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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6635
January Session, 2021
LCO No. 4590
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT CONCERNING TE MPORARY FAMILY ASSIS TANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-112 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) The Department of Social Services shall administer a temporary 3
family assistance program under which cash assistance shall be 4
provided to eligible families in accordance with the temporary 5
assistance for needy families program, established pursuant to the 6
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 7
1996. The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the 8
temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, 9
separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy families 10
program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will enable the 11
state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary assistance for needy 12
families program. Families receiving assistance under the solely state-13
funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be 14 Raised Bill No. 6635
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subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance 15
under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program. 16
Under the temporary family assistance program, benefits shall be 17
provided to a family for not longer than [twenty-one] sixty months. [, 18
except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.] For the 19
purpose of calculating said [twenty-one-month] sixty-month time limit: 20
[, months] 21
(1) Months of assistance received on and after January 1, 1996, 22
pursuant to time limits under the aid to families with dependent 23
children program, shall be included, except for any months of assistance 24
received during the public health emergency declared by Governor Ned 25
Lamont related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For purposes of this section, 26
"family" means one or more individuals who apply for or receive 27
assistance together under the temporary family assistance program. If 28
the commissioner determines that federal law allows individuals not 29
otherwise in an eligible covered group for the temporary family 30
assistance program to become covered, such family may also, at the 31
discretion of the commissioner, be composed of [(1)] (A) a pregnant 32
woman, or [(2)] (B) a parent, both parents or other caretaker relative and 33
at least one child who is under the age of eighteen, or who is under the 34
age of nineteen and a full-time student in a secondary school or its 35
equivalent. A caretaker relative shall be related to the child or children 36
by blood, marriage or adoption or shall be the legal guardian of such a 37
child or pursuing legal proceedings necessary to achieve guardianship. 38
If the commissioner elects to allow state eligibility consistent with any 39
change in federal law, the commissioner may administratively transfer 40
any qualifying family cases under the cash assistance portion of the 41
state-administered general assistance program to the temporary family 42
assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and enrollment 43
procedures. If such families become an ineligible coverage group under 44
the federal law, the commissioner shall administratively transfer such 45
families back to the cash assistance portion of the state-administered 46
general assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and 47
enrollment procedures to the degree that such families are eligible for 48 Raised Bill No. 6635
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the state program; [.] 49
[(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall exempt a family from 50
such time-limited benefits for circumstances including, but not limited 51
to: (1) A family with a needy caretaker relative who is incapacitated or 52
of an advanced age, as defined by the commissioner, if there is no other 53
nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (2) a family with a needy 54
caretaker relative who is needed in the home because of the incapacity 55
of another member of the household, if there is no other nonexempt 56
caretaker relative in the household; (3) a family with a caretaker relative 57
who is not legally responsible for the dependent children in the 58
household if such relative's needs are not considered in calculating the 59
amount of the benefit and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative 60
in the household; (4) a family with a caretaker relative caring for a child 61
who is under one year of age and who was born not more than ten 62
months after the family's enrollment if there is no other nonexempt 63
caretaker relative in the household; (5) a family with a pregnant or 64
postpartum caretaker relative if a physician has indicated that such 65
relative is unable to work and there is no other nonexempt caretaker 66
relative in the household; (6) a family with a caretaker relative 67
determined by the commissioner to be unemployable and there is no 68
other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; and (7) minor 69
parents attending and satisfactorily completing high school or high 70
school equivalency programs. 71
(c) A family who is subject to time-limited benefits may petition the 72
Commissioner of Social Services for six-month extensions of such 73
benefits. The commissioner shall grant not more than two extensions to 74
such family who has made a good faith effort to comply with the 75
requirements of the program and despite such effort has a total family 76
income at a level below the payment standard, or has encountered 77
circumstances preventing employment including, but not limited to: (1) 78
Domestic violence or physical harm to such family's children; or (2) 79
other circumstances beyond such family's control. The commissioner 80
shall disregard ninety dollars of earned income in determining 81
applicable family income. The commissioner may grant a subsequent 82 Raised Bill No. 6635
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six-month extension if each adult in the family meets one or more of the 83
following criteria: (A) The adult is precluded from engaging in 84
employment activities due to domestic violence or another reason 85
beyond the adult's control; (B) the adult has two or more substantiated 86
barriers to employment including, but not limited to, the lack of 87
available child care, substance abuse or addiction, severe mental or 88
physical health problems, one or more severe learning disabilities, 89
domestic violence or a child who has a serious physical or behavioral 90
health problem; (C) the adult is working thirty-five or more hours per 91
week, is earning at least the minimum wage and continues to earn less 92
than the family's temporary family assistance payment standard; or (D) 93
the adult is employed and works less than thirty-five hours per week 94
due to (i) a documented medical impairment that limits the adult's 95
hours of employment, provided the adult works the maximum number 96
of hours that the medical condition permits, or (ii) the need to care for a 97
disabled member of the adult's household, provided the adult works the 98
maximum number of hours the adult's caregiving responsibilities 99
permit. Families receiving temporary family assistance shall be notified 100
by the department of the right to petition for such extensions. 101
Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner shall 102
not provide benefits under the state's temporary family assistance 103
program to a family that is subject to the twenty-one month benefit limit 104
and has received benefits beginning on or after October 1, 1996, if such 105
benefits result in that family's receiving more than sixty months of time-106
limited benefits unless that family experiences domestic violence, as 107
defined in Section 402(a)(7)(B), P.L. 104-193. For the purpose of 108
calculating said sixty-month limit: (I)] 109
(2) A month shall count toward the limit if the family receives 110
assistance for any day of the month; [,] and 111
[(II) a] (3) A month in which a family receives temporary assistance 112
for needy families benefits that are issued from a jurisdiction other than 113
Connecticut shall count toward the limit. 114
[(d)] (b) Under said program [(1)] no family shall be eligible that has 115 Raised Bill No. 6635
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total gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in the 116
calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and previously 117
eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of 118
workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently 119
returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits, 120
earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level. [; 121
and (2) the increase in benefits to a family in which an infant is born after 122
the initial ten months of participation in the program shall be limited to 123
an amount equal to fifty per cent of the average incremental difference 124
between the amounts paid per each family size. Except when 125
determining eligibility for a six-month extension of benefits pursuant to 126
subsection (c) of this section, the] The commissioner shall disregard the 127
first fifty dollars per month of income attributable to current child 128
support that a family receives in determining eligibility and benefit 129
levels for temporary family assistance. Any current child support in 130
excess of fifty dollars per month collected by the department on behalf 131
of an eligible child shall be considered in determining eligibility but 132
shall not be considered when calculating benefits and shall be taken as 133
reimbursement for assistance paid under this section, except that when 134
the current child support collected exceeds the family's monthly award 135
of temporary family assistance benefits plus fifty dollars, the current 136
child support shall be paid to the family and shall be considered when 137
calculating benefits. 138
[(e)] (c) A family receiving assistance under said program shall 139
cooperate with child support enforcement, under title IV-D of the Social 140
Security Act. A family shall be ineligible for benefits for failure to 141
cooperate with child support enforcement. 142
[(f)] (d) A family leaving assistance at the end of [(1) said twenty-one-143
month time limit, including a family with income above the payment 144
standard, or (2)] the sixty-month limit shall have an interview for the 145
purpose of being informed of services that may continue to be available 146
to such family, including employment services available through the 147
Labor Department. [Said] Such interview shall [contain] include a 148
determination of: [benefits] (1) Benefits available to [said] the family 149 Raised Bill No. 6635
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provided by the Department of Social Services, [. Said interview shall 150
also include a determination of] and (2) whether such family is eligible 151
for supplemental nutrition assistance or Medicaid. Information and 152
referrals shall be made to such a family for services and benefits 153
including, but not limited to, the earned income tax credit, rental 154
subsidies, emergency housing, employment services and energy 155
assistance. 156
(e) Notwithstanding section 17b-104, commencing on July 1, 2021, the 157
Commissioner of Social Services shall provide a cost-of-living 158
adjustment in temporary family assistance benefits equal to the most 159
recent percentage increase in the consumer price index for urban 160
consumers whenever funds appropriated for temporary family 161
assistance lapse at the close of any fiscal year and are sufficient to cover 162
such adjustment. The commissioner shall provide a pro-rated benefit 163
increase from available lapsed funds in any fiscal year when such funds 164
are not sufficient to cover a cost-of-living adjustment in accordance with 165
this subsection. 166
[(g)] (f) An applicant or recipient of temporary family assistance who 167
is adversely affected by a decision of the Commissioner of Social 168
Services may request and shall be provided a hearing in accordance 169
with section 17b-60. 170
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-112b of the general statutes is 171
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 172
2021): 173
(a) An applicant or recipient who is a past or present victim of 174
domestic violence or at risk of further domestic violence, pursuant to 175
subsection (c) of section 17b-112a, shall, for good cause: (1) Be excused 176
from failing to participate in a work activity; or (2) be exempted from 177
child support enforcement requirements pursuant to subsection [(e)] (c) 178
of section 17b-112, as amended by this act. [Such an applicant or 179
recipient may, for good cause, be granted an extension of cash assistance 180
beyond twenty-one months, provided the domestic violence 181 Raised Bill No. 6635
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experienced is of sufficient magnitude to reasonably render the 182
individual unable to obtain or maintain employment.] 183
Sec. 3. Section 17b-112e of the general statutes is repealed and the 184
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 185
(a) The Department of Social Services shall provide safety net services 186
for certain families identified as having significant barriers to 187
employment and families who are at risk of losing benefits under the 188
temporary family assistance program or no longer receiving program 189
benefits. To be eligible for safety net services, such families shall: (1) 190
Have been identified as having significant barriers to employment 191
during the initial assessment by the department's eligibility worker or 192
during the first twelve months of employment services by an 193
employment services case manager; (2) have made a good faith effort to 194
seek and maintain employment but have not been able to do so or be at 195
risk of failing to complete the employment services program; or (3) have 196
exhausted their eligibility for temporary family assistance program 197
benefits. [; or (4) not be eligible for six-month extensions of temporary 198
family assistance benefits due to: (A) The receipt of two sanctions from 199
the department during the first twenty months of the twenty-one-month 200
time limit of said temporary family assistance program; or (B) the 201
determination by the department that such a family has not made a 202
good faith effort to seek and maintain employment.] 203
(b) Said safety net shall consist of services provided through the 204
existing community service delivery network with additional resources 205
provided by the Department of Social Services. Services shall be 206
provided in-kind or through vendor or voucher payment. Services may 207
include the following: (1) Food, shelter, clothing and employment 208
assistance; (2) eviction prevention; (3) an in-depth family needs 209
assessment; (4) intensive case management that includes visits to the 210
family's home; (5) continuous monitoring for child abuse or neglect; and 211
(6) for families at risk of losing benefits under the temporary family 212
assistance program, individual performance contracts administered by 213
the Labor Department that require job training, job searching, volunteer 214 Raised Bill No. 6635
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work, participation in parenting programs or counseling or any other 215
requirements deemed necessary by the Labor Commissioner. 216
(c) Families successfully meeting the program requirements 217
established by the individual performance contracts in subdivision (6) 218
of subsection (b) of this section [prior to the end of the twenty-one-219
month time limit] shall be considered to have made a good faith effort 220
to comply with the requirements of the program, [for the purposes of 221
qualifying for a six-month extension,] provided they have made a good 222
faith effort to comply with the individual performance contract or have 223
not incurred a sanction subsequent to completing the individual 224
performance contract. 225
(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement policies and 226
procedures necessary for the purposes of this section while in the 227
process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, 228
provided the commissioner [prints] posts notice of intention to adopt 229
the regulations [in the Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days of] 230
on the eRegulations System and the department's Internet web site not 231
later than twenty days after implementing such policies and procedures. 232
Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this subsection shall 233
be valid until the time final regulations are effective. 234
Sec. 4. Section 17b-112k of the general statutes is repealed and the 235
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 236
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services and the Labor Commissioner 237
shall, within available appropriations, implement a pilot program that 238
serves not more than one hundred persons who are receiving benefits 239
under the temporary family assistance program and participating in the 240
Jobs First employment services program. The pilot program shall 241
provide to participants: (1) Intensive case management services to 242
identify participants' (A) employment goals, (B) support service needs, 243
and (C) training, education and work experience needs; (2) assistance in 244
accessing needed support services, training, education and work 245
experience; or (3) funding to facilitate participation in necessary adult 246 Raised Bill No. 6635
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basic education, skills training, postsecondary education or subsidized 247
employment. 248
[(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (c) of 249
section 17b-112, the Commissioner of Social Services shall, within 250
available appropriations, grant a six-month extension of time-limited 251
cash assistance benefits to any person who (1) has made a good-faith 252
effort to comply with the requirements of the pilot program, (2) has not 253
exceeded the sixty-month limit, described in subsection (c) of section 254
17b-112, and (3) has not been granted more than two extensions.] 255
[(c)] (b) The Commissioner of Social Services and the Labor 256
Commissioner shall jointly submit annual reports, in accordance with 257
the provisions of section 11-4a, not later than October 1, 2012, and 258
October 1, 2013, to the joint standing committees of the General 259
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and 260
appropriations and the budgets of state agencies concerning the pilot 261
program. Such reports shall include, but shall not be limited to: (1) The 262
number of persons participating in the pilot program for the preceding 263
fiscal year; (2) the education, training and work experience activities of 264
the participants; (3) the support services identified as needed by 265
program participants through the provision of case management 266
services by the Department of Social Services and the Labor Department 267
and the support services actually received by each program participant; 268
(4) the educational degrees and certificates obtained by participants; and 269
(5) descriptions of the employment obtained by participants as a result 270
of the pilot program. 271
Sec. 5. Subsection (b) of section 17b-688c of the general statutes is 272
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 273
2021): 274
(b) In no event shall temporary family assistance be granted to an 275
applicant for such assistance, who is not exempt from participation in 276
the employment services program, prior to the applicant's attendance at 277
an initial scheduled employment services assessment interview and 278 Raised Bill No. 6635
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participation in the development of an employment services plan. The 279
Department of Social Services shall not delay temporary family 280
assistance to an applicant in cases where the department schedules the 281
initial employment services assessment interview more than ten 282
business days after the date on which application for assistance is made, 283
or in cases where the Labor Department does not complete an 284
employment services plan for the benefit of the applicant within ten 285
business days of the date on which the applicant attends an employment 286
services assessment interview. The Commissioner of Social Services 287
shall refer any applicant denied temporary family assistance, who may 288
be in need of emergency benefits, to other services offered by the 289
Department of Social Services or community services that may be 290
available to such applicant. The Department of Social Services shall 291
reduce the benefits awarded to a family under the temporary family 292
assistance program when a member of the family who is required to 293
participate in employment services fails to comply with an employment 294
services requirement without good cause. The first instance of 295
noncompliance with an employment services requirement shall result 296
in a twenty-five per cent reduction of such benefits for three consecutive 297
months. The second instance of noncompliance with such requirement 298
shall result in a thirty-five per cent reduction of such benefits for three 299
consecutive months. A third or subsequent instance of noncompliance 300
with such requirement shall result in the termination of such benefits 301
for three consecutive months. If only one member of a family is eligible 302
for temporary family assistance and such member fails to comply with 303
an employment services requirement, the department shall terminate all 304
benefits of such family for three consecutive months. Notwithstanding 305
the provisions of this subsection, the department shall terminate the 306
benefits awarded to a family under the temporary family assistance 307
program if a member of the family [who is not exempt from the twenty-308
one-month time limit specified in subsection (a) of section 17b-112] fails, 309
without good cause, to: (1) Attend any scheduled assessment 310
appointment or interview relating to the establishment of an 311
employment services plan, except that such individual's benefits shall 312
be reinstated if the individual attends a subsequently scheduled 313 Raised Bill No. 6635
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appointment or interview within thirty days of the date on which the 314
department has issued notification to the individual that benefits have 315
been terminated, or (2) comply with an employment services 316
requirement. [during a six-month extension of benefits.] Any individual 317
who fails to comply with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 318
subsection may submit a new application for such benefits at any time 319
after termination of benefits. 320
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 17b-112
Sec. 2 July 1, 2021 17b-112b(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 17b-112e
Sec. 4 July 1, 2021 17b-112k
Sec. 5 July 1, 2021 17b-688c(b)
Statement of Purpose:
To extend the time limit for temporary family assistance to sixty months,
exempt benefits received during the COVID-19 public health emergency
from the time limit, eliminate the penalties for families with children
born after enrollment in the program and ensure benefits are adequate
to meet the cost of living for beneficiaries.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]