Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06353 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
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4	4	LCO No. 1700 1 of 3
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6	6	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6353
7	7	January Session, 2021
8	8	LCO No. 1700
9	9
10	10
11	11	Referred to Committee on AGING
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13	13
14	14	Introduced by:
15	15	(AGE)
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20	20	AN ACT INCREASING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE F OR
21	21	GRANDPARENTS AND OTH ER NONPARENT RELATIVES RAISING
22	22	CERTAIN CHILDREN.
23	23	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	24	Assembly convened:
25	25
26	26	Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-112 of the general statutes is 1
27	27	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
28	28	2021): 3
29	29	(a) (1) The Department of Social Services shall administer a 4
30	30	temporary family assistance program under which cash assistance shall 5
31	31	be provided to eligible families in accordance with the temporary 6
32	32	assistance for needy families program, established pursuant to the 7
33	33	Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 8
34	34	1996. The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the 9
35	35	temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, 10
36	36	separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy families 11
37	37	program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will enable the 12
38	38	state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary assistance for needy 13
39	39	families program. Families receiving assistance under the solely state-14 Raised Bill No. 6353
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41	41
42	42
43	43	LCO No. 1700 2 of 3
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45	45	funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be 15
46	46	subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance 16
47	47	under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program. 17
48	48	Under the temporary family assistance program, benefits shall be 18
49	49	provided to a family for not longer than twenty-one months, except as 19
50	50	provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. For the purpose of 20
51	51	calculating said twenty-one-month time limit, months of assistance 21
52	52	received on and after January 1, 1996, pursuant to time limits under the 22
53	53	aid to families with dependent children program, shall be included. For 23
54	54	purposes of this section, "family" means one or more individuals who 24
55	55	apply for or receive assistance together under the temporary family 25
56	56	assistance program. If the commissioner determines that federal law 26
57	57	allows individuals not otherwise in an eligible covered group for the 27
58	58	temporary family assistance program to become covered, such family 28
59	59	may also, at the discretion of the commissioner, be composed of [(1)] (A) 29
60	60	a pregnant woman, or [(2)] (B) a parent, both parents or other caretaker 30
61	61	relative and at least one child who is under the age of eighteen, or who 31
62	62	is under the age of nineteen and a full-time student in a secondary 32
63	63	school or its equivalent. A caretaker relative shall be related to the child 33
64	64	or children by blood, marriage or adoption or shall be the legal guardian 34
65	65	of such a child or pursuing legal proceedings necessary to achieve 35
66	66	guardianship. If the commissioner elects to allow state eligibility 36
67	67	consistent with any change in federal law, the commissioner may 37
68	68	administratively transfer any qualifying family cases under the cash 38
69	69	assistance portion of the state-administered general assistance program 39
70	70	to the temporary family assistance program without regard to usual 40
71	71	eligibility and enrollment procedures. If such families become an 41
72	72	ineligible coverage group under the federal law, the commissioner shall 42
73	73	administratively transfer such families back to the cash assistance 43
74	74	portion of the state-administered general assistance program without 44
75	75	regard to usual eligibility and enrollment procedures to the degree that 45
76	76	such families are eligible for the state program. 46
77	77	(2) To the extent permissible under federal law, the payment 47
78	78	standard for a family that receives benefits under the temporary family 48 Raised Bill No. 6353
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82	82	LCO No. 1700 3 of 3
83	83
84	84	assistance program, and in which the head of the household is a 49
85	85	nonparent caretaker relative and the legal guardian of a child, shall be 50
86	86	equal to seventy-five per cent of the prevailing monthly foster care rate 51
87	87	per child, based on the child's age and medical condition, paid by the 52
88	88	Department of Children and Families. 53
89	89	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
90	90	sections:
91	91
92	92	Section 1 July 1, 2021 17b-112(a)
93	93
94	94	Statement of Purpose:
95	95	To reduce the financial burdens on grandparents and other nonparent
96	96	relatives raising certain children.
97	97	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
98	98	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
99	99	underlined.]
100	100