PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Subject of Possible Rule Making: The community services division is proposing to amend WAC 388-424-0001 Citizenship and alien status -- Definitions, 388-424-0006 Citizenship and alien status -- Date of entry, 388-424-0010 Citizenship and alien status -- Eligibility restrictions for TANF, nonemergency medicaid, and SCHIP, 388-424-0020 How does my alien status impact my eligibility for the federally-funded Washington Basic Food program benefits?, 388-466-0005 Immigration status requirement for refugee assistance, 388-466-0120 Refugee cash assistance (RCA), 388-466-0130 Refugee medical assistance (RMA), and other related WACs.
These amendments are necessary to revise rules regarding eligibility for assistance for special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan. Special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan are now eligible for sixty months of federally-funded assistance as it is required by federal law.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090.
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The proposed rule changes are in response to the Section 8120, Title VIII, Division A of Department of Defense Appropriation Act of 2010 which was signed into law on December 19, 2009, and became Public Law 111-118.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: DSHS welcomes the public to take part in developing the rules. Anyone interested should contact the staff person identified below. At a later date, DSHS will file a proposal with the office of the code reviser with a notice of proposed rule making. A copy of the proposal will be sent to everyone on the mailing list and to anyone who requests a copy.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Olga Walker, Program Manager, Community Services Division, P.O. Box 45470, Olympia, WA 98504-5470, phone (360) 725-4641, fax (360) 725-4905, e-mail olga.walker@dshs.wa.gov.
January 6, 2010
Don Goldsby, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit