Effective Date of Rule: Immediately.

     Purpose: The department is proposing to amend via emergency adoption WAC 388-424-0020 in order to allow special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan to be eligible for federally funded Washington Basic Food program for up to sixty months as allowed under federal law. This change must be implemented immediately to comply with Public Law (P.L.) 111-118 the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010, Division A, Title Viii, Section 8120, and a new federal guidance issued on January 29, 2010, by the Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-424-0020.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.04.510, and 74.08A.120.

     Other Authority: P.L. 111-118 the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2010, Division A, Title Viii, Section 8120, Food and Nutrition Service Administration SNAP Administrative Notice 10-15 from January 29, 2010, United States Department of Agriculture.

     Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest; and 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: To extend the duration of eligibility of special immigrants from Iraq and Afghanistan for federally funded Basic Food benefits from eight to sixty months from the date of entry into the United States or date of adjustment to special immigrant status, as required by the Food and Nutrition Service Administration, United States Department of Agriculture SNAP Administrative Notice 10-15. This change went into effect December 19, 2009, and some individuals would receive limited assistance if the department made the change only via the regular rule-filing process. The department is concurrently working on the regular rule-filing process.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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 0, 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 1, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: March 26, 2010

Katherine I. Vasquez

Rules Coordinator

     (2) If you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, you must fall within (a), (b), or (c) of this subsection, and meet all other eligibility requirements, in order to receive federal Basic Food benefits:

     (a) You are a member of one of the following groups of "qualified aliens" or similarly defined lawful immigrants as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:

     (i) Amerasian;

     (ii) Asylee;

     (iii) Cuban or Haitian entrant;

     (iv) Deportation or removal withheld;

     (v) Refugee;

     (vi) Special immigrant from Iraq or Afghanistan;

     (vii) Victim of trafficking;

     (((vii))) (viii) Noncitizen American Indian; or

     (((viii))) (ix) Hmong or Highland Lao tribal member.

     (b)(i) You are a member of one of the following groups of qualified aliens as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:

     (A) Conditional entrant;

     (B) Lawful permanent resident (LPR);

     (C) Paroled for one year or more; or

     (D) Victim of domestic violence or parent or child of a victim.

     (ii) And, one of the following also applies to you:

     (A) You have worked or can get credit for forty Social Security Administration (SSA) work quarters - as described in WAC 388-424-0008;

     (B) You are an active duty personnel or honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. military or you are the spouse, unmarried surviving spouse, or unmarried dependent child of someone who meets this requirement, as described in WAC 388-424-0007(1);

     (C) You receive cash or medical benefits based on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) criteria for blindness or disability;

     (D) You have lived in the U.S. as a "qualified alien" as described in WAC 388-424-0001 for at least five years;

     (E) You are under age eighteen; or

     (F) You were lawfully residing in the U.S. on August 22, 1996 and were born on or before August 22, 1931.

     (((c) You are a special immigrant from Iraq or Afghanistan eligible for eight months of federally funded assistance from the date of your entry into the United States or from the date you received special immigrant status if this occurred after your U.S. entry.))

     (3) If you are ineligible for federal Basic Food benefits due to your alien status, you may be eligible for state Basic Food benefits (see WAC 388-424-0025).

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.08A.320, Pub. L. No. 110-181, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, Pub. L. No. 111-08, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, Division F, Title VI, Section 602; Office of Refugee Resettlement State Letter 09-17 from April 9, 2009; and federal guidance issued on May 15, 2009, by the Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department of Agriculture. 09-21-046, § 388-424-0020, filed 10/14/09, effective 11/4/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08A.320, 74.08.090, and Public Law 110-161 Section 525; Public Law 110-181 Section 1244; FNS Admin Notice 08-17; State Letter 04-12 from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. 08-14-116, § 388-424-0020, filed 6/30/08, effective 8/1/08. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-004, § 388-424-0020, filed 7/7/04, effective 8/7/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 03-05-029, § 388-424-0020, filed 2/10/03, effective 4/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and H.R. 2646 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. 02-22-046, § 388-424-0020, filed 10/30/02, effective 12/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510, S. 1150, the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. 99-01-058, § 388-424-0020, filed 12/11/98, effective 1/11/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-424-0020, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-518-1805.]

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