WSR 97-02-033
EMERGENCY RULES
DEPARTMENT OF
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services)
(Public Assistance)
[Filed December 24, 1996, 2:11 p.m., effective January 1, 1997]
Purpose: Consider as income, for food stamp program purposes, state-defined energy allowances in refugee assistance grants.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-49-470.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.510.
Other Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2014 (d) and (k).
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that state or federal law or federal rule or a federal deadline for state receipt of federal funds requires immediate adoption of a rule.
Reasons for this Finding: Section 808 of HR 3734 (Public Law 104-193) requires this change for January 1, 1997, implementation.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, amended 1, repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, amended 0, repealed 0.
Effective Date of Rule: January 1, 1997.
December 23, 1996
Merry A. Kogut, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending 96-22-100, filed 11/6/96, effective 12/7/96)
WAC 388-49-470 Income--Exclusions. (1) The department shall exclude the following income:
(a) Money withheld from an income source to repay a prior overpayment from that same income source except for money withheld to recoup an intentional noncompliance overpayment from a federal, state, or local means-tested program;
(b) Income specifically excluded by any federal statute from consideration as income in the food stamp program;
(c) The earned income of household members who are:
(i) Seventeen years of age or under; and
(ii) Attending elementary or secondary school at least half time.
(d) Infrequent or irregular income, received during a three-month period by a prospectively budgeted household, that:
(i) Cannot be reasonably anticipated as available; and
(ii) Shall not exceed thirty dollars for all household members.
(e) Loans, including those from private individuals and commercial institutions, other than educational loans where repayment is deferred;
(f) Nonrecurring lump sum payments;
(g) Income used for the cost of producing self-employment income;
(h) Educational assistance financed in whole or in part with Title IV funds or issued by the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(i) Educational assistance to the extent such assistance is earmarked by the school or actually paid by the student for the following educational expenses:
(i) Tuition;
(ii) Mandatory fees, including rental or purchase of equipment, materials, and supplies related to pursuing the course of study;
(iii) Books;
(iv) Supplies;
(v) Transportation; and
(vi) Miscellaneous personal expenses.
(j) Reimbursements for past or future expenses to the extent the reimbursements do not:
(i) Exceed the actual expense; and
(ii) Represent a gain or benefit to the household.
(k) Any gain or benefit not in money;
(l) Vendor payments as defined in WAC 388-49-020;
(m) Money received and used for the care and maintenance of a third-party beneficiary who is not a household member;
(n) Supplemental payments or allowances made under federal, state, or local laws for the purpose of offsetting increased energy costs;
(o) ((Energy allowances included in refugee assistance grants.
(p))) Support payments owed to a household member, but specified by
the support court order or other legally binding written support or
alimony agreement to go directly to a third-party beneficiary rather than
to the household;
(((q))) (p) Support payments on behalf of a household member, not
required by the support court order or other legally binding written
support or alimony agreement and paid directly to a third party rather
than to the household;
(((r))) (q) Payments from the individual and family grant program;
(((s))) (r) Public assistance payments:
(i) Over and above the regular warrant amount;
(ii) Not normally a part of the regular warrant; and
(iii) Paid directly to a third party on behalf of the household.
(((t))) (s) From Jobs Training Partnership Act programs:
(i) Allowances; and
(ii) Earnings from on-the-job training by household members under parental control and eighteen years of age and younger.
(((u))) (t) Cash donations based on need:
(i) Received directly by the household;
(ii) From one or more private, nonprofit, charitable organizations; and
(iii) Not exceeding three hundred dollars in any federal fiscal year quarter.
(((v))) (u) Earned income credit;
(((w))) (v) Governmental foster care payments received by households
with foster care individuals who are considered to be boarders under WAC
388-49-020(10).
(2) When earnings or amount of work performed by a household member described in subsection (1)(c) of this section, cannot be differentiated from the earnings or work performed by other household members, the department shall:
(a) Prorate the earnings equally among the working members; and
(b) Exclude the household member's pro rata share.
(3) When the intended beneficiaries of a single payment for care and maintenance of a third-party beneficiary include both household members and persons not in the household, the department shall exclude:
(a) Any identifiable portion intended and used for the care and maintenance of the person out of the household; or
(b) The lesser of:
(i) The actual amount used from a single payment for the care of a person outside the household; or
(ii) A pro rata share of the single payment when the single payment
does not identify the portion intended for the care of the person outside
the household.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and Section 807 and 808 of H.R. 3734 (Public Law 104-193). 96-22-100, 388-49-470, filed 11/6/96, effective 12/7/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 7 CFR 273.9 (c)(16). 94-22-029 (Order 3802), 388-49-470, filed 10/26/94, effective 1/1/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510, P.L. 103-66 (8-10-93) and 7 CFR 273.11(k). 94-16-074 (Order 3766), 388-49-470, filed 7/29/94, effective 9/1/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 1992 479B. 93-17-032 (Order 3614), 388-49-470, filed 8/11/93, effective 9/11/93. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 7 CFR 273.9 (b)(5), (c)(2), and (c)(6). 92-22-051 (Order 3475), 388-49-470, filed 10/28/92, effective 12/1/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and Public Law 102-237. 92-11-063 (Order 3392), 388-49-470, filed 5/19/92, effective 6/19/92. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510. 92-03-119 (Order 3316), 388-49-470, filed 1/21/92, effective 2/21/92; 91-06-004 (Order 3141), 388- 49-470, filed 2/21/91, effective 3/24/91; 90-15-028 (Order 3040), 388-49-470, filed 7/13/90, effective 8/13/90; 89-24-040 (Order 2911), 388-49-470, filed 12/1/89, effective 1/1/90; 89-11-101 (Order 2800), 388-49-470, filed 5/24/89; 88-21-096 (Order 2716), 388-49-470, filed 10/19/88; 88-08-079 (Order 2617), 388-49-470, filed 4/6/88. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050. 88-02-031 (Order 2575), 388-49-470, filed 12/31/87.]