HB 62: "An Act relating to child care provided by recipients of assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program; and providing for an effective date."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 62 01 "An Act relating to child care provided by recipients of assistance under the 02 Alaska temporary assistance program; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 47.27.025 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (f) Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, the department shall, for 06 purposes of determining the continued eligibility of a family for assistance, disregard 07 all income received by the family from the provision of home care to the children of 08 other recipients of assistance under this chapter if the home care is provided in order 09 to enable the other recipients to participate in work activities and the home care 10 commenced after the care-giving family began receiving assistance under this chapter. 11 A family whose income is disregarded under this subsection remains subject to the 60- 12 month time limit in AS 47.27.015(a)(1) and to laws governing the provision of child care. 13 * Sec. 2. AS 47.27.030 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 14 (d) For a family that includes two adults who are not exempt from work
01 participation requirements under AS 47.27.035(c)(1) - (4), the family's self-sufficiency 02 plan may, at the family's option, include an agreement that one of the adults will 03 complete child care training determined appropriate by the department and, thereafter, 04 while receiving assistance under this chapter or until the self-sufficiency plan is 05 amended, will provide at least 30 hours a week of uncompensated home care for at 06 least three minors who are children of other recipients of assistance under this chapter 07 so that the minors' caretakers are able to participate in work activities. To the extent 08 that this provision of child care does not increase the self-sufficiency of the caregiver's 09 family, the requirement of this section that the plan be designed to lead to self- 10 sufficiency is waived. However, all other provisions of this chapter that are applicable to self-sufficiency plans, 11 including sanctions under AS 47.27.085(a), are applicable to a plan that 12 includes a child care provision as described in this subsection. 13 * Sec. 3. AS 47.27.035(c) is amended to read: 14 (c) A parent or caretaker may be exempt from work participation requirements 15 in the family self-sufficiency plan if 16 (1) the parent or caretaker is providing home care for a child who is 17 experiencing a disability or a related, disabled person who requires 24-hour care; 18 (2) the parent or caretaker establishes an inability to participate for 19 medical reasons supported by documentation from a physician or other licensed 20 medical professional; 21 (3) the participation would impose an unreasonable hardship on the 22 family; [OR] 23 (4) there is a dependent child in the home that has not yet attained six 24 years of age and the parent or caretaker demonstrates an inability to obtain needed 25 child care because appropriate child care is not available; or 26 (5) the self-sufficiency plan includes a child care provision as 27 described under AS 47.27.030(d) and the parent or caretaker is actually attending 28 the training or providing the care agreed to. 29 * Sec. 4. AS 47.27.060 is amended to read: 30 Sec. 47.27.060. Job and child care development. The department may 31 establish cooperative agreements with the Department of Labor, Department of
01 Community and Regional Affairs, Department of Education, and Department of 02 Commerce and Economic Development, and with other public or private sector 03 organizations for the purpose of developing job, training, child care, and educational 04 opportunities for families eligible for assistance under this chapter. 05 * Sec. 5. AS 47.27.060 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 06 (b) The department shall determine whether it is necessary to provide child 07 care training to a family member who is providing or intends to provide child care 08 under AS 47.27.025(f) or 47.27.030(d) and shall provide for training opportunities for 09 that family member, as appropriate. The department shall include, as an element of 10 the training opportunity provided under this subsection, education and skills 11 development that may enable the family member to provide competent child care as 12 a profit-making activity on a long-term basis. 13 * Sec. 6. APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL APPROVAL. (a) If the Department of Health 14 and Social Services determines that federal approval is necessary for uncompensated child care 15 provided under AS 47.27.030(d), as added by sec. 2 of this Act, to be considered an activity 16 that will meet the federal work participation requirements for recipients of assistance under 17 the Alaska temporary assistance program, the department shall apply for a waiver or take 18 whatever other action is necessary to seek federal approval. 19 (b) With or without federal approval under (a) of this section, it is the legislature's 20 intent that the department implement this Act because it is the legislature's judgment that this 21 Act will decrease costs to the state of providing child care under AS 47.27.035(d)(1) and 22 increase the ability of welfare recipients to participate in federally approved work activities 23 because low-cost care will be provided to their children. 24 * Sec. 7. Section 6(a) of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 25 * Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided in sec. 7 of this Act, this Act takes effect on the earlier 26 of 27 (1) July 1, 1997; or 28 (2) the date the state's plan submitted to implement AS 47.27 is considered 29 complete by the federal government. 30 (b) The commissioner of health and social services shall notify the revisor of statutes 31 of the date described in (a)(2) of this section if it is earlier than July 1, 1997.