Legislative-Executive WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Oversight Task Force.
The Legislative-Executive WorkFirst Poverty Reduction Oversight (Task Force) oversees the operation of the WorkFirst and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. The voting membership of the Task Force is comprised of eight state agency representatives and eight members of the Legislature. The state agency partners provide staff support to the Task Force. Agency partners include the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS); the Department of Commerce (COM); the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF); the Employment Security Department (ESD); the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; the Department of Health; the Department of Corrections; and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. In 2019, the Task Force published its Five-Year Plan to Reduce Intergenerational Poverty and Promote Self-Sufficiency.
Poverty Reduction Work Group/Steering Committee.
The Poverty Reduction Work Group (Work Group) was established by the Governor in 2017 and evolved into the Poverty Reduction Steering Committee (Steering Committee), which advises the Task Force. Legislative and executive branch membership of the Task Force and Work Group overlap to some extent, with additional members representing other public and private entities. In 2020, the Work Group published The 10-Year Plan to Dismantle Poverty in Washington with the goal of building a just and equitable future in which all of Washingtonians have their foundational needs met, and the resources and the opportunities they need to thrive.
Measures of Economic Recovery.
An affiliate of the Steering Committee, the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Economic Recovery is comprised of state agency members and representatives of organizations focused on poverty reduction. The TAG published "Proposed Vision, Measures, and Process Toward a Just & Equitable Future" in March 2021. The TAG recommends annual and interim reporting on various outcomes and conditions that define and guide economic recovery efforts, including a measure of the number of people living above the University of Washington Self-Sufficiency Standard (SSS) as a baseline of economic well-being.
Self-Sufficiency Standard.
The University of Washington has created the SSS to measure the income necessary to meet a household's basic needs without public assistance. The SSS varies by county and household composition, both in the age of the household members and the size of the household. For example, the SSS for a household consisting of one adult and two children in Thurston County was $56,279 in 2020.
2021 Federal Poverty Guideline.
Many federally funded programs use the federal poverty guidelines adopted annually by the United States Department of Health and Human Services to determine eligibility for public assistance. The poverty guidelines vary by household size, but not by geographic location or age of household members. The 2022 federal poverty guideline for a household of three is an annual income at or below $23,030. Two hundred percent of the guideline for a household of three is $46,060.
Economic Inclusion Grants.
The ESD, in consultation with the DSHS, the COM, the DCYF, the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), the Steering Committee, and other stakeholders identified by the ESD, must oversee the implementation of economic inclusion grants for local communities. The grants are to promote equity, economic inclusion, and a stable financial foundation for people experiencing poverty, with a focus on people of color and people in rural counties. People experiencing poverty are defined as households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
The primary purpose of the grants is to empower and incentivize local communities to coordinate existing poverty reduction resources and benefits, and to improve access through system coordination.
Subject to available funds, grants must be made available statewide with an emphasis on economically distressed communities as defined by the ESD.
Economic Inclusion Grant recipients must:
If an applicant has not submitted adequate documentation to participate within three months after the grant's announcement, the agencies may redistribute the unclaimed funding to other participating local areas.
The ESD must consult with the Steering Committee in the management of the grants. Members of the Steering Committee must be reimbursed for travel, child care, and other expenses associated with attending up to 12 meetings per year to provide consultative assistance to the agencies managing the economic inclusion grants.
Federal Waivers and Other Policies.
The ESD, in consultation with agency partners, the Steering Committee, and other stakeholders, must develop a comprehensive list of federal waivers to remove federal barriers to coordinating service delivery across programs and report annually to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Task Force beginning November 15, 2022. Where waivers are not possible, the ESD must instead include information in the report about federal rules or policies that are creating barriers. The report must include progress reports, an estimate of costs avoided by the state when a person moves out of poverty, measures of equitable and inclusive economic recovery, and model legislative language to expand economic inclusion, reduce poverty, and improve service coordination.
The ESD may apply for federal waivers and propose federal law changes to make the authorizing environment better support coordinated service delivery across programs.
Measures of Economic Recovery.
The DSHS, in consultation with agency partners and the Steering Committee, must further develop measures and indicators of equitable and inclusive economic recovery already underway by the TAG, and apply those measures as needed to promote economic recovery that is racially equitable and fully inclusive of key demographics that have historically been left behind in economic recovery.
The economic inclusion grants are to be administered by the ESD in partnership with other agencies, rather than the COM.
Recipients of economic inclusion grants are required to:
Language requiring recipients of economic inclusion grants to coordinate with similar federally funded or federally driven service coordination efforts as appropriate is removed.
The ESD, in consultation with agency partners, the Steering Committee, and other stakeholders, must report annually to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Task Force beginning November 15, 2022, rather than November 15, 2021.
(In support) The systems of support in the state are complicated and difficult to navigate. This bill is a step in the right direction. Helping people access the assistance they need puts them on the path to steady employment and stability. The effects of economic hardships on families and individuals are well-documented. The work outlined in the bill is critical to supporting individuals who are experiencing poverty. This bill is aligned with the Governor's budget, the Work Group's 10-Year Plan to Dismantle Poverty in Washington, and the Task Force's Five-Year Plan to Reduce Intergenerational Poverty and Promote Self-Sufficiency. Clients seeking services have repeatedly expressed that they need streamlined, human-centered one-door access to multiple services. The approach in this bill is comprehensive. Local economic inclusion grants will provide communities with more capacity to braid together the services that individuals need and harmonize programs as much as possible. This bill will also help ensure that individuals that are experiencing poverty have a leadership voice in program design and implementation of the grants.
(Opposed) None.
No new changes were recommended.
(In support) The Poverty Reduction Steering Committee (Steering Committee) members have shared their experiences in navigating different support programs and programs' various requirements. A local approach to navigating these types of challenges makes sense. The bill as amended is aligned with the Steering Committee and the agencies working in this area. There is a proviso in the Employment Security Department budget for the Economic Security for All program that is well-aligned with this bill.
(Opposed) None.