04/19/2001 01:48 PM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 142                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     An Act relating to the Alaska temporary assistance                                                                         
     program; and providing for an effective date.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
ANGELA SALERNO, DIVISION OF PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE, DEPARTMENT OF                                                                   
HEALTH AND SOCIAL  SERVICES, stated that Jim  Nordlund was on                                                                   
line and ready to testify.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
JIM  NORDLUND,  (TESTIFIED  VIA   TELECONFERENCE),  DIRECTOR,                                                                   
DIVISION  OF  PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE, DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH  AND                                                                   
SOCIAL SERVICES,  ANCHORAGE, commented  that five  years ago,                                                                   
the Administration  worked with  the Legislature to  create a                                                                   
new  welfare  law for  Alaska.    The  Aid to  Families  with                                                                   
Dependent  Children  and  Job Opportunity  and  Basic  Skills                                                                   
programs  created  the Alaska  Temporary  Assistance  Program                                                                   
(ATAP).    He advised  that  changes  were needed  with  that                                                                   
program as it was initially established.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Nordlund stated  that HB 142 would repeal  the percentage                                                                   
limit on the number of families  that may continue on receive                                                                   
assistance for more than 60 months  due to hardship.  Removal                                                                   
of  that limit  would  permit the  Department  of Health  and                                                                   
Social Services to base its hardship  exceptions on objective                                                                   
criteria  rather  than  on  a  fixed  percentage  of  overall                                                                   
caseload.   As families  are successful  in finding  work and                                                                   
the overall caseload decreases,  the number of hardship cases                                                                   
makes up a greater percentage of the total.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Nordlund  noted  that Alaska  established  an  extremely                                                                   
aggressive goal,  compared to other states,  capping hardship                                                                   
cases at  a specific percentage  of the total.   Other states                                                                   
either avoided time limits completely  or set a broader range                                                                   
of exemptions  to the  limits.  The  fixed percentage  in law                                                                   
artificially  bars needy families  with disabled  adults from                                                                   
receiving  essential cash  assistance  and  services for  the                                                                   
children.  The first families will begin to exceed the 60-                                                                      
month lifetime limit in July 2002.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Nordlund added  that the bill would address  the seasonal                                                                   
provisions  for  a  two  parent   needy  family  by  removing                                                                   
outdated eligibility requirements  as cited in Superior Court                                                                   
ruling.   The  change  permits the  Department  to apply  the                                                                   
seasonal   reduction  provision   to  all  two-parent   needy                                                                   
families in  which both parents  are physically  and mentally                                                                   
able to work.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The legislation  will require disabled parents  to have self-                                                                   
sufficiency plans.  The State  can better serve these parents                                                                   
by promoting their efforts toward self-sufficiency.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative Hudson MOVED to  report CS HB 142 (HES) out of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note.  There being NO  OBJECTION, it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS HB  142 (HES)  was reported  out of  Committee with  a "do                                                                   
pass" recommendation and with  a fiscal note by Department of                                                                   
Health & Social Services dated 2/23/01.