2005 Vermont Code - § 1133. — Transition from welfare restructuring project to Reach Up program

§ 1133. Transition from welfare restructuring project to Reach Up program

(a) The commissioner shall restructure the system of Aid to Needy Families with Children in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The restructuring shall be carried out on a statewide basis. The restructured program shall be reconstituted as the Reach Up program.

(b) The commissioner shall ensure that representatives of participating families, representatives of community agencies, and representatives of the department staff play an active role in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the restructuring required by this chapter.

(c) The commissioner shall develop a plan and adopt rules to phase current members of the existing ANFC caseload into the new Reach Up program.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, able-bodied single parents and able-bodied parents in two-parent families in which one parent is incapacitated who are receiving Aid to Needy Families with Children ("ANFC") and have their families' eligibility for and amount of ANFC benefits determined in accordance with welfare restructuring project rules that include a work requirement, in accordance with Sec. 10(a) of Act No. 106 of 1994 shall be deemed work-ready as follows:

(1) Parents in families who have received 28 or more cumulative months of ANFC benefits before November 1, 2000, shall be deemed work-ready as of January 1, 2001.

(2) Parents in families who have received their 28th cumulative month of ANFC benefits during the period beginning November 1, 2000, and ending on April 30, 2001, shall be deemed work-ready as of the first day of the 30th cumulative month of having received ANFC benefits.

(3) Two months prior to being deemed work-ready in accordance with subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection, parents shall work with their case manager, if necessary, to prepare or include in their family development plan their participation in TANF-countable work activities, as specified by rule, that are sufficient to meet their weekly hours of work requirement.

(4) During the period from November 1, 2000, through June 30, 2001, the parents subject to this subsection shall also be subject to the exemption policies defined in Sec. 11 and the sanction policies defined in Sec. 12 of Act No. 106 of 1994.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, able-to-work and able-to-work-part-time parents and caretakers in families in which one or both of the ANFC children's parents are absent and able-to-work and able-to-work-part-time parents in two-parent families in which one parent is unable-to-work shall be deemed job- or work-ready as follows:

(1) Parents and caretakers in families who, subsequent to June 30, 1994, have received at least 22 cumulative months of ANFC benefits by July 1, 2001, shall be deemed job- or work-ready no later than September 1, 2001.

(2) Parents and caretakers in families who, subsequent to June 30, 1994, have received at least 16 cumulative months of ANFC benefits by September 1, 2001, shall be deemed job- or work-ready no later than November 1, 2001.

(3) Parents and caretakers in families who, subsequent to June 30, 1994, have received at least 10 cumulative months of ANFC benefits by November 1, 2001, shall be deemed job- or work-ready no later than January 1, 2002.

(4) Parents and caretakers in families who, subsequent to June 30, 1994, have received at least 10 cumulative months of ANFC benefits by January 1, 2002, shall be deemed job- or work-ready no later than March 1, 2002.

(5) Parents and caretakers in families who, subsequent to June 30, 1994, have received at least 10 cumulative months of ANFC benefits by March 1, 2002, shall be deemed job- or work-ready no later than May 1, 2002.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and effective May 1, 2001, able-bodied parents who are not the primary caretaker in two-parent families that have received ANFC benefits for at least 10 cumulative months shall be deemed job- or work-ready as of July 1, 2001.

(g) All parents and caretakers deemed job- or work-ready, as provided in subsections (e) and (f) of this section:

(1) Shall work with their case manager during the two months prior to being deemed job- or work-ready to complete their assessment and prepare a family development plan that requires their participation in TANF-countable work activities, as specified by rule, that are sufficient to meet the parent's or caretaker's work requirement as specified in section 1113 of this title; and

(2) Shall be subject to the deferments and modifications provisions of section 1114 of this title, and the work incentive and sanctions provisions of section 1116 of this title. (Added 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. November 1, 2000.)