PROPOSED RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 08-08-109.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: The department is amending WAC 388-414-0001 Do I have to meet all eligibility requirements for Basic Food?
Hearing Location(s): Blake Office Park East, Rose Room, 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503 (one block north of the intersection of Pacific Avenue S.E. and Alhadeff Lane. A map or directions are available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/docket.html or by calling (360) 664-6094), on July 8, 2008, at 10:00 a.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: Not earlier than July 9, 2008.
Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504, delivery 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, e-mail schilse@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, on July 8, 2008, by 5:00 p.m.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Jennisha Johnson, DSHS rules consultant, by July 1, 2008, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6094 or by e-mail at johnsjl4@dshs.wa.gov.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The current rule describes the circumstances where a Basic Food assistance unit does not have to meet all eligibility requirements for Basic Food because they meet requirements for another program. The proposed amendment extends categorical eligibility to households with income up to the monthly value of 200% of the federal poverty guidelines to implement a legislative directive to the department under section 207 (e)(13) of HB 2687. This change, in effect, increases the gross and net income for the Basic Food program to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines to the maximum extent allowable under federal law.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: The proposed changes are necessary to implement a legislative directive to the department under section 207 (e)(13) of HB 2687 for Basic Food as allowed under federal regulations for the food stamp program.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090.
Rule is necessary because of federal law, 7 C.F.R. 273.2(j), 7 C.F.R. 273.8(a), 7 C.F.R. 273.9(a), 7 C.F.R. 273.10.
Name of Proponent: Department of social and health services, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: John Camp, 712 Pear Street S.E., Olympia, WA 98503, (360) 725-4616.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. This proposed rule does not have an economic impact on small businesses; it establishes which assistance units are categorically eligible for Basic Food and do not have to meet the normal gross and net income test for the food stamp program. The proposed change extends the gross and net income test for Basic Food to the maximum extent allowable under federal law. This directly impacts household's eligibility for benefits through the Washington Basic Food program.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. These amendments are exempt as allowed under RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(vii) which states in-part, "[t]his section does not apply to...rules of the department of social and health services relating only to client medical or financial eligibility and rules concerning liability for care of dependents."
May 29, 2008
Stephanie E. Schiller
Rules Coordinator
3983.2(a) Being categorically eligible (CE) means that you have already met requirements for the program. If you are CE, you do not have to meet every program requirement to be eligible for Basic Food.
(b) If your assistance unit (AU) is CE, you automatically meet the following requirements for Basic Food:
(i) Residency under WAC 388-468-0005;
(ii) Countable resource limit under WAC 388-470-0005;
(iii) Maximum gross monthly income under WAC 388-478-0060; and
(iv) Maximum net monthly income under WAC 388-478-0060.
(c) If your AU is CE and the information is available from another program, you do not need to provide the following for Basic Food:
(i) Social Security number information under WAC 388-476-0005; and
(ii) Sponsored alien information under WAC 388-450-0155.
(d) Being CE does not mean that your AU is guaranteed to get Basic Food benefits. If your AU is CE:
(i) You must still meet the other Basic Food program requirements under WAC 388-400-0040; and
(ii) If you meet the other program requirements, we must budget your AU's income to determine the amount of benefits your AU will receive.
(2) Who is categorically eligible for Basic Food?
Your Basic Food AU is CE when((:)) your AU's income that
we do not exclude under WAC 388-450-0015 is at or under two
hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines we use for
department programs.
(a) ((Every member of your AU gets either general
assistance (GA), Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Support Act
(ADATSA), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) cash benefits
on their own behalf;)) The federal government publishes the
federal poverty guidelines on the health and human services
website. These are currently posted at
http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml.
(b) ((Any member of your AU gets or is authorized to get
payments from the following programs because we have
determined that the entire AU benefits from someone receiving
the assistance:
(i) Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) cash assistance;
(ii) State family assistance (SFA); or
(iii) Diversion cash assistance (DCA). You are CE for the month you receive DCA and the three following months as long as you have one adult relative caretaker with a dependent child in the Basic Food AU.
(c) Your AU's income that we don't exclude under WAC 388-450-0015 is not over the maximum gross monthly income under WAC 388-478-0060. If your income is not over the gross monthly income limit, we provide your AU information about department programs and referral to resources in the community)) The department uses the monthly value of the income guidelines for the current year beginning the first of April every year.
(c) If your income is not over two hundred percent of the federal poverty guidelines, we provide your AU information about the department programs and resources in the community.
(3) Who is not CE even if my AU meets the above criteria?
(a) Even if your AU is CE, members of your AU are not eligible for Basic Food if they:
(i) Are not eligible because of their alien or student status;
(ii) Were disqualified from Basic Food under WAC 388-444-0055 for failing work requirements;
(iii) Are not eligible for failing to provide or apply for a Social Security number;
(iv) Receive SSI in a cash-out state (state where SSI payments are increased to include the value of the client's food stamp allotment); or
(v) Live in an institution not eligible for Basic Food under WAC 388-408-0040.
(b) If a person in your AU is not eligible for Basic Food, we do not include them as an eligible member of your CE AU.
(c) Your AU is not CE if:
(i) Your AU is not eligible because of striker requirements under WAC 388-480-0001;
(ii) Your AU is ineligible for knowingly transferring countable resources in order to qualify for benefits under WAC 388-488-0010;
(iii) Your AU refused to cooperate in providing information that is needed to determine your eligibility;
(iv) The head of household for your AU failed to meet work requirements; or
(v) Anyone in your AU is disqualified because of an intentional program violation under WAC 388-446-0015.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090. 05-23-081, § 388-414-0001, filed 11/15/05, effective 1/1/06. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 24. 04-14-038, § 388-414-0001, filed 6/29/04, effective 8/1/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 04-07-139, § 388-414-0001, filed 3/22/04, effective 5/1/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.510. 01-07-054, § 388-414-0001, filed 3/16/01, effective 3/29/01; 00-11-035, § 388-414-0001, filed 5/10/00, effective 8/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-414-0001, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]