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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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2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 benefits 7
that are granted to a veteran or the surviving spouse of such veteran 8
when determining income eligibility for the state's Medicare savings, 9
medical assistance and energy assistance programs administered under 10
section 17b-2. As used in this subsection, "veteran" has the same 11
meaning as provided in section 27-103. 12
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-104 of the general statutes is 13 Raised Bill No. 1151
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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 14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
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 47 Raised Bill No. 1151
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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 veteran, 59
as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran; 60
and (B) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a refundable 61
credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment would be 62
disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or state or local 63
program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. No person who 64
is a substance abuser and refuses or fails to enter available, appropriate 65
treatment shall be eligible for cash assistance under the program until 66
such person enters treatment. No person whose benefits from the 67
temporary family assistance program have terminated as a result of 68
time-limited benefits or for failure to comply with a program 69
requirement shall be eligible for cash assistance under the program. 70
Sec. 4. Section 17b-256f of the general statutes is repealed and the 71
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025, and 72
applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 73
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall increase income 74
disregards used to determine eligibility by the Department of Social 75
Services for the federal Qualified Medicare Beneficiary, the Specified 76
Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary and the Qualifying Individual 77
programs, administered in accordance with the provisions of 42 USC 78
1396d(p), by such amounts that shall result in persons with income that 79
is (1) less than two hundred eleven per cent of the federal poverty level 80 Raised Bill No. 1151
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qualifying for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program, (2) at or 81
above two hundred eleven per cent of the federal poverty level but less 82
than two hundred thirty-one per cent of the federal poverty level 83
qualifying for the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program, 84
and (3) at or above two hundred thirty-one per cent of the federal 85
poverty level but less than two hundred forty-six per cent of the federal 86
poverty level qualifying for the Qualifying Individual program. 87
(b) The commissioner shall not apply an asset test for eligibility under 88
the Medicare Savings Program. The commissioner shall [not consider 89
as] disregard from income all United States Department of Veterans 90
Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and 91
Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits that are 92
granted to a veteran, as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving 93
spouse of such veteran. The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant 94
to section 17b-10, may implement policies and procedures to administer 95
the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such 96
policies and procedures in regulation form, provided the commissioner 97
prints notice of the intent to adopt the regulations on the department's 98
Internet web site and the eRegulations System not later than twenty 99
days after the date of implementation. Such policies and procedures 100
shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted. 101
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 17b-261 of the general statutes is 102
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 103
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 104
(a) (1) Medical assistance shall be provided for any otherwise eligible 105
person [(1)] (A) whose income, including any available support from 106
legally liable relatives and the income of the person's spouse or 107
dependent child, is not more than one hundred fifty-nine per cent, 108
pending approval of a federal waiver applied for pursuant to subsection 109
(e) of this section, of the benefit amount paid to a person with no income 110
under the temporary family assistance program, and [(2)] (B) if such 111
person is an institutionalized individual as defined in Section 1917 of 112
the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396p(h)(3), and has not made an 113 Raised Bill No. 1151
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assignment or transfer or other disposition of property for less than fair 114
market value for the purpose of establishing eligibility for benefits or 115
assistance under this section. Any such disposition shall be treated in 116
accordance with Section 1917(c) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 117
1396p(c). Any disposition of property made on behalf of an applicant or 118
recipient or the spouse of an applicant or recipient by a guardian, 119
conservator, person authorized to make such disposition pursuant to a 120
power of attorney or other person so authorized by law shall be 121
attributed to such applicant, recipient or spouse. A disposition of 122
property ordered by a court shall be evaluated in accordance with the 123
standards applied to any other such disposition for the purpose of 124
determining eligibility. 125
(2) The commissioner shall establish the standards for eligibility for 126
medical assistance at one hundred fifty-nine per cent of the benefit 127
amount paid to a household of equal size with no income under the 128
temporary family assistance program. In determining eligibility, the 129
commissioner shall [not consider as] disregard from income all United 130
States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-131
connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits and 132
Housebound pension benefits that are granted to a veteran, as defined 133
in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran. Except as 134
provided in section 17b-277 and section 17b-292, the medical assistance 135
program shall provide coverage to persons under the age of nineteen 136
with household income up to one hundred ninety-six per cent of the 137
federal poverty level without an asset limit and to persons under the age 138
of nineteen, who qualify for coverage under Section 1931 of the Social 139
Security Act, with household income not exceeding one hundred 140
ninety-six per cent of the federal poverty level without an asset limit, 141
and their parents and needy caretaker relatives, who qualify for 142
coverage under Section 1931 of the Social Security Act, with household 143
income not exceeding one hundred thirty-three per cent of the federal 144
poverty level without an asset limit. Such levels shall be based on the 145
regional differences in such benefit amount, if applicable, unless such 146
levels based on regional differences are not in conformance with federal 147 Raised Bill No. 1151
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law. Any income in excess of the applicable amounts shall be applied as 148
may be required by said federal law, and assistance shall be granted for 149
the balance of the cost of authorized medical assistance. 150
(3) The Commissioner of Social Services shall provide applicants for 151
assistance under this section, at the time of application, with a written 152
statement advising them of (A) the effect of an assignment or transfer or 153
other disposition of property on eligibility for benefits or assistance, (B) 154
the effect that having income that exceeds the limits prescribed in this 155
subsection will have with respect to program eligibility, and (C) the 156
availability of, and eligibility for, services provided by the Connecticut 157
Home Visiting System, established pursuant to section 17b-751b. For 158
coverage dates on or after January 1, 2014, the department shall use the 159
modified adjusted gross income financial eligibility rules set forth in 160
Section 1902(e)(14) of the Social Security Act and the implementing 161
regulations to determine eligibility for HUSKY A, HUSKY B and 162
HUSKY D applicants, as defined in section 17b-290. Persons who are 163
determined ineligible for assistance pursuant to this section shall be 164
provided a written statement notifying such persons of their ineligibility 165
and advising such persons of their potential eligibility for one of the 166
other insurance affordability programs as defined in 42 CFR 435.4. 167
Sec. 6. Subsection (l) of section 17b-342 of the general statutes is 168
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 169
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 170
(l) In determining eligibility for the program described in this section, 171
the commissioner shall [not consider as] disregard from income (1) all 172
United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-173
service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension 174
benefits and Housebound pension benefits that are granted to a veteran, 175
as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran, 176
and (2) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a refundable 177
credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment would be 178
disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or state or local 179
program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. 180 Raised Bill No. 1151
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Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 17b-801 of the general statutes is 181
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 182
2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025): 183
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer a state-184
appropriated fuel assistance program to provide, within available 185
appropriations, fuel assistance to elderly and disabled persons whose 186
household gross income is above the income eligibility guidelines for 187
the Connecticut energy assistance program but does not exceed two 188
hundred per cent of federal poverty guidelines. The income eligibility 189
guidelines for the state-appropriated fuel assistance program shall be 190
determined, annually, by the Commissioner of Social Services, in 191
conjunction with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. 192
In determining eligibility, the commissioner shall [not consider as] 193
disregard from income all United States Department of Veterans 194
Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and 195
Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits that are 196
granted to a veteran, as defined under section 27-103, or the surviving 197
spouse of such veteran. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in 198
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the 199
provisions of this subsection. 200
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)
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) Raised Bill No. 1151
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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)
VA Joint Favorable