Sec. 17b-688c. Employment services program for recipients of TANF established. Regulations.
Sec. 17b-688c. Employment services program for recipients of TANF established. Regulations. (a) The Department of Social Services shall administer, in accordance with sections 17b-688h and 17b-688i, an employment services program for the
purpose of providing employment services to recipients of benefits under the temporary
assistance for needy families program pursuant to Title IV-A of the Social Security
Act. Said program shall include the provision of employment services to recipients of
temporary family assistance that will enable them to become employed and independent
of cash assistance within twenty-one months of receipt of temporary family assistance.
(b) In no event shall temporary family assistance be granted to an applicant for such
assistance, who is not exempt from participation in the employment services program,
prior to the applicant's attendance at an initial scheduled employment services assessment interview and participation in the development of an employment services plan.
The Department of Social Services shall not delay temporary family assistance to an
applicant in cases where the department schedules the initial employment services assessment interview more than ten business days after the date on which application
for assistance is made, or in cases where the Labor Department does not complete an
employment services plan for the benefit of the applicant within ten business days of
the date on which the applicant attends an employment services assessment interview.
The Commissioner of Social Services shall refer any applicant denied temporary family
assistance, who may be in need of emergency benefits, to other services offered by the
Department of Social Services or community services that may be available to such
applicant. The Department of Social Services shall reduce the benefits awarded to a
family under the temporary family assistance program when a member of the family who
is required to participate in employment services fails to comply with an employment
services requirement without good cause. The first instance of noncompliance with an
employment services requirement shall result in a twenty-five per cent reduction of such
benefits for three consecutive months. The second instance of noncompliance with such
requirement shall result in a thirty-five per cent reduction of such benefits for three
consecutive months. A third or subsequent instance of noncompliance with such requirement shall result in the termination of such benefits for three consecutive months. If
only one member of a family is eligible for temporary family assistance and such member
fails to comply with an employment services requirement, the department shall terminate
all benefits of such family for three consecutive months. Notwithstanding the provisions
of this subsection, the department shall terminate the benefits awarded to a family under
the temporary family assistance program if a member of the family who is not exempt
from the twenty-one-month time limit specified in subsection (a) of section 17b-112
fails, without good cause, to: (1) Attend any scheduled assessment appointment or interview relating to the establishment of an employment services plan, except that such
individual's benefits shall be reinstated if the individual attends a subsequently scheduled appointment or interview within thirty days of the date on which the department
has issued notification to the individual that benefits have been terminated, or (2) comply
with an employment services requirement during a six-month extension of benefits.
Any individual who fails to comply with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection may submit a new application for such benefits at any time after termination of
benefits.
(c) The Department of Social Services shall not enter into or renew any contractual
obligations for the employment services program that extend beyond June 30, 1998.
Within fifteen days after execution of such contractual obligations, the Department of
Social Services shall send to the Labor Department a copy of such contracts for the
information of the Labor Department.
(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement policies and procedures
necessary to carry out the purposes of this section while in the process of adopting
such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice is published in the
Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days of implementation of such policies and
procedures. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid
until the time final regulations are effective.
(June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 120, 165; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A.
04-258, S. 13; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 35.)
History: June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 effective July 1, 1997; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 designated existing provisions re
employment services program administration and inclusion as Subsec. (a), adding references to Secs. 17b-688h and 17b-688i therein, added Subsec. (b) re reduction and termination of benefits, designated existing provisions re contractual
obligations as Subsec. (c), and designated provisions re policies and procedures as Subsec. (d), making a technical change
therein; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A.
04-258 amended Subsec. (b) to require that a temporary family assistance applicant, not exempt from participation in the
employment services program, must attend an initial scheduled employment services assessment interview and participate
in the development of an employment services plan prior to such applicant being granted assistance, to provide that
assistance is not to be denied in cases where Department of Social Services schedules the initial employment services
assessment more than ten business days after the date of application or in cases where the Labor Department does not
complete an employment services plan for the benefit of the applicant within ten business days of the date on which the
applicant attends an employment services assessment interview, and to provide that Department of Social Services shall
refer applicants denied temporary family assistance, who may be in need of emergency benefits, to other services offered
by department or community services that may be available, effective July 1, 2004; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 amended
Subsec. (b) to substitute that Department of Social Services shall not "delay" temporary family assistance in place of
"deny" such assistance in cases where employment services program requirements are not scheduled or completed within
specified time periods, effective July 1, 2004.
See Sec. 17b-112 re temporary family assistance program.