EMERGENCY RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Date of Adoption: July 14, 2000.
Purpose: To correct the categorical eligibility rule that is scheduled to be effective August 1, 2000. Food assistance units do not need to continue to meet the resource standard once TANF ends as long as they receive or are authorized to receive post employment services.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-414-0001.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.510.
Other Authority: USDA Administrative Notice 99-46.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: If this rule is not amended, some applicants and recipients leaving TANF will be incorrectly denied or terminated from food assistance and the state will incur quality control payment errors.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: August 1, 2000.
July 14, 2000
Marie Myerchin-Redifer, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
2789.1(1) What is "categorical eligibility"?
Some food assistance households do not have to meet all of the eligibility requirements for food assistance. The department calls this categorical eligibility. Categorically eligible households have already met these requirements for another program:
(a) Resources;
(b) Gross and net income standards; and
(c) Residency.
(2) Who is categorically eligible for food assistance?
Your household is categorically eligible when:
(a) All members of your household are getting general assistance (GA) cash benefits;
(b) All members of your household are getting Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on their own behalf;
(c) All members of your household are getting either GA or SSI on their own behalf; or
(d) Some members of your household are authorized to receive payments or services from the following programs and you all benefit from the assistance:
(i) Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) cash assistance;
(ii) State family assistance (SFA);
(iii) Diversion cash assistance (DCA) for the month you receive assistance and the three following months; or
(iv) TANF post-employment services (as defined in WAC 388-310-1800) ((as long as your assistance unit meets TANF
resource requirements)).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.510. 00-11-035, § 388-414-0001, filed 5/10/00, effective 8/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-414-0001, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]