CAUTION: READ FULL TEXT OF SECTION FOR SPECIAL NOTE
(a) Except for an applicant or recipient who is a single child, the FIP
shall include:
(1) An assessment of all applicants or recipients that shall consider:
(i) The reasons for applying for or continued reliance on assistance;
(ii) The educational level, job skills and readiness, and interests to
evaluate appropriate work activities; and
(iii) Personal and family resources available to facilitate independence;
(2) For an applicant or recipient, welfare avoidance grants that:
(i) Meet immediate needs so that an applicant or recipient can avoid
welfare assistance;
(ii) May be granted as deemed appropriate by the Department;
(iii) May not cover the same type of immediate need met by any previous
welfare avoidance grant unless the Department has determined that the
current immediate need represents a new and verified emergency;
(iv) Subject to item (v) of this paragraph, do not exceed an amount of 3
months of temporary cash assistance;
(v) May be in an amount that exceeds 3 months, but no more than 12 months,
of temporary cash assistance if the Department determines there is a
compelling need for such an amount; and
(vi) May not duplicate periods of temporary cash assistance;
(3) For a recipient, an agreement between the Department and the recipient
that:
(i) Requires the recipient to cooperate with the child support enforcement
agency to obtain support from an absent parent;
(ii) Requires the recipient to comply with reasonable requests for
cooperation by case management workers in seeking and using programs
and community and family resources that may be available to the
recipient;
(iii) Specifies the work activities in which the recipient will participate;
and
(iv) Specifies the supportive services that the local department will assist
in providing and that are necessary for the recipient to meet the
recipient's obligations under the program;
(4) For a recipient:
(i) Supportive services activities, including child care, to the extent
resources permit;
(ii) Referral, as appropriate, to family planning counseling and services
which:
1. May not be offered or conducted in a manner that:
A. Is coercive; or
B. Will violate the recipient's bona fide religious beliefs and practices
or confidentiality; and
2. Shall give preference to eligible teen parents; and
(iii) As a last resort, temporary cash assistance; and
(5) For an applicant, a child care voucher:
(i) If the applicant is required to participate in a work or job search
activity, to the extent resources permit, as a condition of
eligibility; or
(ii) If the provision of child care will eliminate the need for the
applicant to receive any cash assistance under this program.
(b) For an applicant or recipient who is a single child, the FIP shall
include:
(1) Referral of the applicant or recipient to appropriate services; and
(2) As a last resort, temporary cash assistance for the recipient.
(c) To the extent resources permit, noncustodial parents in need of
employment services in order to pay child support obligations shall be
served in the FIP.
(d) (1) For applicants to the Family Investment Program, the amount of
assistance shall be computed by counting no more than 4 weeks of earned
income in any month and disregarding 20% of that earned income.
(2) For eligible Family Investment Program recipients who obtain
unsubsidized employment, the amount of assistance shall be computed by
counting no more than 4 weeks of earned income in any month and
disregarding 40% of that earned income.
(e) The Secretary shall revise the schedule of FIP assistance to prevent a
recipient who has established eligibility from losing eligibility
solely because one or more wage earners in the family unit works more
than 100 hours per month.
(f) The Secretary shall revise the rules of eligibility to exempt
two-parent families from a requirement that the principal wage earner
must have worked for a specified time prior to applying for the FIP.
(g) (1) The Secretary shall revise the rules of eligibility to permit a child
who is living with the child's natural parent and a stepparent in a
household in which the household income exceeds the State eligibility
standard for assistance to be eligible to receive assistance if:
(i) The requirements of § 48 of this subtitle are met; and
(ii) Based upon the income of the natural parent and that parent's
children, the natural parent and the child would be eligible for
assistance.
(2) The amount of assistance to be paid under paragraph (1) of this
subsection shall be computed with regard to the income of the
stepparent if the total income of the stepparent equals or exceeds 50%
of the official poverty level, adjusted for family size, established
under the federal Community Services Block Grant Act.
(h) The Secretary shall revise the schedule of FIP assistance to permit a
dependent child over the age of 17 years, who is a full-time student
in secondary school or the equivalent, to be eligible for inclusion in
the FIP grant if the education program is expected to be completed in
the calendar year the child turns 19 years of
age.
** SPECIAL NOTE: CONTINGENCY - CHAPTER 229 - 2002 **
(a) Except for an applicant or recipient who is a single child, the FIP
shall include:
(1) An assessment of all applicants or recipients that shall consider:
(i) The reasons for applying for or continued reliance on assistance;
(ii) The educational level, job skills and readiness, and interests to
evaluate appropriate work activities; and
(iii) Personal and family resources available to facilitate independence;
(2) For an applicant or recipient, welfare avoidance grants that:
(i) Meet immediate needs so that an applicant or recipient can avoid
welfare assistance;
(ii) May be granted as deemed appropriate by the Department;
(iii) May not cover the same type of immediate need met by any previous
welfare avoidance grant unless the Department has determined that the
current immediate need represents a new and verified emergency;
(iv) Subject to item (v) of this paragraph, do not exceed an amount of 3
months of temporary cash assistance;
(v) May be in an amount that exceeds 3 months, but no more than 12 months,
of temporary cash assistance if the Department determines there is a
compelling need for such an amount; and
(vi) May not duplicate periods of temporary cash assistance;
(3) For a recipient, an agreement between the Department and the recipient
that:
(i) Requires the recipient to cooperate with the child support enforcement
agency to obtain support from an absent parent;
(ii) Requires the recipient to comply with reasonable requests for
cooperation by case management workers in seeking and using programs
and community and family resources that may be available to the
recipient;
(iii) Specifies the work activities in which the recipient will participate;
and
(iv) Specifies the supportive services that the local department will assist
in providing and that are necessary for the recipient to meet the
recipient's obligations under the program;
(4) For a recipient:
(i) Supportive services activities, including child care, to the extent
resources permit;
(ii) Referral, as appropriate, to family planning counseling and services
which:
1. May not be offered or conducted in a manner that:
A. Is coercive; or
B. Will violate the recipient's bona fide religious beliefs and practices
or confidentiality; and
2. Shall give preference to eligible teen parents; and
(iii) As a last resort, temporary cash assistance; and
(5) For an applicant, a child care voucher:
(i) If the applicant is required to participate in a work or job search
activity, to the extent resources permit, as a condition of
eligibility; or
(ii) If the provision of child care will eliminate the need for the
applicant to receive any cash assistance under this program.
(b) For an applicant or recipient who is a single child, the FIP shall
include:
(1) Referral of the applicant or recipient to appropriate services; and
(2) As a last resort, temporary cash assistance for the recipient.
(c) To the extent resources permit, noncustodial parents in need of
employment services in order to pay child support obligations shall be
served in the FIP.
(d) (1) For applicants to the Family Investment Program, the amount of
assistance shall be computed by counting no more than 4 weeks of earned
income in any month and disregarding 20% of that earned income.
(2) For eligible Family Investment Program recipients who obtain
unsubsidized employment, the amount of assistance shall be computed by
counting no more than 4 weeks of earned income in any month and
disregarding 26% of that earned income.
(e) The Secretary shall revise the schedule of FIP assistance to prevent a
recipient who has established eligibility from losing eligibility
solely because one or more wage earners in the family unit works more
than 100 hours per month.
(f) The Secretary shall revise the rules of eligibility to exempt
two-parent families from a requirement that the principal wage earner
must have worked for a specified time prior to applying for the FIP.
(g) (1) The Secretary shall revise the rules of eligibility to permit a child
who is living with the child's natural parent and a stepparent in a
household in which the household income exceeds the State eligibility
standard for assistance to be eligible to receive assistance if:
(i) The requirements of § 48 of this subtitle are met; and
(ii) Based upon the income of the natural parent and that parent's
children, the natural parent and the child would be eligible for
assistance.
(2) The amount of assistance to be paid under paragraph (1) of this
subsection shall be computed with regard to the income of the
stepparent if the total income of the stepparent equals or exceeds 50%
of the official poverty level, adjusted for family size, established
under the federal Community Services Block Grant Act.
(h) The Secretary shall revise the schedule of FIP assistance to permit a
dependent child over the age of 17 years, who is a full-time student
in secondary school or the equivalent, to be eligible for inclusion in
the FIP grant if the education program is expected to be completed in
the calendar year the child turns 19 years of age.
|
