SLS 22RS-471 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 184
BY SENATOR BOUDREAUX
WELFARE. Provides relative to Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program
(FITAP) participants. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 46:231.6, relative to public welfare and assistance; to provide
3 relative to Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP)
4 participants; to provide relative to termination of eligibility, time limits, and
5 employment related services; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for
6 related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 46:231.6 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
9 ยง231.6. Termination of eligibility; twenty-four-month limit time limits; refusal of
10 employment
11 A. A family shall be ineligible for FITAP benefits, including automatic
12 eligibility for medical assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act
13 (Medicaid), if any one of the following applies:
14 (1) The parent has received FITAP for at least twenty-four sixty months,
15 whether consecutive or not, out of the previous sixty months after January 1, 1997,
16 meeting the lifetime limit for the program as provided in 42 U.S.C. 608.
17 (2) A work-eligible parent has declined or refused the opportunity for
Page 1 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 184
SLS 22RS-471 ORIGINAL
1 full-time employment as specified in the participant's Family Success Agreement or
2 has not complied with required work activities as specified in the participant's
3 Family Success Agreement.
4 * * *
5 B.(1) Work eligible FITAP participants shall participate in the Strategies
6 To Empower People (STEP) program, in accordance with the provisions of the
7 Federal Welfare Reform Act.
8 (2) Participants must fulfill each requirement of the Family Success
9 Agreement and shall participate in work activities or employment programs to
10 receive FITAP.
11 C. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to an individual who
12 qualifies for an extension, meets an exception, or is exempt as provided in state
13 regulation or federal law. is incapacitated or has a disability as documented or to
14 such an individual in the recipient's household.
15 CD. The secretary of the department may promulgate rules and regulations
16 which establish exceptions to the time limitations provided in this Section to the
17 extent that funds are available for this purpose; however, any such exception shall
18 be contingent upon the recipient maintaining compliance with the STEP Family
19 Success Agreement pursuant to R.S. 46:231.12.
20 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
21 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
22 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
23 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
24 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Angela L. De Jean.
DIGEST
SB 184 Original 2022 Regular Session Boudreaux
Present law provides that a family shall be ineligible for FITAP benefits, including automatic
eligibility for medical assistance under Title XIX of the SSA (Medicaid), if any one of the
following applies:
Page 2 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 184
SLS 22RS-471 ORIGINAL
(1)The parent has received FITAP for at least 24 months, whether consecutive or not,
out of the previous 60 months after January 1, 1997.
(2)A work-eligible parent has declined or refused the opportunity for full-time
employment as specified in the participant's Family Success Agreement (FSA) or has
not complied with required work activities as specified in the participant's FSA.
Proposed law retains present law.
Proposed law changes the termination of eligibility time limit in present law from 24 months
to 60 months thereby meeting the lifetime limit for the program as provided in present law.
Proposed law provides that work eligible FITAP participants shall participate in the
Strategies To Empower People (STEP) program, in accordance with the provisions of the
Federal Welfare Reform Act.
Proposed law provides that participants must fulfill each requirement of the Family Success
Agreement and shall participate in work activities or employment programs to receive
FITAP.
Present law provides that the provisions of present law shall not apply to an individual who
is incapacitated or has a disability as documented or to such an individual in the recipient's
household. Proposed law removes this provision of present law and provides that the
provisions of present law shall not apply to an individual who qualifies for an extension,
meets an exception, or is exempt as provided in state regulation or federal law.
Present law provides that the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services
may promulgate rules and regulations which establish exceptions to the time limitations
provided in present law to the extent that funds are available for this purpose; however, any
such exception shall be contingent upon the recipient maintaining compliance with the STEP
FSA pursuant to present law.
Proposed law provides that the secretary may promulgate rules and regulations which
establish exceptions to the time limitations provided in present law to the extent that funds
are available for this purpose and removes the contingency of compliance with the STEP
FSA provided for in present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 46:231.6)
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.