Bill Text: CT SB00855 | 2013 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Revising Certain Social Services Statutes.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-08 - Public Hearing 02/14 [SB00855 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2013-SB00855-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 855
January Session, 2013		LCO No. 2736
		*02736_______HS_*
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)

AN ACT REVISING CERTAIN SOCIAL SERVICES STATUTES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 16a-41a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):

(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of energy planning and activities, appropriations, and human services [the following] a Connecticut energy assistance program annual plan on the implementation of the block grant program authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as amended. [:]

[(1)] Not later than [August] October first, annually, [a Connecticut energy assistance program annual] the commissioner shall submit such plan which establishes guidelines for the use of funds authorized under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981, as amended, and includes the following:

[(A)] (1) Criteria for determining which households are to receive emergency and weatherization assistance;

[(B)] (2) A description of systems used to ensure referrals to other energy assistance programs and the taking of simultaneous applications, as required under section 16a-41;

[(C)] (3) A description of outreach efforts;

[(D)] (4) Estimates of the total number of households eligible for assistance under the program and the number of households in which one or more elderly or physically disabled individuals eligible for assistance reside; and

[(E)] (5) Design of a basic grant for eligible households that does not discriminate against such households based on the type of energy used for heating. [;]

[(2) Not later than January thirtieth, annually, a report covering the preceding months of the program year, including:

(A) In each community action agency geographic area and Department of Social Services region, the number of fuel assistance applications filed, approved and denied, the number of emergency assistance requests made, approved and denied and the number of households provided weatherization assistance;

(B) In each such area and district, the total amount of fuel, emergency and weatherization assistance, itemized by such type of assistance, and total expenditures to date; and

(C) For each state-wide office of each state agency administering the program, each community action agency and each Department of Social Services region, administrative expenses under the program, by line item, and an estimate of outreach expenditures; and

(3) Not later than November first, annually, a report covering the preceding twelve calendar months, including:

(A) In each community action agency geographic area and Department of Social Services region, (i) seasonal totals for the categories of data submitted under subdivision (1) of this subsection, (ii) the number of households receiving fuel assistance in which elderly or physically disabled individuals reside, and (iii) the average combined benefit level of fuel, emergency and renter assistance;

(B) Types of weatherization assistance provided;

(C) Percentage of weatherization assistance provided to tenants;

(D) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat or total energy costs are not included in their rent receiving fuel and emergency assistance under the program by benefit level;

(E) The number of homeowners and tenants whose heat is included in their rent and who are receiving assistance, by benefit level; and

(F) The number of households receiving assistance, by energy type and total expenditures for each energy type.]

Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-8 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit an application for a federal waiver of any assistance program requirements, except for (1) any such application pertaining to routine operational issues, (2) any such application submitted in order to comply with a statutory requirement, and (3) any proposed amendment to the Medicaid state plan to make a change in program requirements that would have required a waiver were it not for the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P.L. 111-148, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, P.L. 111-152, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies prior to the submission of such application or proposed amendment to the federal government. Not later than thirty days after the date of their receipt of such application or proposed amendment, the joint standing committees shall: [(1)] (A) Hold a public hearing on the waiver application, or [(2)] (B) in the case of a proposed amendment to the Medicaid state plan, notify the Commissioner of Social Services whether or not said joint standing committees intend to hold a public hearing. Any notice to the commissioner indicating that the joint standing committees intend to hold a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the Medicaid state plan shall state the date on which the joint standing committees intend to hold such public hearing, which shall not be later than sixty days after the joint standing committees' receipt of the proposed amendment. At the conclusion of a public hearing held in accordance with the provisions of this section, the joint standing committees shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, if any, of the commissioner's waiver application or proposed amendment. If the joint standing committees advise the commissioner of their denial of the commissioner's waiver application or proposed amendment, the commissioner shall not submit the application for a federal waiver or proposed amendment to the federal government. If such committees do not concur, the committee chairpersons shall appoint a committee of conference which shall be composed of three members from each joint standing committee. At least one member appointed from each joint standing committee shall be a member of the minority party. The report of the committee of conference shall be made to each joint standing committee, which shall vote to accept or reject the report. The report of the committee of conference may not be amended. If a joint standing committee rejects the report of the committee of conference, that joint standing committee shall notify the commissioner of the rejection and the commissioner's waiver application or proposed amendment shall be deemed approved. If the joint standing committees accept the report, the committee having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, if any, of the commissioner's waiver application or proposed amendment. If the joint standing committees do not so advise the commissioner during [the] such thirty-day period, the waiver application or proposed amendment shall be deemed approved. Any application for a federal waiver or proposed amendment submitted to the federal government by the commissioner, pursuant to this section, shall be in accordance with the approval or modifications, if any, of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies.

Sec. 3. Section 17b-26 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):

(a) The Department of Social Services shall act as the single state agency to coordinate, plan and publish annually the state social services plan for the implementation of social services block grants and community services block grants as required by federal law and regulation. Said department shall furnish copies of [said] such plan to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to appropriations and the budgets of state agencies and human services, at least sixty days prior to publication, for their review and recommendations, and shall consult with and furnish to said committees any additional information on such plan which they may request.

(b) The Department of Social Services shall provide for the development of all mandated outreach programs in accordance with any mandate of the federal government as required by federal law and regulation for the implementation of social services block grants and community services block grants.

[(c) The Department of Social Services shall, on or before December fifteenth, annually, report to the Governor and said joint standing committees with regard to the activity of the department in the implementation of social services block grants and community services block grants, including but not limited to, fiscal data on expenditures of state and federal funds thereunder, and any recommendations for needed program legislation to insure the receipt of all federal funds available to the state from such grants.]

[(d)] (c) Any organization receiving block grants pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of section 17b-99.

Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 17b-80 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):

(a) The commissioner, upon receipt of an application for aid, shall promptly and with due diligence make an investigation, such investigation to be completed [within] not later than forty-five days after receipt of the application or [within sixty] not later than ninety days after receipt of the application in the case of an application in which a determination of disability must be made. If an application for an award is not acted on [within] not later than forty-five days after the filing of an application, or [within sixty] not later than ninety days in the case of an application in which a determination of disability must be made, the applicant may apply to the commissioner for a hearing in accordance with sections 17b-60 and 17b-61. The commissioner shall grant aid only if he finds the applicant eligible therefor, in which case he shall grant aid in such amount, determined in accordance with levels of payments established by the commissioner, as is needed in order to enable the applicant to support himself, or, in the case of temporary family assistance, to enable the relative to support such dependent child or children and himself, in health and decency, including the costs of such medical care as he deems necessary and reasonable, not in excess of the amounts set forth in the various fee schedules promulgated by the Commissioner of Social Services for medical, dental and allied services and supplies or the charges made for comparable services and supplies to the general public, whichever is less, and the cost of necessary hospitalization as is provided in section 17b-239, over and above hospital insurance or other such benefits, including workers' compensation and claims for negligent or wilful injury. The commissioner, subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, shall in determining need, take into consideration any available income and resources of the individual claiming assistance. The commissioner shall make periodic investigations to determine eligibility and may, at any time, modify, suspend or discontinue an award previously made when such action is necessary to carry out the provisions of the state supplement program, medical assistance program, temporary family assistance program, state-administered general assistance program or supplemental nutrition assistance program. The parent or parents of any child for whom aid is received under the temporary family assistance program and any beneficiary receiving assistance under the state supplement program shall be conclusively presumed to have accepted the provisions of sections 17b-93, 17b-94 and 17b-95.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2013	16a-41a(a)
Sec. 2	from passage	17b-8(a)
Sec. 3	October 1, 2013	17b-26
Sec. 4	from passage	17b-80(a)

Statement of Purpose:

To repeal certain program reporting requirements, and revise the timeline to make disability determinations related to public assistance requests.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]