SF0153 - TANF block grant funds.
|
2001 |
State of Wyoming |
01LSO-0166.E1 ENGROSSED |
SENATE FILE NO. SF0153
TANF block grant funds.
Sponsored by: Senate Labor, Health and Social Services
Committee
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to funds
for the temporary assistance to
2
needy families program; providing definitions; changing and
3
expanding the eligibility for child care subsidies;
4
imposing conditions on expenditures of funds as specified;
5
limiting the application of this act as specified;
6
providing a statement of intent; authorizing a state funds
7
only program for education of persons on the personal
8
opportunities with employment responsibilities (POWER)
9
program as specified; providing appropriations; and
10 providing for an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
13
15
16 (a) As used in this act:
Page 1
1
2 (i) "TANF
funds" means the funds the state is
3
entitled to receive from the federal government under the
4
temporary assistance to needy families block grant;
5
6 (ii) "Restricted
TANF funds" means the TANF
7
funds that, due to the time of receipt of or entitlement to
8
the funds, the federal government restricts the use of the
9
funds for assistance purposes as defined in 45 CFR 260.31,
10 or the related administrative costs
of providing that
11 assistance;
12
13 (iii) "Unrestricted
TANF funds" means the TANF
14 funds that the federal government
restricts only to the
15 general purposes of the temporary
assistance to needy
16 families block grant;
17
18 (iv) "State
maintenance of effort funds" means
19 funds that the state is required to
expend in order to
20 receive federal TANF funds.
21
22 (b) Where state
maintenance of effort funds and other
23 state or federal funds are both
appropriated for the same
24 purpose, the state maintenance of
effort funds shall be
Page 2
1 spent
first to ensure that the maintenance of effort
2
requirement under the temporary assistance to needy
3
families block grant is met unless, due to timing or other
4
factors, a different spending pattern is necessary to meet
5
that state maintenance of effort requirement.
6
7 (c) The state
general funds appropriated by 2000
8
Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 76, for cash grants in the
9
personal opportunities with employment responsibilities
10 (POWER) program authorized under
title 42, chapter 2, of
11 the Wyoming Statutes, may be used to
provide assistance to
12 full-time students in approved
educational programs who
13 meet the credit hour and grade
requirements as set forth in
14 W.S. 42-3-109(a). Acceptance of
these state funds by
15 qualified students shall not be
subject to the lifetime
16 limits on benefits imposed by W.S.
42-2-103(e), provided
17 that the student attends class regularly
and does not
18 receive a failing grade in any
coursework due to failure to
19 complete required work for a course.
Failure to comply with
20 the requirements of this subsection
shall result in any
21 benefits the student received under
this subsection being
22 applied against the lifetime limit
on benefits imposed by
23 W.S. 42-2-103(e). To the extent
permitted by law, any funds
24 expended under this subsection shall
be classified as state
Page 3
1 maintenance
of effort funds to meet the federal
2
requirements under the temporary assistance to needy
3
families block grant.
4
5 (d) Unless federal
requirements impose a lower limit
6
on transfers, for each federal fiscal year the state is
7
eligible for funding under the federal temporary assistance
8
to needy families block grant, not less than twenty percent
9
(20%) of the TANF funds received by the state for that
10 fiscal year shall be transferred to
the child care
11 development fund within the
department of family services
12 and not less than ten percent (10%)
shall be transferred to
13 the social services block grant
within the department of
14 family services.
15
17
18 (a) There
is appropriated thirteen million four
19 hundred thousand dollars
($13,400,000.00) in restricted
20 TANF funds as a reserve for direct
assistance.
21
22 (b) There is appropriated up
to twenty-seven million
23 five hundred thousand dollars
($27,500,000.00) from
24 restricted TANF funds to the
department of family services
Page 4
1 for the period beginning
from the effective date of this
2
act through June 30, 2002 for the purpose of implementing
3
the pathways to people program. The department shall
4
improve the design study and report to the joint
5
appropriations interim committee. Notwithstanding any other
6
prior approval, the information technology oversight panel
7
shall pursuant to W.S. 9-2-1018, oversee and approve the
8
acquisition of computer equipment and software systems for
9
the pathways to people program. The information technology
10 oversight panel is authorized to use
funds appropriated
11 under this subsection as necessary
for the oversight
12 function.
13
14 (c) There is appropriated to
the department of family
15 services up to eighteen million five
hundred thousand
16 dollars ($18,500,000.00) from TANF
block grant funds that
17 will be received by the state in
federal fiscal year 2001,
18 for the period beginning from the
effective date of this
19 act through June 30, 2002. The
department shall distribute
20 the funds appropriated under this
subsection in the amounts
21 specified to other state agencies as
necessary to implement
22 the following services:
23
Page 5
1 (i) Up to four million four hundred thousand
2
dollars ($4,400,000.00) to maintain current basic services
3
required under the TANF block grant;
4
5 (ii) Up to three million seven hundred
thousand
6
dollars ($3,700,000.00) to the child care development fund
7
within the department of family services;
8
9 (iii) Up to one million eight hundred fifty
10 thousand dollars ($1,850,000.00) to
the social services
11 block grant within the department of
family services;
12
13 (iv) Up to one million
five hundred thousand
14 dollars ($1,500,000.00) for
preschool programs within the
15 department of education;
16
17 (v) Up to three million
dollars ($3,000,000.00)
18 for child care subsidies. The child
care subsidy
19 eligibility shall be extended to
families with a gross
20 family income up to one hundred
eighty-five percent (185%)
21 of the federal poverty level;
22
23 (vi) Of the eighteen
million five hundred
24 thousand dollars ($18,500,000.00)
appropriated to the
Page 6
1 department of family
services under this subsection, any
2
funds that remain undistributed or unexpended in paragraphs
3
(i) through (vi) of this subsection shall be used for
4
education or employment programs at the discretion of the
5
department of family services.
6
8
9 (a) The TANF funds the state was entitled to
receive
10 that would have become restricted on
October 1, 2000 shall
11 not be subject to this act unless
those funds became
12 restricted TANF funds.
13
14 (b) The
intent of this act is to use federal TANF
15 funds to provide necessary support
of the poor, to maintain
16 two (2) parent families, to prevent
out-of-wedlock
17 pregnancies and to help individuals
become self-sufficient.
18 If federal TANF funds appropriated
by this act cannot be
19 used for the purposes appropriated,
the governor may
20 transfer the funds to other purposes
consistent with the
21 intent of this act, provided that he
inform the joint
22 appropriations interim committee and
the joint labor,
23 health and social services interim
committee in writing of
24 the transfer and the specific
reasons for the transfer,
Page 7
1 including a copy of any
communication from the federal
2
government disapproving a particular proposed expenditure
3
and a copy of any change in federal law or regulation
4
making a particular proposed expenditure ineligible.
5
6 (c) The appropriations of federal TANF funds under
7
this act are valid until September 30, 2002.
8
Notwithstanding W.S. 9-4-207, any funds appropriated under
9
this act for a period beyond the end of the current
10 biennium shall not lapse and may be
expended or obligated
11 as provided by this act. Further
expenditures of federal
12 TANF funds shall be made pursuant to
subsequent
13 appropriations. The governor shall
provide recommendations
14 for such future appropriations of
federal TANF funds
15 through the normal budget process
for inclusion in future
16 biennial budget bills, provided such
expenditures continue
17 to be authorized by the federal
government. If, due to
18 changes in federal law or
regulation, it becomes necessary
19 to substitute general funds for
federal TANF funds that are
20 no longer available to the state,
the substitution shall
21 appear, if recommended by the
governor, as an expanded
22 budget request, not as part of a
standard budget request.
23
Page 8
1 Section 4. This act is effective immediately upon
2
completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
3
as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming
4
Constitution.
5
6 (END)
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