for administrative purposes. For purposes of this section, "administrative purposes" does not include expenditures for information technology and computerization needed for tracking and monitoring required by P.L. 104-193.
     (2) The full amount of the child care development fund shall be appropriated to the department of early learning each year in the omnibus appropriations act to carry out the provisions of the working connections child care program, child care quality programs, and child care licensing functions. The department of early learning shall transfer to the department sufficient funds to perform working connections child care eligibility determinations, service authorizations, and child care provider payments.
     (3) The department and the department of early learning shall operate the programs under subsections (1) and (2) of this section within appropriated levels. Each department shall monitor expenditures against appropriation levels provided in the omnibus appropriations act and shall quarterly report its findings to the appropriate committees of the legislature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 74.08A RCW to read as follows:
     The department shall implement strategies that accomplish the outcome measures identified in RCW 74.08A.410 that are within the funding constraints in section 1 of this act. Specifically the department shall implement strategies that will cause the number of cases in the program authorized in RCW 74.08A.210 through 74.08A.330 and 43.330.145 and chapter 74.12 RCW to decrease by at least five percent each biennium starting with the 2011-13 biennium.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 74.08A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature believes that the foundation of a successful temporary assistance for needy families program is an individualized assessment of the strengths and needs of each family, and the matching of appropriate resources to serve them. The legislature finds that it is critical to identify participants early in the process who have serious barriers to employment, such as chemical dependency or learning disabilities, and connect them with appropriately tailored services. It is important that the services to which recipients are matched meet the goals of assisting needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes and an individualized plan is developed for the recipients to assist them in attaining the skills and training necessary for them to achieve self-sufficiency.
     (2) The department shall conduct an initial comprehensive family assessment at program entry. The assessment shall be designed to be used by other agencies which may provide services to the recipient and his or her family. One of the major objectives of the assessment shall be to identify families for whom barrier resolution is appropriate. After the assessment is complete, the department shall engage the family in a subsequent evaluation designed to identify the appropriate work preparation activity and service level for the recipient.
     (3) The department shall also explore the use of a predictive modeling tool to be used to identify risk factors affecting a recipient's employability. This tool should be designed to assist the department in identifying families who are at high risk of long stays on temporary assistance for needy families and those who are likely to exit relatively quickly from the program. The information produced by this tool should be combined with the information produced by the assessment in subsection (2) of this section to place recipients in the most appropriate services and activities and move them more quickly to self-sufficiency.
     (4) The department shall accomplish the activities in subsections (2) and (3) of this section within current funding.
     (5) The department shall continuously monitor the progress of each recipient in completing his or her plan. The department shall also monitor the outcomes produced by the skills training or services a recipient receives to determine whether the skills training and services purchased by the department to serve recipients is achieving the outcomes set by the department.

Sec. 4   RCW 74.12.030 and 1997 c 59 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements of RCW 74.08.025, as now or hereafter amended, an applicant for temporary assistance for needy families must be a needy child who is a resident of the state of Washington.
     (2) The following persons are not eligible to receive temporary assistance for needy families:
     (a) Individuals in the United States on time-limited visas to work, study, or travel;
     (b) Individuals who entered as temporary residents and overstayed their visas, or are engaged in activities forbidden by their visas, or who entered the United States without a visa; and
     (c) Individuals given temporary administrative statuses until they can formalize permanent status, individuals paroled for less than one year, or individuals under deportation procedures.

Sec. 5   RCW 74.08.580 and 2002 c 252 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any person receiving public assistance is prohibited from using electronic benefit cards or cash obtained with electronic benefit cards:
     (a) For the purpose of participating in any of the activities authorized under chapter 9.46 RCW;
     (b) For the purpose of parimutuel wagering authorized under chapter 67.16 RCW; ((or))
     (c) To purchase lottery tickets or shares authorized under chapter 67.70 RCW;
     (d) For the purpose of participating in or purchasing any activities located in a tattoo, body piercing, or body art shop licensed under chapter 18.300 RCW;
     (e) To purchase cigarettes as defined in RCW 82.24.010 or tobacco products as defined in RCW 82.26.010;
     (f) To purchase any items regulated under Title 66 RCW;
     (g) To purchase any items regulated under chapter 9.41 RCW; or
     (h) For the purpose of participating in or purchasing any activities located in an adult entertainment venue with performances that contain erotic material where minors under the age of eighteen are prohibited under RCW 9.68A.150.
     (2)(a) The department shall notify, in writing, all recipients of electronic benefit cards that any violation of subsection (1) of this section could result in legal proceedings and forfeiture of all cash public assistance.
     (b) Whenever the department receives notice that a person has violated subsection (1) of this section, the department shall notify the person in writing that the violation could result in legal proceedings and forfeiture of all cash public assistance.
     (c) The department shall assign a protective payee to the person receiving public assistance who violates subsection (1) of this section.

Sec. 6   RCW 43.88C.010 and 2000 c 90 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The caseload forecast council is hereby created. The council shall consist of two individuals appointed by the governor and four individuals, one of whom is appointed by the chairperson of each of the two largest political caucuses in the senate and house of representatives. The chair of the council shall be selected from among the four caucus appointees. The council may select such other officers as the members deem necessary.
     (2) The council shall employ a caseload forecast supervisor to supervise the preparation of all caseload forecasts. As used in this chapter, "supervisor" means the caseload forecast supervisor.
     (3) Approval by an affirmative vote of at least five members of the council is required for any decisions regarding employment of the supervisor. Employment of the supervisor shall terminate after each term of three years. At the end of the first year of each three-year term the council shall consider extension of the supervisor's term by one year. The council may fix the compensation of the supervisor. The supervisor shall employ staff sufficient to accomplish the purposes of this section.
     (4) The caseload forecast council shall oversee the preparation of and approve, by an affirmative vote of at least four members, the official state caseload forecasts prepared under RCW 43.88C.020. If the council is unable to approve a forecast before a date required in RCW 43.88C.020, the supervisor shall submit the forecast without approval and the forecast shall have the same effect as if approved by the council.
     (5) A council member who does not cast an affirmative vote for approval of the official caseload forecast may request, and the supervisor shall provide, an alternative forecast based on assumptions specified by the member.
     (6) Members of the caseload forecast council shall serve without additional compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120 while attending sessions of the council or on official business authorized by the council. Nonlegislative members of the council shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (7) "Caseload," as used in this chapter, means the number of persons expected to meet entitlement requirements and require the services of public assistance programs, including the temporary assistance for needy families program, state correctional institutions, state correctional noninstitutional supervision, state institutions for juvenile offenders, the common school system, long-term care, medical assistance, foster care, and adoption support.
     (8) Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions provided in RCW 43.88.020 apply to this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   Section 1 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2011.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   Section 2 of this act takes effect July 1, 2013.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   RCW 74.08A.340 (Funding restrictions) and 2009 c 564 s 953, 2008 c 329 s 922, 2007 c 522 s 957, 2006 c 265 s 209, & 1997 c 58 s 321 are each repealed.