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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 1151
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 3514
Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS
Introduced by:
(VA)
AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN FEDERAL VETERANS' BENEFITS
AND INCOME ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC
ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 17b-28i of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 3
(a) To the extent permissible by federal law, the Commissioner of 4
Social Services shall disregard [federal] all United States Department of 5
Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, 6
Aid and Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension 7
benefits, that are granted to a veteran or the surviving spouse of such 8
veteran when determining income eligibility for the state's Medicare 9
savings, medical assistance and energy assistance programs 10
administered under section 17b-2. As used in this subsection, "veteran" 11
has the same meaning as provided in section 27-103. 12
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-104 of the general statutes is 13
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 14
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 15
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer the program 16
of state supplementation to the Supplemental Security Income Program 17
provided for by the Social Security Act and state law. The commissioner 18
may delegate any powers and authority to any deputy, assistant, 19
investigator or supervisor, who shall have, within the scope of the 20
power and authority so delegated, all of the power and authority of the 21
Commissioner of Social Services. The standard of need for the 22
temporary family assistance program shall be fifty-five per cent of the 23
federal poverty level. The commissioner shall make a reinvestigation, at 24
least every twelve months, of all cases receiving aid from the state, 25
except that such reinvestigation may be conducted every twenty-four 26
months for recipients of assistance to the elderly or disabled with stable 27
circumstances, and shall maintain all case records of the several 28
programs administered by the Department of Social Services so that 29
such records show, at all times, full information with respect to 30
eligibility of the applicant or recipient. In the determination of need 31
under any public assistance program, such income or earnings shall be 32
disregarded as federal law requires, and such income or earnings may 33
be disregarded as federal law permits. In determining eligibility, the 34
commissioner shall disregard from income (1) all United States 35
Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected 36
pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits and 37
Housebound pension benefits, that are granted to a veteran, as defined 38
[under] in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran, and 39
(2) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a refundable 40
credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment would be 41
disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or state or local 42
program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. The 43
commissioner shall encourage and promulgate such incentive earning 44
programs as are permitted by federal law and regulations. 45
Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 17b-191 of the general statutes is 46
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 47
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 48
(c) To be eligible for cash assistance under the program, a person shall 49
(1) be (A) eighteen years of age or older; (B) a minor found by a court to 50
be emancipated pursuant to section 46b-150; or (C) under eighteen years 51
of age and the commissioner determines good cause for such person's 52
eligibility, and (2) not have assets exceeding five hundred dollars or, if 53
such person is married, such person and his or her spouse shall not have 54
assets exceeding one thousand dollars. In determining eligibility, the 55
commissioner shall [not consider as] disregard from income (A) all 56
United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-57
service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension 58
benefits and Housebound pension benefits, that are granted to a 59
veteran, as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such 60
veteran; and (B) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a 61
refundable credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment 62
would be disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or 63
state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. 64
No person who is a substance abuser and refuses or fails to enter 65
available, appropriate treatment shall be eligible for cash assistance 66
under the program until such person enters treatment. No person whose 67
benefits from the temporary family assistance program have terminated 68
as a result of time-limited benefits or for failure to comply with a 69
program requirement shall be eligible for cash assistance under the 70
program. 71
Sec. 4. Section 17b-256f of the general statutes is repealed and the 72
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025, and 73
applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 74
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall increase income 75
disregards used to determine eligibility by the Department of Social 76
Services for the federal Qualified Medicare Beneficiary, the Specified 77
Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary and the Qualifying Individual 78
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programs, administered in accordance with the provisions of 42 USC 79
1396d(p), by such amounts that shall result in persons with income that 80
is (1) less than two hundred eleven per cent of the federal poverty level 81
qualifying for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, (2) at or 82
above two hundred eleven per cent of the federal poverty level but less 83
than two hundred thirty-one per cent of the federal poverty level 84
qualifying for the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program, 85
and (3) at or above two hundred thirty-one per cent of the federal 86
poverty level but less than two hundred forty-six per cent of the federal 87
poverty level qualifying for the Qualifying Individual program. 88
(b) The commissioner shall not apply an asset test for eligibility under 89
the Medicare Savings Program. The commissioner shall [not consider 90
as] disregard from income all United States Department of Veterans 91
Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and 92
Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits, that are 93
granted to a veteran, as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving 94
spouse of such veteran. The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant 95
to section 17b-10, may implement policies and procedures to administer 96
the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such 97
policies and procedures in regulation form, provided the commissioner 98
prints notice of the intent to adopt the regulations on the department's 99
Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty 100
days after the date of implementation. Such policies and procedures 101
shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted. 102
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 17b-261 of the general statutes is 103
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 104
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 105
(a) (1) Medical assistance shall be provided for any otherwise eligible 106
person [(1)] (A) whose income, including any available support from 107
legally liable relatives and the income of the person's spouse or 108
dependent child, is not more than one hundred fifty-nine per cent, 109
pending approval of a federal waiver applied for pursuant to subsection 110
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(e) of this section, of the benefit amount paid to a person with no income 111
under the temporary family assistance program, and [(2)] (B) if such 112
person is an institutionalized individual as defined in Section 1917 of 113
the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(h)(3), and has not made an 114
assignment or transfer or other disposition of property for less than fair 115
market value for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or 116
assistance under this section. Any such disposition shall be treated in 117
accordance with Section 1917(c) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 118
1396p(c). Any disposition of property made on behalf of an applicant or 119
recipient or the spouse of an applicant or recipient by a guardian, 120
conservator, person authorized to make such disposition pursuant to a 121
power of attorney or other person so authorized by law shall be 122
attributed to such applicant, recipient or spouse. A disposition of 123
property ordered by a court shall be evaluated in accordance with the 124
standards applied to any other such disposition for the purpose of 125
determining eligibility. 126
(2) The commissioner shall establish the standards for eligibility for 127
medical assistance at one hundred fifty-nine per cent of the benefit 128
amount paid to a household of equal size with no income under the 129
temporary family assistance program. In determining eligibility, the 130
commissioner shall [not consider as] disregard from income all United 131
States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-132
connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits and 133
Housebound pension benefits, that are granted to a veteran, as defined 134
in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran. Except as 135
provided in section 17b-277 and section 17b-292, the medical assistance 136
program shall provide coverage to persons under the age of nineteen 137
with household income up to one hundred ninety-six per cent of the 138
federal poverty level without an asset limit and to persons under the age 139
of nineteen, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social 140
Security Act, with household income not exceeding one hundred 141
ninety-six per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit, 142
and their parents and needy caretaker relatives, who qualify for 143
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coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with household 144
income not exceeding one hundred thirty-three per cent of the federal 145
poverty level without an asset limit. Such levels shall be based on the 146
regional differences in such benefit amount, if applicable, unless such 147
levels based on regional differences are not in conformance with federal 148
law. Any income in excess of the applicable amounts shall be applied as 149
may be required by said federal law, and assistance shall be granted for 150
the balance of the cost of authorized medical assistance. 151
(3) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide applicants for 152
assistance under this section, at the time of application, with a written 153
statement advising them of (A) the effect of an assignment or transfer or 154
other disposition of property on eligibility for benefits or assistance, (B) 155
the effect that having income that exceeds the limits prescribed in this 156
subsection will have with respect to program eligibility, and (C) the 157
availability of, and eligibility for, services provided by the Connecticut 158
Home Visiting System, established pursuant to section 17b-751b. For 159
coverage dates on or after January 1, 2014, the department shall use the 160
modified adjusted gross income financial eligibility rules set forth in 161
Section 1902(e)(14) of the Social Security Act and the implementing 162
regulations to determine eligibility for HUSKY A, HUSKY B and 163
HUSKY D applicants, as defined in section 17b-290. Persons who are 164
determined ineligible for assistance pursuant to this section shall be 165
provided a written statement notifying such persons of their ineligibility 166
and advising such persons of their potential eligibility for one of the 167
other insurance affordability programs as defined in 42 CFR 435.4. 168
Sec. 6. Subsection (l) of section 17b-342 of the general statutes is 169
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 170
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 171
(l) In determining eligibility for the program described in this section, 172
the commissioner shall [not consider as] disregard from income (1) all 173
United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-174
service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension 175
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benefits and Housebound pension benefits, that are granted to a 176
veteran, as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such 177
veteran, and (2) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a 178
refundable credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment 179
would be disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or 180
state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. 181
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 17b-801 of the general statutes is 182
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 183
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 184
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer a state-185
appropriated fuel assistance program to provide, within available 186
appropriations, fuel assistance to elderly and disabled persons whose 187
household gross income is above the income eligibility guidelines for 188
the Connecticut energy assistance program but does not exceed two 189
hundred per cent of federal poverty guidelines. The income eligibility 190
guidelines for the state-appropriated fuel assistance program shall be 191
determined, annually, by the Commissioner of Social Services, in 192
conjunction with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. 193
In determining eligibility, the commissioner shall [not consider as] 194
disregard from income all United States Department of Veterans 195
Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and 196
Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits, that are 197
granted to a veteran, as defined under section 27-103, or the surviving 198
spouse of such veteran. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in 199
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the 200
provisions of this subsection. 201
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-28i(a)
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Sec. 2 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-104(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-191(c)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-256f
Sec. 5 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-261(a)
Sec. 6 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-342(l)
Sec. 7 July 1, 2025, and
applicable to applications
filed on or after July 1,
2025
17b-801(a)
Statement of Purpose:
To disregard from income certain federal veterans' benefits when
determining eligibility for certain public assistance programs.
[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.]