Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07104 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	LCO 1 of 5
	3	+	LCO No. 5440 1 of 4
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7104
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7104
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5440
7	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(HS)
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12	19		AN ACT CONCERNING PROGRAMS TO MITIGATE THE BENEFITS
13	20		CLIFF.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17	24		Section 1. Subsection (d) of section 17b-112 of the general statutes is 1
18	25		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
19	26		2025): 3
20	27		(d) (1) Under said program, no family shall be eligible that has total 4
21	28		gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in the 5
22	29		calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and previously 6
23	30		eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of 7
24	31		workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently 8
25	32		returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits, 9
26	33		earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level. On 10
27	34		and after October 1, 2023, the commissioner shall not deny a family 11
28	35		assistance under said program on the basis of such family's assets unless 12
29	36		such assets exceed six thousand dollars. Except when determining 13
30	37		eligibility for a six-month extension of benefits pursuant to subsection 14
31	38		(c) of this section, the commissioner shall disregard the first fifty dollars 15
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 7104
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 5440 2 of 4
	44	+
32	45		per month of income attributable to current child support that a family 16
33	46		receives in determining eligibility and benefit levels for temporary 17
34	47		family assistance. Any current child support in excess of fifty dollars per 18
35		-	month collected by the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be 19 Substitute Bill No. 7104
36		-
37		-
38		-	LCO 2 of 5
39		-
	48	+	month collected by the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be 19
40	49		considered in determining eligibility but shall not be considered when 20
41	50		calculating benefits and shall be taken as reimbursement for assistance 21
42	51		paid under this section, except that when the current child support 22
43	52		collected exceeds the family's monthly award of temporary family 23
44	53		assistance benefits plus fifty dollars, the current child support shall be 24
45	54		paid to the family and shall be considered when calculating benefits. 25
46	55		(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 26
47	56		subsection, on and after January 1, 2024, in the first month in which a 27
48	57		family's total gross earnings exceed one hundred per cent of the federal 28
49	58		poverty level and for a period not to exceed six consecutive months, the 29
50	59		department shall disregard, for purposes of eligibility, a family's total 30
51	60		gross earnings in an amount not to exceed two hundred thirty per cent 31
52	61		of the federal poverty level. If a family's total gross earnings are an 32
53	62		amount between one hundred seventy-one per cent and two hundred 33
54	63		thirty per cent of the federal poverty level, the department shall reduce 34
55	64		the household's benefit by twenty per cent for the months in which 35
56	65		earnings are between one hundred seventy-one per cent and two 36
57	66		hundred thirty per cent of the federal poverty level. 37
58	67		(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 38
59	68		subsection, the commissioner shall disregard any financial assistance 39
60	69		received by a family member to the extent the commissioner determines 40
61	70		that such financial assistance was provided to the family member as part 41
62	71		of such family member's participation in a pilot program that has 42
63	72		developed a plan to study and evaluate the impact and potential 43
64	73		benefits of direct cash transfers. Such disregard shall be applied for the 44
65		-	length of time the family member participates in such program or 45
66		-	twenty-four cumulative months, subject to reauthorization by the 46
67		-	commissioner for a period of time not to exceed sixty cumulative 47
68		-	months. Any pilot program subject to the provisions of this subdivision 48
69		-	shall have received approval from the Department of Social Services to 49
70		-	conduct such pilot program based on the department's ability to receive 50
71		-	required waivers authorizing such income disregards in applicable 51
72		-	federal and state benefits programs. The department shall request 52
73		-	waivers authorizing such income disregards from all federal, state and 53 Substitute Bill No. 7104
	74	+	length of time the family member participates in such program, not to 45
	75	+	exceed sixty cumulative months. Any pilot program subject to the 46
	76	+	provisions of this section shall have received approval from the 47
	77	+	Department of Social Services to conduct such pilot program based on 48
	78	+	Raised Bill No. 7104
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76		-	LCO 3 of 5
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78		-	local agencies as necessary. The department shall maintain a listing of 54
79		-	approved pilot programs for use by the public and department staff 55
80		-	when determining continuing eligibility of participants in existing 56
81		-	benefits programs. Before approving a pilot program, the department 57
82		-	shall review such program for long-term sustainability and ability to 58
83		-	meet the pilot program's programmatic and fiscal goals. The 59
84		-	department shall require an approved pilot program to (A) inform 60
85		-	potential participants, in writing in advance of participation in the pilot 61
86		-	program, of the potential impact of their participation on their current 62
87		-	and future eligibility for federal and state benefits, and (B) include 63
88		-	contact information in such written document to allow such participants 64
89		-	to obtain additional information or guidance on the impact of pilot 65
90		-	program participation on their eligibility for such benefits. 66
91		-	(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 67
92		-	subsection, the commissioner shall disregard from an income eligibility 68
93		-	determination any stipend received by a family member as part of such 69
94		-	family member's participation in a job training program approved by 70
95		-	the commissioner, including, but not limited to, payments from 71
96		-	programs offered by or through the Office of Workforce Strategy 72
97		-	established pursuant to section 4-124w, the Bureau of Rehabilitation 73
98		-	Services within the Department of Aging and Disability Services or a 74
99		-	private not-for-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under 75
100		-	Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 76
101		-	subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, 77
102		-	as amended from time to time. Such disregard shall be applied for the 78
103		-	length of time the family member participates in such program, not to 79
104		-	exceed thirty-six cumulative months. 80
105		-	Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this section, "benefits 81
106		-	cliff" means the loss or decrease of public assistance program benefits 82
107		-	when a beneficiary's income exceeds eligibility thresholds. The 83
108		-	Commissioners of Social Services and Early Childhood, in consultation 84
109		-	with the Department of Housing, the Labor Department, the Office of 85
110		-	Workforce Strategy, established pursuant to section 4-124w of the 86
111		-	general statutes, and the two-generational initiative, established 87 Substitute Bill No. 7104
	82	+	LCO No. 5440 3 of 4
	83	+
	84	+	the department's ability to receive required waivers for such income 49
	85	+	disregards in applicable federal and state benefits programs. The 50
	86	+	department shall maintain a listing of approved pilot programs for use 51
	87	+	by the public and for use by department staff when determining 52
	88	+	continuing eligibility of participants in existing benefits programs. The 53
	89	+	department shall require an approved pilot program to (A) inform 54
	90	+	potential participants, in writing in advance of participation in the pilot 55
	91	+	program, of the potential impact of their participation on their current 56
	92	+	and future eligibility for federal and state benefits, and (B) include 57
	93	+	contact information in such written document to allow such participants 58
	94	+	to obtain additional information or guidance on the impact of pilot 59
	95	+	program participation on their eligibility for such benefits. 60
	96	+	(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 61
	97	+	subsection, the commissioner shall disregard from an income eligibility 62
	98	+	determination any stipend received by a family member as part of such 63
	99	+	family member's participation in a job training program approved by 64
	100	+	the commissioner, including, but not limited to, payments from 65
	101	+	programs offered by or through the Office of Workforce Strategy 66
	102	+	established pursuant to section 4-124w, the Bureau of Rehabilitation 67
	103	+	Services within the Department of Aging and Disability Services or a 68
	104	+	private not-for-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under 69
	105	+	Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 70
	106	+	subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, 71
	107	+	as amended from time to time. Such disregard shall be applied for the 72
	108	+	length of time the family member participates in such program, not to 73
	109	+	exceed thirty-six cumulative months. 74
	110	+	Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) For purposes of this section, "benefits 75
	111	+	cliff" means the loss or decrease of public assistance program benefits 76
	112	+	when a beneficiary's income exceeds eligibility thresholds. The 77
	113	+	Department of Social Services and the Office of Early Childhood, in 78
	114	+	consultation with the Departments of Housing and Labor, the Office of 79
	115	+	Workforce Strategy, established pursuant to section 4-124w of the 80
	116	+	general statutes, and the two-generational initiative, established 81
	117	+	Raised Bill No. 7104
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114		-	LCO 4 of 5
115	120
116		-	pursuant to section 17b-112l of the general statutes, shall, within 88
117		-	available appropriations, establish a pilot program to implement the 89
118		-	recommendations of the report concerning benefits cliffs that was 90
119		-	submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with the provisions 91
120		-	of special act 24-8. 92
121		-	(b) In developing the pilot program, the commissioners shall convene 93
122		-	and solicit input from professionals with expertise in the fields of 94
123		-	universal basic income, including, but not limited to, (1) professionals 95
124		-	from other jurisdictions who have worked on the implementation of 96
125		-	similar pilot programs, and (2) professionals who have expertise in 97
126		-	economics, housing, child welfare, labor, workforce development, social 98
127		-	services administration or legal representation issues concerning low-99
128		-	income recipients of state and federal public benefits. 100
129		-	(c) The Commissioners of Social Services and Early Childhood may 101
130		-	seek any waiver from federal law deemed necessary to implement such 102
131		-	pilot program and may pursue funding for such pilot program from any 103
132		-	governmental or nongovernmental source. 104
133		-	(d) Not later than December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter until the 105
134		-	pilot program is completed, the Commissioners of Social Services and 106
135		-	Early Childhood shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions of 107
136		-	section 11-4a of the general statutes, with the joint standing committees 108
137		-	of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to 109
138		-	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies, education, housing, 110
139		-	human services and labor on the development of any pilot program 111
140		-	authorized pursuant to this section. 112
	121	+	LCO No. 5440 4 of 4
	122	+
	123	+	pursuant to section 17b-112l of the general statutes, may establish a pilot 82
	124	+	program to implement the recommendations of the report concerning 83
	125	+	benefits cliffs that was produced in accordance with special act 24-8. 84
	126	+	(b) To the extent permissible under federal law, the Commissioner of 85
	127	+	Social Services shall disregard any income received from such pilot 86
	128	+	program in determining income eligibility for certain state and federal 87
	129	+	assistance programs, including, but not limited to, temporary family 88
	130	+	assistance. The Department of Social Services and Office of Early 89
	131	+	Childhood may seek any waiver from federal law deemed necessary to 90
	132	+	implement said recommendations and may pursue funding for such 91
	133	+	pilot program from any governmental or nongovernmental source. 92
141	134		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
142	135		sections:
143	136
144	137		Section 1 July 1, 2025 17b-112(d)
145	138		Sec. 2 from passage New section
146	139
147		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
148		-	In Section 1(d)(3), "up to sixty cumulative months" was changed to "for
149		-	a period of time not to exceed sixty cumulative months" for clarity, in Substitute Bill No. 7104
	140	+	Statement of Purpose:
	141	+	To encourage participation among public assistance beneficiaries in job
	142	+	training and pilot cash assistance programs by mitigating the effects of
	143	+	such programs on eligibility for public assistance.
150	144
151		-
152		-	LCO 5 of 5
153		-
154		-	Section 2(a), "produced in accordance with special act 24-8" was
155		-	changed to "submitted to the General Assembly in accordance with the
156		-	provisions of special act 24-8" for accuracy and in Section (2)(b), "pilots"
157		-	was changed to "pilot programs" and subdivision designators and
158		-	"professionals who" were inserted, for clarity.
159		-
160		-	HS Joint Favorable Subst.
	145	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	146	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	147	+	underlined.]
161	148