HB 295: "An Act relating to limits on eligibility for assistance for chronic or acute medical conditions, day care assistance and child care grants, general relief assistance, adult public assistance, the Alaska affordable heating program, and the Alaska temporary assistance program."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 295 01 "An Act relating to limits on eligibility for assistance for chronic or acute medical 02 conditions, day care assistance and child care grants, general relief assistance, adult 03 public assistance, the Alaska affordable heating program, and the Alaska temporary 04 assistance program." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 47.08.150(b) is amended to read: 07 (b) A needy person suffering from a chronic or an acute medical condition 08 who is eligible for general relief assistance under AS 47.25.120 and is not eligible for 09 the medical assistance program under AS 47.07 may apply for assistance under this 10 section. The department shall make a determination of eligibility based on a general 11 relief assistance application. The requirements of AS 47.08.020 - 47.08.140 do not 12 apply to assistance sought under this section, except that, notwithstanding (c) of this 13 section, neither reimbursement nor assistance may be paid by the department for 14 services that are listed in AS 47.08.050 as those services are defined in AS 47.08.140.
01 For purposes of this subsection, the department shall construe general relief 02 assistance eligibility under AS 47.25.120 without application of the 60-month 03 cumulative lifetime limit. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 47.25.031 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (b) A family is not eligible for day care benefits for a cumulative total of more 06 than 60 months for one or more children. 07 * Sec. 3. AS 47.25.120 is amended to read: 08 Sec. 47.25.120. Eligibility for assistance. Financial assistance may be given 09 under AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300, so far as practicable under the conditions in this 10 state, to a needy person who is eligible under the regulations of the department. A 11 person is not eligible for financial assistance under AS 47.25.120 - 47.25.300 for a 12 cumulative total of more than 60 months over the person's lifetime. 13 * Sec. 4. AS 47.25.455 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 14 (e) A person is not eligible for interim assistance under this section for a 15 cumulative total of more than 60 months over the person's lifetime. 16 * Sec. 5. AS 47.25.623 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 17 (e) An individual is not eligible for Alaska affordable heating payments under 18 the Alaska affordable heating program for a cumulative total of more than five years 19 over the individual's lifetime. 20 * Sec. 6. AS 47.27.015(a) is amended to read: 21 (a) A family is not eligible for cash assistance under the Alaska temporary 22 assistance program if the family includes an adult who 23 (1) has received cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance 24 program, or a program of another state operated under a federal assistance grant 25 program for needy families, for a cumulative total of 60 months as the caretaker or 26 spouse of a caretaker of a dependent child or as a pregnant woman [, UNLESS THE 27 CARETAKER OR PREGNANT WOMAN IS 28 (A) A PERSON WHO THE DEPARTMENT HAS 29 REASONABLE CAUSE TO BELIEVE IS OR RECENTLY HAS BEEN THE 30 VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, AS DEFINED IN AS 18.66.990, AND 31 THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL, OR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING OF THE
01 VICTIM WOULD BE ENDANGERED BY A STRICT APPLICATION OF 02 THE TIME LIMIT OTHERWISE APPLICABLE UNDER THIS 03 SUBSECTION; 04 (B) DETERMINED, UNDER REGULATIONS OF THE 05 DEPARTMENT TO BE PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY UNABLE TO 06 PERFORM GAINFUL ACTIVITY; 07 (C) A PARENT WHO IS PROVIDING CARE FOR A CHILD 08 WHO IS EXPERIENCING A DISABILITY; OR 09 (D) A FAMILY DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT 10 TO BE EXEMPT FROM THIS PARAGRAPH BY REASON OF 11 HARDSHIP]; or 12 (2) is determined to be fleeing to avoid prosecution, custody, or 13 confinement after conviction, in this or another jurisdiction, for a crime that is 14 classified as a felony or a class A misdemeanor under AS 11 or the criminal laws of 15 the jurisdiction where the criminal activity was committed. 16 * Sec. 7. AS 47.27.030(b) is amended to read: 17 (b) The family self-sufficiency plan must set a time period for the achievement 18 of self-sufficiency from cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance 19 program. Initially, that time period may not provide for any more than a total of 60 20 months of cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program [EVEN 21 THOUGH THE FAMILY MAY EVENTUALLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN 22 EXEMPTION UNDER AS 47.27.015(a)(1)]. Unless the members of the family who 23 are not dependent children are all exempt under AS 47.27.035(b) - (d), the time period 24 for receiving cash assistance may not exceed a cumulative total of 24 months unless 25 each nonexempt person is in compliance with the work activity assignment made 26 under AS 47.27.035. 27 * Sec. 8. AS 47.27.015(f) is repealed. 28 * Sec. 9. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 29 read: 30 TRANSITION. The Department of Health and Social Services shall immediately 31 provide notice to individuals who receive day care assistance and child care grants, general
01 relief assistance, adult public assistance, assistance under the Alaska affordable heating 02 program, or the Alaska temporary assistance program of the eligibility limits established 03 under this Act. The Department of Health and Social Services shall immediately identify 04 individuals who are ineligible, or will become ineligible within 30 days, for day care 05 assistance and child care grants, general relief assistance, adult public assistance, the Alaska 06 affordable heating program, or the Alaska temporary assistance program as a result of 07 provisions added by this Act and shall terminate benefits for ineligible individuals not more 08 than 30 days after the effective date of this Act.