HB 476: "An Act relating to the 'hold harmless' clauses of the permanent fund dividend program in regard to eligibility for assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 476 01 "An Act relating to the 'hold harmless' clauses of the permanent fund dividend program 02 in regard to eligibility for assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 43.23.075(a) is amended to read: 05 (a) Except as provided in (d) of this section, in [IN] determining the 06 eligibility of an individual under a public assistance program administered by the 07 Department of Health and Social Services in which eligibility for assistance is based 08 on financial need, the Department of Health and Social Services may not consider a 09 permanent fund dividend as income or resources received by the recipient of public 10 assistance or by a member of the recipient's household unless required to do so by 11 federal law or regulation. The Department of Health and Social Services shall notify 12 all recipients of public assistance of the effects of receiving a permanent fund 13 dividend. 14 * Sec. 2. AS 43.23.075(c) is amended to read:
01 (c) Except as provided in (d) of this section, an [AN] individual who is 02 denied assistance solely because permanent fund dividends received by the individual 03 or by a member of the individual's household are counted as income or resources 04 under federal law or regulation is eligible for cash assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 05 47.25.300 (general relief assistance program). Notwithstanding the limit in 06 AS 47.25.130, the individual is entitled to receive, for a period not to exceed four 07 months, the same amount as the individual would have received under other public 08 assistance programs had there been no permanent fund dividend program. 09 * Sec. 3. AS 43.23.075 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 10 (d) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section and AS 43.23.085, 11 (1) the Department of Health and Social Services shall consider a 12 permanent fund dividend as income or resources received by an individual or by a 13 member of the individual's household when determining the eligibility of the 14 individual or household for cash assistance, self-sufficiency services, diversion 15 payments, or other assistance under AS 47.27 (Alaska temporary assistance program); 16 (2) an individual or household who is denied assistance under 17 AS 47.27 solely because permanent fund dividends received by the individual or by a 18 member of the individual's household are counted as income or resources under 19 federal law or regulation is not eligible for cash assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 20 47.25.300 (general relief assistance program). 21 * Sec. 4. AS 43.23.085 is amended to read: 22 Sec. 43.23.085. Eligibility for state programs. Except as provided in 23 AS 43.23.075(d), a [A] program administered by the state or any of its 24 instrumentalities or municipalities, the eligibility for which is based on financial need, 25 may not consider a permanent fund dividend as income or resources unless required to 26 do so by federal law or regulation.