Sec. 17b-88a. Recoveries or overpayments under AFDC program, account for payment of.
Sec. 17b-112. Temporary family assistance program.
Sec. 17b-112f. Safety net services account. Regulations.
Sec. 17b-80. (Formerly Sec. 17-82d). Investigations. Grant of aid. Income disregard for students. Asset limits. (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 forty-five days after receipt of the application or within sixty 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 forty-five days after the filing of an application, or within sixty 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 the commissioner finds the applicant eligible therefor, in which case the commissioner 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 herself, or, in the case of temporary family assistance, to enable the relative to support such dependent child or children and himself or herself, 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 and 17b-95.
(b) The commissioner shall disregard any earned income of a child who is a student in determining the eligibility, standard of need and amount of assistance of a family in the TFA program.
(c) No person shall be eligible for the state supplement program whose assets as defined by the commissioner exceed sixteen hundred dollars or, if living with a spouse, whose combined assets exceed twenty-four hundred dollars.
(1969, P.A. 730, S. 19; June, 1971, S.A. 1, S. 18; P.A. 77-105; 77-614, S. 19, 610; P.A. 79-376, S. 19; P.A. 85-66, S. 2; 85-359; P.A. 86-290, S. 1, 10; 86-315, S. 4, 5; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 30, 165; P.A. 09-9, S. 12; P.A. 22-118, S. 449; P.A. 24-35, S. 8; P.A. 25-39, S. 14.)
History: 1971 act substituted “levels of payment” for “standards”; P.A. 77-105 made 60-day limit previously in effect applicable only to decisions involving determination of disability and set 45-day limit for all other decisions; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of finance and control with secretary of the office of policy and management; P.A. 79-376 substituted “workers' compensation” for “workmen's compensation”; P.A. 85-66 amended section to refer to fee schedules promulgated by income maintenance commissioner rather than by secretary of the office of policy and management; P.A. 85-359 made the existing Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) concerning an income disregard for full-time students; P.A. 86-290 added new Subsecs. (c) and (d) which placed asset limits on persons eligible for the state supplement program and families eligible for the aid to families with dependent children program; P.A. 86-315 required the commissioner to disregard for six months per calendar year a child's earned income; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-82d transferred to Sec. 17b-80 in 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (c) by requiring the commissioner to disregard any earned income of a child who is a student when determining eligibility standard of need and amount of assistance for a family in the TFA program and by deleting outdated AFDC provision requiring the commissioner to disregard any earned income of a child who is a full-time student for six months per calendar year, deleted Subsec. (d) re outdated aid to families with dependent children program provision, replaced reference to aid to dependent children with temporary family assistance and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 09-9 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “food stamps” with “supplemental nutrition assistance”, effective May 4, 2009; P.A. 22-118 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting a reference to Sec. 17b-94, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 24-35 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 21, 2024; P.A. 25-39 made technical changes in Subsec. (a).
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-88a. Recoveries or overpayments under AFDC program, account for payment of. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, and each fiscal year thereafter, with the approval of the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Social Services may credit to a nonlapsing account, and expend from such nonlapsing account, the amounts necessary for payment of the federal share of recoveries or overpayments established under the aid to families with dependent children program.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 10, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 25-110, S. 64.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 effective July 2, 2001; 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. 25-110 deleted reference to General Fund and made a technical change, effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-92a. Disregard of income from pilot rental assistance programs in determinations of eligibility for public assistance. To the extent permissible under federal and state law, the Commissioner of Social Services shall disregard from income eligibility determinations any direct rental assistance received under a pilot program by an applicant for state and federal assistance programs administered by the Department of Social Services, including, but not limited to, the temporary family assistance program established pursuant to section 17b-112. The Commissioner of Social Services may seek any waiver from federal law deemed necessary or amend the Medicaid state plan to implement the provisions of this section.
(P.A. 25-168, S. 343.)
History: P.A. 25-168 effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-99a. *(See end of section for amended version of subsection (i) and effective date.) Audits of long-term care facilities. (a)(1) For purposes of this section, (A) “extrapolation” means the determination of an unknown value by projecting the results of the review of a sample to the universe from which the sample was drawn, (B) “facility” means any facility described in this subsection and for which rates are established pursuant to section 17b-340, and (C) “universe” means a defined population of claims submitted by a facility during a specific time period.
(2) The Commissioner of Social Services shall conduct any audit of a licensed chronic and convalescent nursing home, chronic disease hospital associated with a chronic and convalescent nursing home, a rest home with nursing supervision, a licensed residential care home, as defined in section 19a-490, and a residential facility for persons with intellectual disability which is licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Medicaid program as an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(b) Not less than thirty days prior to the commencement of any such audit, the commissioner shall provide written notification of the audit to such facility, unless the commissioner makes a good-faith determination that (1) the health or safety of a recipient of services is at risk; or (2) the facility is engaging in vendor fraud under sections 53a-290 to 53a-296, inclusive.
(c) Any clerical error, including, but not limited to, recordkeeping, typographical, scrivener's or computer error, discovered in a record or document produced for any such audit, shall not of itself constitute a wilful violation of the rules of a medical assistance program administered by the Department of Social Services unless proof of intent to commit fraud or otherwise violate program rules is established. In determining which facilities shall be subject to audits, the Commissioner of Social Services may give consideration to the history of a facility's compliance in addition to other criteria used to select a facility for an audit.
(d) A finding of overpayment or underpayment to such facility shall not be based on extrapolation unless (1) there is a determination of sustained or high level of payment error involving the facility, (2) documented educational intervention has failed to correct the level of payment error, or (3) the value of the claims in aggregate exceeds two hundred thousand dollars on an annual basis.
(e) A facility, in complying with the requirements of any such audit, shall be allowed not less than thirty days to provide documentation in connection with any discrepancy discovered and brought to the attention of such facility in the course of any such audit.
(f) The commissioner shall produce a preliminary written report concerning any audit conducted pursuant to this section and such preliminary report shall be provided to the facility that was the subject of the audit not later than sixty days after the conclusion of such audit.
(g) The commissioner shall, following the issuance of the preliminary report pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, hold an exit conference with any facility that was the subject of any audit pursuant to this subsection for the purpose of discussing the preliminary report. Such facility may present evidence at such exit conference refuting findings in the preliminary report.
(h) The commissioner shall produce a final written report concerning any audit conducted pursuant to this subsection. Such final written report shall be provided to the facility that was the subject of the audit not later than sixty days after the date of the exit conference conducted pursuant to subsection (g) of this section, unless the commissioner and the facility agree to a later date or there are other referrals or investigations pending concerning the facility.
*(i) Any facility aggrieved by a final report issued pursuant to subsection (h) of this section may request a rehearing. A rehearing shall be held by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, provided a detailed written description of all items of aggrievement in the final report is filed by the facility not later than ninety days following the date of written notice of the commissioner's decision. The rehearing shall be held not later than thirty days following the date of filing of the detailed written description of each specific item of aggrievement. The commissioner shall issue a final decision not later than sixty days following the close of evidence or the date on which final briefs are filed, whichever occurs later. Any items not resolved at such rehearing to the satisfaction of the facility or the commissioner shall be submitted to binding arbitration by an arbitration board consisting of one member appointed by the facility, one member appointed by the commissioner and one member appointed by the Chief Court Administrator from among the retired judges of the Superior Court, which retired judge shall be compensated for his services on such board in the same manner as a state referee is compensated for his services under section 52-434. The proceedings of the arbitration board and any decisions rendered by such board shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396, as amended from time to time, and chapter 54.
(j) The submission of any false or misleading fiscal information or data to the commissioner shall be grounds for suspension of payments by the state under sections 17b-239 to 17b-246, inclusive, and sections 17b-340 and 17b-343, in accordance with regulations adopted by the commissioner. In addition, any person, including any corporation, who knowingly makes or causes to be made any false or misleading statement or who knowingly submits false or misleading fiscal information or data on the forms approved by the commissioner shall be guilty of a class D felony.
(k) The commissioner, or any agent authorized by the commissioner to conduct any inquiry, investigation or hearing under the provisions of this section, shall have power to administer oaths and take testimony under oath relative to the matter of inquiry or investigation. At any hearing ordered by the commissioner, the commissioner or such agent having authority by law to issue such process may subpoena witnesses and require the production of records, papers and documents pertinent to such inquiry. If any person disobeys such process or, having appeared in obedience thereto, refuses to answer any pertinent question put to the person by the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized agent or to produce any records and papers pursuant thereto, the commissioner or the commissioner's agent may apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford or for the judicial district wherein the person resides or wherein the business has been conducted, or to any judge of such court if the same is not in session, setting forth such disobedience to process or refusal to answer, and such court or judge shall cite such person to appear before such court or judge to answer such question or to produce such records and papers.
(l) The commissioner shall provide free training to facilities on the preparation of cost reports to avoid clerical errors and shall post information on the department's Internet web site concerning the auditing process and methods to avoid clerical errors. Not later than April 1, 2015, the commissioner shall establish audit protocols to assist facilities subject to audit pursuant to this section in developing programs to improve compliance with Medicaid requirements under state and federal laws and regulations, provided audit protocols may not be relied upon to create a substantive or procedural right or benefit enforceable at law or in equity by any person, including a corporation. The commissioner shall establish and publish on the department's Internet web site audit protocols for: (1) Licensed chronic and convalescent nursing homes, (2) chronic disease hospitals associated with chronic and convalescent nursing homes, (3) rest homes with nursing supervision, (4) licensed residential care homes, as defined in section 19a-490, and (5) residential facilities for persons with intellectual disability that are licensed pursuant to section 17a-227 and certified to participate in the Medicaid program as intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The commissioner shall ensure that the Department of Social Services, or any entity with which the commissioner contracts to conduct an audit pursuant to this section, has on staff or consults with, as needed, licensed health professionals with experience in treatment, billing and coding procedures used by the facilities being audited pursuant to this section.
(P.A. 11-236, S. 6; P.A. 13-139, S. 3; P.A. 14-162, S. 2; P.A. 17-9, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 135.)
*Note: On and after January 1, 2027, subsection (i) of this section, as amended by section 349 of public act 25-168, is to read as follows:
“(i) Any facility aggrieved by a final report issued pursuant to subsection (h) of this section may request a rehearing. A rehearing shall be held by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee, provided a detailed written description of all items of aggrievement in the final report is filed by the facility not later than ninety days following the date of written notice of the commissioner's decision. The rehearing shall be held not later than thirty days following the date of filing of the detailed written description of each specific item of aggrievement. The commissioner shall issue a final decision not later than sixty days following the close of evidence or the date on which final briefs are filed, whichever occurs later. Any items not resolved at such rehearing to the satisfaction of the facility or the commissioner may be appealed in accordance with section 4-183. Such appeals shall be privileged cases to be heard by the court as soon after the return date as shall be practicable.”
(P.A. 11-236, S. 6; P.A. 13-139, S. 3; P.A. 14-162, S. 2; P.A. 17-9, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 135; P.A. 25-168, S. 349.)
History: P.A. 11-236 effective July 13, 2011; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by substituting “persons with intellectual disability” or “individuals with intellectual disabilities” for “the mentally retarded”; P.A. 14-162 amended Subsec. (a) to define “extrapolation” and “universe” and delete reference to Title XIX, amended Subsec. (c) to add provision allowing commissioner to consider history of compliance in choosing facility for audit, amended Subsec. (d) to change from $150,000 to $200,000 the annual aggregate claim amount that may trigger finding based on extrapolation and make a technical change, amended Subsec. (g) to add provision allowing facility to present evidence at exit conference and added Subsec. (l) re regulations, free training and audit protocols, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 17-9 amended Subsec. (l) by replacing “disabilities” with “disability”; P.A. 17-9 amended Subsec. (l) by replacing “disabilities” with “disability”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (l) by deleting provision re commissioner to adopt regulations, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (i) by deleting provisions re binding arbitration and replacing with privileged case appeal process under Sec. 4-183, effective January 1, 2027.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-104. (Formerly Sec. 17-2). State supplementation to the Supplemental Security Income Program. Temporary family assistance program standard of need, payment standards. State-administered general assistance program annual payment standard increase. (a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer the program of state supplementation to the Supplemental Security Income Program provided for by the Social Security Act and state law. The commissioner may delegate any powers and authority to any deputy, assistant, investigator or supervisor, who shall have, within the scope of the power and authority so delegated, all of the power and authority of the Commissioner of Social Services. The standard of need for the temporary family assistance program shall be fifty-five per cent of the federal poverty level. The commissioner shall make a reinvestigation, at least every twelve months, of all cases receiving aid from the state, except that such reinvestigation may be conducted every twenty-four months for recipients of assistance to the elderly or disabled with stable circumstances, and shall maintain all case records of the several programs administered by the Department of Social Services so that such records show, at all times, full information with respect to eligibility of the applicant or recipient. In the determination of need under any public assistance program, such income or earnings shall be disregarded as federal law requires, and such income or earnings may be disregarded as federal law permits. In determining eligibility, the commissioner shall disregard from income (1) all United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits, Aid and Attendance pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits that are granted to a veteran, as defined in section 27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran, and (2) any tax refund or advance payment with respect to a refundable credit to the same extent such refund or advance payment would be disregarded under 26 USC 6409 in any federal program or state or local program financed in whole or in part with federal funds. The commissioner shall encourage and promulgate such incentive earning programs as are permitted by federal law and regulations.
(b) On July 1, 2007, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall increase the payment standards over those of the previous fiscal year under the state-administered general assistance program by the percentage increase, if any, in the most recent calendar year average in the consumer price index for urban consumers over the average for the previous calendar year, provided the annual increase, if any, shall not exceed five per cent, except that the payment standards for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, June 30, 2011, June 30, 2012, June 30, 2013, June 30, 2016, June 30, 2017, June 30, 2018, June 30, 2019, June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021, shall not be increased.
(c) On and after July 1, 2022, the payment standards for families receiving assistance under the temporary family assistance program shall be equal to seventy-three per cent of the standards of need established for said program under subsection (a) of this section.
(d) For a family living in subsidized housing, income shall be attributed to such family which shall be eight per cent of the payment standard for such family.
(1949 Rev., S. 2614; 1953, 1955, S. 1448d; 1961, P.A. 316; February, 1965, P.A. 344, S. 1; 1967, P.A. 314, S. 2; 562; 744, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 730, S. 9; 1971, P.A. 642, S. 1; P.A. 74-244; S.A. 74-31, S. 16, 22; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; 75-547; P.A. 76-269, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-591, S. 1, 3; 77-614, S. 608, 610; P.A. 78-192, S. 3, 7; P.A. 80-385, S. 1, 3; P.A. 81-449, S. 1, 11; P.A. 82-91, S. 6, 38; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-8, S. 1, 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-34, S. 5, 8; P.A. 84-470, S. 1, 4; P.A. 85-367, S. 2, 5; 85-505, S. 17, 21; P.A. 88-156, S. 7; 88-201, S. 1, 3; 88-317, S. 67, 107; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 1, 63; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16, S. 1, 89; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-418, S. 1, 41; P.A. 95-194, S. 2, 33; 95-351, S. 11, 30; P.A. 96-128; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 48, 165; P.A. 99-279, S. 6, 45; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 55, 58, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 03-19, S. 38; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 60; P.A. 04-76, S. 11; P.A. 05-280, S. 2; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 2; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 36; P.A. 11-44, S. 77; P.A. 12-208, S. 9; P.A. 14-161, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 375; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 40; P.A. 19-117, S. 291; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 328; P.A. 22-118, S. 236; P.A. 25-95, S. 3.)
History: 1961 act gave commissioner power to make regulations; 1965 act provided income and earnings be disregarded as federal law requires; 1967 acts allowed disregard of income or earnings “as federal law permits”, required encouragement of incentive earning programs, gave to a cost of living commission the determination of standards of assistance and deleted duty to collect support from relatives; 1969 act rewrote regulation-making power provision and required issuance of regulations on or before January 1, 1970, required semiannual redetermination and revision of assistance standards and added proviso re aid to dependent children; 1971 act replaced semiannual redetermination with periodic redetermination of standards of need rather than assistance, required standards to meet federal requirements rather than to carry out state policy and deleted proviso re aid to dependent children; P.A. 74-244 replaced periodic redetermination with annual redetermination, required standards to reflect changes in living costs using Consumer Price Index and required report to general assembly; S.A. 74-31 added Subsecs. (b) and (c) re aid to dependent children, deleted reference to state paupers in previous provisions, now Subsec. (a), replaced chapter 48 reference with chapter 54, added proviso re aid to dependent children program and required standards to fulfill state as well as federal law; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 75-547 clarified provision re amount of grant in Subsec. (c); P.A. 76-269 replaced former provisions of Subsec. (c) re shelter component of assistance and deleted proviso in Subsec. (a) which had referred to previous Subsec. (c); P.A. 77-591 deleted exception re shelter component in Subsec. (b) and changed applicable year from 1975 to 1978; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-192 rephrased Subsec. (b) making increase applicable to standard of need rather than payment level, including family cases under general assistance program and changing applicable year to 1979; P.A. 80-385 changed rate of increase from 10% to 7% for year 1980 in Subsec. (b) and added proviso re “disregards”; P.A. 81-449 amended Subsec. (b) to increase the standard of need by 5% over the standard for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981, replacing previous 7% increase; P.A. 82-91 amended Subsec. (b) to increase the standard of need by 3% over the standard for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1982, replacing previous year's reference to 5% increase in standard of need over the standard for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-8 amended Subsec. (b) to change the date from “June 30, 1982” to “June 30, 1983”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-34 amended Subsec. (b) to add reference to state program established pursuant to Sec. 17-83o; P.A. 84-470 amended Subsec. (b) to provide for an increase in the standard of need on July 1, 1984, based on the increase in the “most recent calendar year average to average consumer price index for urban consumers for the U.S. city average over the standard for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984”; P.A. 85-367 entirely replaced Subsec. (b) re increase in standard of need for fiscal year 1984-1985 with new provisions applicable to increase for fiscal year 1985-1986; P.A. 85-505 replaced prior provisions of Subsec. (b) re increase in standard of need with new provisions re increases for 1986, 1987 and 1988 and provided for the first time a cap on increases; P.A. 88-156 deleted obsolete language in Subsec. (a), deleted Subsec. (c) re payment of shelter component to recipients of aid to dependent children program, and specified the current programs the commissioner is required to administer; P.A. 88-201 authorized the annual increase of the standard of need in Subsec. (b); P.A. 88-317 amended Subsec. (c) to update reference to Secs. 4-166 to 4-176 to include new section added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date, but failed to take effect, Subsec. (c) having been deleted by P.A. 88-156; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 amended Subsec. (b) to delete language re increase in standard of need for fiscal year 1985-1986 to remove the needy student provision and to place a cap on the annual increase for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16 amended Subsec. (b) by eliminating the increase in the standard of need for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1993; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-418 in Subsec. (a) required the commissioner to establish payment standards for the AFDC and general assistance programs, replacing provisions requiring annual computation of standards of need based on federal Regional Consumer Price Index, in Subsec. (b) changed the words “standard of need” to “payment standards”, added provision requiring that payment standards not be increased until after the fiscal year ending June 30, 1995, and required that the payment standards in effect on January 1, 1994, be equal to the standards of need in effect July 1, 1993, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-2 transferred to Sec. 17b-104 in 1995; P.A. 95-194 amended Subsec. (b) by adding the fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997, to the list of years in which payment standards shall not be increased, added Subsec. (c) lowering the payment standard on and after July 1, 1995, added Subsec. (d) providing that families in subsidized housing be required to count the value of such housing as income in determining the benefit payment, effective June 29, 1995; P.A. 95-351 amended Subsec. (c) by requiring payment standards apply to recipients of general assistance, amended Subsec. (d) by requiring that effective January 1, 1996, families subject to time limited benefits pursuant to Sec. 17b-112(b) and living in subsidized housing have their benefit payment reduced by 8% of the payment standard, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-128 amended Subsec. (a) to allow for reinvestigations of elderly or disabled recipients of assistance with stable circumstances every 24 months; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (b) by adding the fiscal years ending June 30, 1998, and June 30, 1999, to the list of years in which payment standards shall not be increased, replaced Subsec. (d) with a provision requiring a family living in subsidized housing to have income attributed to it at a rate of 8% of the standard of need if such family is subject to fill the gap budgeting and 8% of the payment standard for families not subject to such budgeting and added a definition of fill the gap budgeting and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a) to make technical changes and Subsec. (b) to require the commissioner to increase payment standards under the aid to families with dependent children program and to provide that the payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2000, and June 30, 2001, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that the payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2002, and June 30, 2003, and amended Subsec. (d) to provide that for a family living in subsidized housing, income shall be attributed to such family which shall be 8% of the payment standard for such family, deleting provisions re “fill the gap budgeting”, effective July 1, 2001; 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. 03-19 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective May 12, 2003; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-76 amended Subsecs. (a) to (c), inclusive, by deleting references to “general assistance program” and making conforming changes; P.A. 05-280 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending on June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting “On and after January 1, 1994,” and amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “1988” with “2007”, deleting “aid to families with dependent children program” and deleting specified fiscal years when the payment standard was not increased, effective July 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re payment standards for fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re payment standards for fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2013, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-208 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re income disregard for veterans' Aid and Attendance pension benefits, effective July 1, 2012; P.A. 14-161 amended Subsec. (c) to delete reference to state-administered general assistance program, effective July 1, 2014; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (b) to add “June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017,”, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (b) by adding “June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019,”, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (b) to add “June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021,” and make a technical change, effective July 1, 2019; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (2) re disregard of certain tax refunds or advance payments and designating existing provision re disregard of Aid and Attendance Pension benefits granted to veterans as Subdiv. (1), effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 22-118 amended Subsec. (a) by changing standard of need for temporary family assistance program from standard based on cost of living to standard based on 55 per cent of the federal poverty level and deleting requirement commissioner establish standard of need for state-administered general assistance program, amended Subsec. (b) by eliminating annual payment standard increase for temporary family assistance program and amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “July 1, 1995” with “July 1, 2022” and changing temporary family assistance payment standard from 73 per cent of AFDC standard to 73 per cent of standard of need in Subsec. (a) and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2022; P.A. 25-95 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding references to all United States Department of Veterans Affairs-administered non-service-connected pension benefits and Housebound pension benefits and making technical changes, effective July 1, 2025, and applicable to applications filed on or after July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-106. (Formerly Sec. 17-12f). State supplement to Supplemental Security Income Program. Adult payment standards. State supplement payments for certain residents in long-term care facilities. (a) On July 1, 1989, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall increase the adult payment standards over those of the previous fiscal year for the state supplement to the federal Supplemental Security Income Program by the percentage increase, if any, in the most recent calendar year average in the consumer price index for urban consumers over the average for the previous calendar year, provided the annual increase, if any, shall not exceed five per cent, except that the adult payment standards for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1993, June 30, 1994, June 30, 1995, June 30, 1996, June 30, 1997, June 30, 1998, June 30, 1999, June 30, 2000, June 30, 2001, June 30, 2002, June 30, 2003, June 30, 2004, June 30, 2005, June 30, 2006, June 30, 2007, June 30, 2008, June 30, 2009, June 30, 2010, June 30, 2011, June 30, 2012, June 30, 2013, June 30, 2016, June 30, 2017, June 30, 2018, June 30, 2019, June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021, June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2027, shall not be increased. Effective October 1, 1991, the coverage of excess utility costs for recipients of the state supplement to the federal Supplemental Security Income Program is eliminated. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner may increase the personal needs allowance component of the adult payment standard as necessary to meet federal maintenance of effort requirements.
(b) The commissioner shall provide a state supplement payment for recipients of Medicaid and the federal Supplemental Security Income Program who reside in long-term care facilities sufficient to increase their personal needs allowance to seventy-five dollars per month. Such state supplement payment shall be made to the long-term care facility to be deposited into the personal fund account of each such recipient. For the purposes of this subsection, “long-term care facility” means a licensed chronic and convalescent nursing home, a chronic disease hospital, a rest home with nursing supervision, an intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities or a state humane institution.
(P.A. 78-192, S. 1, 2, 7; P.A. 80-385, S. 2, 3; P.A. 81-449, S. 2, 5, 11; P.A. 82-91, S. 7, 38; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-8, S. 2, 3; P.A. 84-470, S. 2, 4; P.A. 85-367, S. 3, 5; 85-505, S. 18, 21; P.A. 89-296, S. 5, 9; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8, S. 2, 63; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16, S. 3, 89; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-418, S. 4, 41; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 32, 53; July 13 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 3, 9; P.A. 95-351, S. 13, 30; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 49, 165; P.A. 98-239, S. 4, 35; P.A. 99-279, S. 7, 45; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 56, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 61; P.A. 05-243, S. 1; 05-280, S. 38; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 3; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 37; P.A. 11-44, S. 78; P.A. 13-139, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 376; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 569; P.A. 19-117, S. 292; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 317; P.A. 25-168, S. 324.)
History: P.A. 80-385 reduced rate of increase from 10% to 7% for fiscal year ending June 30, 1980, and added proviso re disregards; P.A. 81-449 increased the payment standards by 5% over the standards for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981, replacing previous 7% increase and deleted reference to the Connecticut Assistance and Medical Aid Program for the Disabled; P.A. 82-91 amended section to increase the payment standards by 3% over the standards for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1982, replacing previous year's reference to 5% increase in payment standards over the standards for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1981; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-8 changed the date from “June 30, 1982” to “June 30, 1983”; P.A. 84-470 provided for an increase in the adult payment standards on July 1, 1984, based on the percentage increase in the “most recent calendar year average to average consumer price index for urban consumers for the U.S. city average over the standard for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1984”; P.A. 85-367 replaced previous provisions re increase in adult payment standards for fiscal year 1984-1985 with new provisions applicable to fiscal year 1985-1986; P.A. 85-505 replaced prior provisions re increase in adult payment standards with new provisions for increases in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and for the first time imposed a cap on increases; P.A. 89-296 deleted obsolete date references; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-8 required a reduction in the unearned income disregard for recipients of the state supplement to the federal supplemental security income, placed a hold on the adult payment standards for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992, held the general assistance maximum shelter payment levels to the federal maximums, except that for the payments already being made reductions are to be suspended for six months, eliminated the provision for excess utility costs for recipients of state supplement and redefined “single room occupancy”; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-16 changed the amount by which the commissioner shall reduce the unearned income disregard to up to 9.5%, eliminated the increase in the standard of need for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1993, and deleted provisions re maximum payment levels for shelter and consideration of single room occupancies under the general assistance program; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-418 eliminated the increase in the adult payment standard for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1994, and June 30, 1995, effective July 1, 1993; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 deleted provision directing commissioner to reduce unearned income disregard by up to 9.5%, effective July 1, 1992, and substituted provision directing commissioner to reduce disregard by 7%, effective July 1, 1994; July 13 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 added provision directing commissioner to increase unearned income disregard to a level not exceeding that in effect on July 30, 1994, if sufficient funds are available within department and are transferred to appropriate accounts, effective July 15, 1994; Sec. 17-12f transferred to Sec. 17b-106 in 1995; P.A. 95-351 provided that the adult payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 1996, and June 30, 1997, effective July 1, 1995; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 provided the adult payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 1998, and June 30, 1999, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-239 divided the Sec. into two Subsecs., inserting new provisions as Subsec. (b), requiring the Commissioner of Social Services to provide a state supplement payment for recipients of Medicaid and the federal supplemental security income program who reside in long-term care facilities sufficient to increase their personal needs allowance to $50 per month, specifying where such payment shall be deposited, providing for an increase in such allowance effective July 1, 1999, and annually thereafter, and defining “long-term care facility”, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the adult payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2000, and June 30, 2001, effective July 1, 1999; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that the adult payment standards shall not increase in the fiscal years ending June 30, 2002, and June 30, 2003, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that adult payment standards shall not be increased for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2004, and June 30, 2005, and to add provision authorizing commissioner to increase the personal needs allowance component of the adult payment standard as needed to meet federal maintenance of effort requirements, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 05-243 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re 1985 payment standards, deleting 1994 provision that required commissioner to reduce the appropriate unearned income disregard for program recipients by 7% and adding provision requiring commissioner to increase the unearned income disregard for program recipients by an amount equal to the federal cost-of-living adjustment, if any, provided to recipients of federal Supplemental Security Income Program benefits for the corresponding calendar year, and made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) and (b), effective July 8, 2005; P.A. 05-280 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that adult payment standards shall not be increased for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2006, and June 30, 2007, effective July 1, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that adult payment standards shall not be increased for fiscal years ending June 30, 2008, and June 30, 2009, effective July 1, 2007; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that adult payment standards shall not be increased for fiscal years ending June 30, 2010, and June 30, 2011, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 11-44 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that adult payment standards shall not be increased for fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2013, and amended Subsec. (b) by changing date from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 2011, increasing personal needs allowance from $50 to $60 per month and deleting provision re annual allowance increase, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-139 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting “individuals with intellectual disabilities” for “the mentally retarded”; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 amended Subsec. (a) to add “June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017,”, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re increase in unearned income disregard by amount equal to cost-of-living adjustment, adding “June 30, 2018, and June 30, 2019,” and making a technical change, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 19-117 amended Subsec. (a) to add “June 30, 2020, and June 30, 2021,” and make a technical change effective July 1, 2019; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (b) by increasing personal needs allowance from $60 to $75, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (a) by inserting provision continuing freeze in payment standards for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and June 30, 2027, effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-112. Temporary family assistance program. (a) The Department of Social Services shall administer a temporary family assistance program under which cash assistance shall be provided to eligible families in accordance with the temporary assistance for needy families program, established pursuant to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy families program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will enable the state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary assistance for needy families program. Families receiving assistance under the solely state-funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program. Under the temporary family assistance program, benefits shall be provided to a family for not longer than thirty-six months, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. For the purpose of calculating said thirty-six-month time limit, months of assistance received on and after January 1, 1996, pursuant to time limits under the aid to families with dependent children program, shall be included. For purposes of this section, “family” means one or more individuals who apply for or receive assistance together under the temporary family assistance program. If the commissioner determines that federal law allows individuals not otherwise in an eligible covered group for the temporary family assistance program to become covered, such family may also, at the discretion of the commissioner, be composed of (1) a pregnant woman, or (2) a parent, both parents or other caretaker relative and at least one child who is under the age of eighteen, or who is under the age of nineteen and a full-time student in a secondary school or its equivalent. A caretaker relative shall be related to the child or children by blood, marriage or adoption or shall be the legal guardian of such a child or pursuing legal proceedings necessary to achieve guardianship. If the commissioner elects to allow state eligibility consistent with any change in federal law, the commissioner may administratively transfer any qualifying family cases under the cash assistance portion of the state-administered general assistance program to the temporary family assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and enrollment procedures. If such families become an ineligible coverage group under the federal law, the commissioner shall administratively transfer such families back to the cash assistance portion of the state-administered general assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and enrollment procedures to the degree that such families are eligible for the state program.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall exempt a family from such time-limited benefits for circumstances including, but not limited to: (1) A family with a needy caretaker relative who is incapacitated or of an advanced age, as defined by the commissioner, if there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (2) a family with a needy caretaker relative who is needed in the home because of the incapacity of another member of the household, if there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (3) a family with a caretaker relative who is not legally responsible for the dependent children in the household if such relative's needs are not considered in calculating the amount of the benefit and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (4) a family with a caretaker relative caring for a child who is under one year of age if there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (5) a family with a pregnant or postpartum caretaker relative if a physician has indicated that such relative is unable to work and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (6) a family with a caretaker relative determined by the commissioner to be unemployable and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; and (7) minor parents attending and satisfactorily completing high school or high school equivalency programs.
(c) A family who is subject to time-limited benefits may petition the Commissioner of Social Services for six-month extensions of such benefits. The commissioner shall grant not more than two extensions to such family who has made a good faith effort to comply with the requirements of the program and despite such effort has a total family income below one hundred per cent of the federal poverty level, or has encountered circumstances preventing employment including, but not limited to: (1) Domestic violence or physical harm to such family's children; or (2) other circumstances beyond such family's control. The commissioner shall disregard ninety dollars of earned income in determining applicable family income. The commissioner may grant a subsequent six-month extension if each adult in the family meets one or more of the following criteria: (A) The adult is precluded from engaging in employment activities due to domestic violence or another reason beyond the adult's control; (B) the adult has two or more substantiated barriers to employment including, but not limited to, the lack of available child care, substance abuse or addiction, severe mental or physical health problems, one or more severe learning disabilities, domestic violence or a child who has a serious physical or behavioral health problem; or (C) the adult is employed and works less than thirty-five hours per week due to (i) a documented medical impairment that limits the adult's hours of employment, provided the adult works the maximum number of hours that the medical condition permits, or (ii) the need to care for a disabled member of the adult's household, provided the adult works the maximum number of hours the adult's caregiving responsibilities permit. Families receiving temporary family assistance shall be notified by the department of the right to petition for such extensions. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner shall not provide benefits under the state's temporary family assistance program to a family that is subject to the thirty-six-month benefit limit and has received benefits beginning on or after October 1, 1996, if such benefits result in that family's receiving more than sixty months of time-limited benefits unless that family experiences domestic violence, as defined in Section 402(a)(7)(B), P.L. 104-193. For the purpose of calculating said sixty-month limit: (I) A month shall count toward the limit if the family receives assistance for any day of the month, provided any months of temporary family assistance received during the public health emergency declared by Governor Ned Lamont related to the COVID-19 pandemic shall not be included, and (II) a month in which a family receives temporary assistance for needy families benefits that are issued from a jurisdiction other than Connecticut shall count toward the limit.
(d) (1) Under said program, no family shall be eligible that has total gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in the calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and previously eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits, earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level. When calculating the earnings of a family with income from self-employment, the commissioner shall apply a standard deduction equivalent to fifty-one per cent of the total monthly income derived from such self-employment, provided the family verifies at least one allowable expense directly related to earning such income. A family may instead deduct all allowable monthly expenses directly related to the self-employment earnings if such expenses are verified and, in the aggregate, exceed the amount of the standard deduction. On and after October 1, 2023, the commissioner shall not deny a family assistance under said program on the basis of such family's assets unless such assets exceed six thousand dollars. Except when determining eligibility for a six-month extension of benefits pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the commissioner shall disregard the first fifty dollars per month of income attributable to current child support that a family receives in determining eligibility and benefit levels for temporary family assistance. Any current child support in excess of fifty dollars per month collected by the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be considered in determining eligibility but shall not be considered when calculating benefits and shall be taken as reimbursement for assistance paid under this section, except that when the current child support collected exceeds the family's monthly award of temporary family assistance benefits plus fifty dollars, the current child support shall be paid to the family and shall be considered when calculating benefits.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, on and after January 1, 2024, in the first month in which a family's total gross earnings exceed one hundred per cent of the federal poverty level and for a period not to exceed six consecutive months, the department shall disregard, for purposes of eligibility, a family's total gross earnings in an amount not to exceed two hundred thirty per cent of the federal poverty level. If a family's total gross earnings are an amount between one hundred seventy-one per cent and two hundred thirty per cent of the federal poverty level, the department shall reduce the household's benefit by twenty per cent for the months in which earnings are between one hundred seventy-one per cent and two hundred thirty per cent of the federal poverty level.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall disregard any financial assistance received by a family member to the extent the commissioner determines that such financial assistance was provided to the family member as part of such family member's participation in a pilot program that has developed a plan to study and evaluate the impact and potential benefits of direct cash transfers. Such disregard shall be applied for the length of time the family member participates in such program, not to exceed thirty-six cumulative months. Any pilot program subject to the provisions of this subdivision shall have received approval from the Department of Social Services to conduct such pilot program based on the department's ability to receive required waivers authorizing such income disregards in applicable federal and state benefits programs. The department shall request waivers authorizing such income disregards from all federal, state and local agencies as necessary. The department shall maintain a listing of approved pilot programs for use by the public and department staff when determining continuing eligibility of participants in existing benefits programs. The department shall require an approved pilot program to (A) inform potential participants, in writing in advance of participation in the pilot program, of the potential impact of their participation on their current and future eligibility for federal and state benefits, and (B) include contact information in such written document to allow such participants to obtain additional information or guidance on the impact of pilot program participation on their eligibility for such benefits.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall disregard from an income eligibility determination any stipend received by a family member as part of such family member's participation in a job training program approved by the commissioner, including, but not limited to, payments from programs offered by or through the Office of Workforce Strategy established pursuant to section 4-124w, the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services within the Department of Aging and Disability Services or a private not-for-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time. Such disregard shall be applied for the length of time the family member participates in such program, not to exceed thirty-six cumulative months.
(e) A family receiving assistance under said program shall cooperate with child support enforcement, under title IV-D of the Social Security Act. A family shall be ineligible for benefits for failure to cooperate with child support enforcement.
(f) A family leaving assistance at the end of (1) said thirty-six-month time limit, or (2) the sixty-month limit shall have an interview for the purpose of being informed of services that may continue to be available to such family, including employment services available through the Labor Department. Such interview shall include (A) a determination of benefits available to the family provided by the Department of Social Services; and (B) a determination of whether such family is eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance or Medicaid. Information and referrals shall be made to such a family for services and benefits including, but not limited to, the earned income tax credit, rental subsidies emergency housing, employment services and energy assistance.
(g) Notwithstanding section 17b-104, commencing on July 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Social Services shall provide an annual cost-of-living adjustment in temporary family assistance benefits equal to the most recent percentage increase in the consumer price index for urban consumers whenever funds appropriated for temporary family assistance lapse at the close of any fiscal year and such adjustment has not otherwise been included in the budget for the assistance program, provided the increase would not create a budget deficiency in succeeding years. The commissioner shall provide a prorated benefit increase from such available lapsed funds in any fiscal year when such funds are not sufficient to cover a cost-of-living adjustment in accordance with this subsection.
(h) An applicant or recipient of temporary family assistance who is adversely affected by a decision of the Commissioner of Social Services may request and shall be provided a hearing in accordance with section 17b-60.
(P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-418, S. 16, 41; 93-435, S. 59, 95; P.A. 95-194, S. 1, 33; 95-351, S. 1, 30; P.A. 96-262, S. 2, 11; 96-268, S. 1, 34; P.A. 97-295, S. 20, 25; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 1, 165; P.A. 98-262, S. 14, 22; P.A. 99-279, S. 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 12, 15, 61, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 125, 129, 131; P.A. 03-2, S. 13; 03-28, S. 1; 03-268, S. 5; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 80; P.A. 04-16, S. 2; 04-258, S. 27; P.A. 07-160, S. 1; P.A. 09-9, S. 22; P.A. 10-179, S. 79; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 327; P.A. 23-204, S. 264-267; P.A. 25-168, S. 342; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 25-3, S. 10.)
History: P.A. 93-418 effective July 1, 1993 (Revisor's note: P.A. 93-262 and 93-435 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993); P.A. 95-194 added Subsec. (b) authorizing the department to seek waivers to modify existing research and demonstration programs, effective June 29, 1995; P.A. 95-351 made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(11), effective June 29, 1995; P.A. 96-262 amended Subsec. (b) to add a provision allowing the commissioner to encourage a recipient to undertake employment in preschool child care programs, child day care centers, group day care homes and family day care homes, effective July 1, 1996, and applicable to income years commencing on or after January 1, 1997; P.A. 96-268 made a technical correction in Subsec. (b)(7), effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-295 deleted Subsec. (b)(11) re opportunity certificates, effective July 8, 1997, and applicable to tax returns filed for income years commencing on or after January 1, 1997; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 deleted obsolete provisions of the research and programs designed to support self-sufficiency and family unity for recipients of aid to families with dependent children, inserted new Subsecs. (a) to (k), inclusive, establishing the temporary family assistance program providing cash assistance to eligible families in accordance with the temporary assistance for needy families program established pursuant to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-262 revised effective date of P.A. 97-295, but without affecting this section; P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (e)(1) to provide that earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level in the calculation of the benefit amount for “previously eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits” and to make a technical change; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (c) to limit 6-month benefit extensions to not more than three, and add provisions re conditions under which commissioner may grant a fourth or a subsequent 6-month extension, limiting benefits for certain families to 60 months and calculating 60-month limit and amended Subsec. (e) to add provision re $50 per month disregard, effective October 1, 2001, and amended Subsec. (g) to add two Subdiv. designators and to require family leaving assistance at end of the 60-month limit to have an interview, effective July 1, 2001; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 made technical changes in Subsec. (c), effective July 1, 2001, and revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 03-2 amended Subsec. (c) by reducing the number of 6-month benefit extensions that the commissioner may grant from three to two and deleting “a fourth or” re commissioner's authority to grant subsequent benefit extensions, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 03-28 amended Subsec. (c)(2)(D)(ii)(II) by replacing “temporary family assistance benefits” with “temporary assistance for needy families benefits”, deleted former Subsec. (d) re transitional Medicaid eligibility, redesignated existing Subsecs. (e) to (h) as Subsecs. (d) to (g), deleted former Subsec. (i) re “Reach for Jobs First” demonstration waiver and utilization of control group, and deleted former Subsec. (k) re regulations to be adopted by November 15, 1997; P.A. 03-268 deleted former Subsec. (j) re annual report of commissioner to human services and appropriations committees on funding required to support programs funded by the temporary assistance to needy families block grant; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions allowing the commissioner to administratively transfer certain families qualifying for state-administered general assistance cash benefits into a temporary family assistance coverage group should the commissioner determine that changes in federal law permit such families not previously eligible to become covered, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-16 made a technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 04-258 amended Subsec. (d) by changing “child support” to “current child support” re income disregard and adding provision re treatment of current child support received in excess of $50 per month as relates to eligibility and calculation of benefits, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 07-160 amended Subsec. (a) by permitting commissioner to operate portions of temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, separate from federal temporary assistance for needy families program, if commissioner determines that doing so will enable the state to avoid federal fiscal penalties and by providing that families receiving assistance under a solely state-funded program shall be subject to same eligibility conditions as those receiving assistance under federal program, effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 09-9 amended Subsec. (f) to replace “food stamps” with “supplemental nutrition assistance”, effective May 4, 2009; P.A. 10-179 deleted former Subsec. (d)(3) re establishment of disqualification penalty, effective May 7, 2010; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by eliminating requirement child be born not more than 10 months after family enrollment, amended Subsec. (c)(2)(D)(ii)(I) by exempting assistance provided during COVID-19 public health emergency, amended Subsec. (d) by deleting former Subdiv. (2) re cap on benefits for family with infant born more than 10 months after enrollment and deleting Subdiv. (1) designator, made technical changes and added Subpara. designators in Subsec. (f), added new Subsec. (g) re cost-of-living adjustment and redesignated existing Subsec. (g) as Subsec. (h), effective November 1, 2021; P.A. 23-204 replaced references throughout to 21-month time limit with 36-month time limit, amended Subsec. (c) by deleting requirement family income be below the payment standard to be eligible for benefit extensions and requiring such families instead earn less than 100 per cent of the federal poverty level, deleting Subsec. (c)(2)(C) re adult earning minimum wage for 35 hours or more weekly earns less than the program payment standard, redesignating existing Subsec. (c)(2)(D) as new Subsec.(c)(2)(C), effective April 1, 2024, and amended Subsec. (d) by inserting Subdiv. (1) designator re asset limits for benefit eligibility and added therein provision re commissioner shall not deny family assistance if assets do not exceed $6,000 and added Subdiv. (2) re earnings disregard for benefit eligibility and income threshold before benefit reductions, effective June 12, 2023; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (d) by adding Subdivs. (3) and (4) re disregarding income from cash transfer pilot and job training programs, effective July 1, 2025; Nov. Sp. Sess. P.A. 25-3 amended Subsec. (d)(1) by inserting self-employment expense deduction provisions, effective November 18, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-112f. Safety net services account. Regulations. (a) There is established a safety net services account, which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. Any moneys collected under the contribution system established under section 12-743 shall be deposited by the Commissioner of Revenue Services into the account. This account may also receive moneys from public and private sources or from the federal government. All moneys deposited in the account shall be used by the Department of Social Services or persons acting under a contract with the department to fund services provided pursuant to section 17b-112e. Expenditures from the account in any fiscal year for the promotion of the contribution system or the account shall not exceed ten per cent of the amount of moneys raised during the previous fiscal year, provided such limitation shall not apply to an expenditure of not more than fifteen thousand dollars from the account on or before July 1, 1997, to reimburse expenditures made on or before said date, with prior written authorization of the Commissioner of Social Services, by private organizations to promote the contribution system and safety net account.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to provide for distribution of funds available pursuant to this section and section 12-743.
(June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 5, 165; P.A. 25-110, S. 65.)
History: June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 25-110 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to General Fund and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-112g. Diversion assistance program for families. Eligibility. Notification of benefits and services. Regulations. (a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall offer immediate diversion assistance designed to prevent certain families who are applying for monthly temporary family assistance from needing such assistance. Diversion assistance shall be offered to families that (1) upon initial assessment are determined eligible for temporary family assistance, (2) demonstrate a short-term need that cannot be met with current or anticipated family resources, and (3) with the provision of a service or short-term benefit, would be prevented from needing monthly temporary family assistance.
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall establish (1) a simplified eligibility determination process for diversion assistance, and (2) an expedited procedure to deliver benefits pursuant to this section. Diversion assistance shall be provided not later than fifteen calendar days from the date the applicant signs a request for diversion assistance. An application for temporary family assistance shall be withdrawn if the Commissioner of Social Services and the applicant agree that diversion assistance would prevent the family from needing temporary family assistance and such diversion assistance is provided. In no event shall the amount of diversion assistance be greater than the cash assistance equivalent of three months of temporary family assistance for such family.
(c) Diversion assistance may include, but not be limited to, employment services, child care assistance, transportation assistance, housing assistance, utilities assistance, clothing assistance and assistance with purchasing or maintaining tools necessary for employment.
(d) A family receiving diversion assistance shall be ineligible to receive monthly temporary family assistance payments for a period of three months from the date of application for temporary family assistance, except that such family shall be eligible to receive temporary family assistance payments within such period if the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee, in the commissioner's sole discretion, determines that the family has experienced undue hardship. A family that is subject to the thirty-six-month benefit limit under temporary family assistance shall have diversion assistance count as three months toward such limit. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a family receiving diversion assistance that later qualifies for temporary family assistance from qualifying for a six-month extension available to recipients of temporary family assistance who did not receive diversion assistance.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 17b-77 and to the extent permitted by federal law, families shall not be required to assign their right to receive child support payments to the state while receiving diversion assistance.
(f) The Commissioner of Social Services shall inform each applicant of the specific benefits and services the family will receive through diversion assistance and the benefits available to such family under temporary family assistance. If the applicant consents to diversion assistance, the applicant may rescind the request for such assistance within three business days of the request for diversion assistance.
(g) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a family receiving diversion assistance from being eligible for other social service programs administered by the Department of Social Services including, but not limited to, supplemental nutrition assistance, child care assistance, medical assistance and transitional child care and medical assistance benefits.
(h) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement the policies and procedures necessary to carry out the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice of intent to adopt the regulations is published in the Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days after implementation. Such policies and procedures shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.
(P.A. 98-239, S. 5; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 16, 69; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 09-9, S. 24; P.A. 21-78, S. 13; P.A. 23-204, S. 270; P.A. 25-168, S. 325.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 amended Subsec. (a) to limit Subdiv. (1) to initial assessment, amended Subsec. (b) to designate simplified eligibility determination process as Subdiv. (1) and to add Subdiv. (2) re expedited procedure and made technical changes for the purposes of gender neutrality in Subsecs. (d) and (f); 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. 09-9 amended Subsec. (g) by replacing “food stamps” with “supplemental nutrition assistance”, effective May 4, 2009; P.A. 21-78 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions on diversion assistance for domestic violence victims, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 23-204 amended Subsec. (d) by increasing benefit time limit from 21 to 36 months, effective April 1, 2024; P.A. 25-168 amended Subsec. (a) by eliminating provisions re diversion assistance criteria for victims of domestic violence, effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |
Sec. 17b-112l. Initiative for two-generational service delivery to encourage educational, health and workforce readiness and self-sufficiency. (a) There is established a two-generational initiative to disrupt cycles of poverty and advance family economic self-sufficiency. The initiative shall collaborate across public and private sectors to support early childhood care and education, health and workforce readiness and economic self-sufficiency across two generations in the same household. Households may include, but need not be limited to, children and their mothers, fathers, noncustodial parents and other primary caregivers.
(b) The Office of Early Childhood shall serve as the two-generational initiative's coordinating agency. The initiative may include review and consideration of the following, within available appropriations, to attain family economic mobility and success:
(1) Coordination and delivery of programs that improve access to services and equity in opportunity to achieve family economic success. Such programs may include, but need not be limited to, early learning programs, adult education, child care, housing, apprenticeship and job training, transportation, financial literacy, health and mental health services, and sufficiently supported pathways to family-sustaining workforce opportunities, offered at one location, whenever possible; and
(2) Alignment of state and federal resources around the family including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds, and services to equip such families with the tools and skills needed to overcome obstacles and engage opportunities.
(c) Implementation of the initiative shall foster the comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early care and education and workforce readiness in learning communities that may include, but need not be limited to, New Haven, Hartford, East Hartford, West Hartford, Norwalk, Meriden, Windham, Enfield, Waterbury and Bridgeport. The initiative shall be implemented in partnership with parent and family leaders to determine the priorities and challenges of low-income households. Coordinators of the initiative shall foster a peer-to-peer exchange and technical assistance in best practices between learning communities that shall be shared with the advisory board established pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. The staff of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as the administrative staff to the learning communities.
(d) A Two-Generational Advisory Board shall be established as part of the initiative to advise the state, the legislature and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management on how to foster family economic self-sufficiency in low income households through a comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early child care, education and workforce readiness. The board shall work in partnership with philanthropic organizations, as available, to provide support, technical assistance, guidance and best practices to the participating communities in the initiative designated pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. The board shall consist of (1) one member of the General Assembly appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall serve as a cochairperson; (2) one member of the Senate appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, who shall serve as a cochairperson; (3) one member representing the interests of business or trade organizations appointed by the majority leader of the Senate; (4) one member with expertise on issues concerning physical and mental health appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives; (5) one member with expertise on issues concerning children and families appointed by the minority leader of the Senate; (6) one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives; (7) one member appointed by the Governor; (8) representatives of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations and scholars who are experts in two-generational programs and policies, including, but not limited to, at least one such representative and scholar with experience in developing strategies to achieve racial equity and social justice, selected by the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity; (9) parent or family leaders representing low-income households selected by the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, who shall constitute one-fourth of the board; and (10) other business and academic professionals as needed to achieve goals for two-generational systems planning, evaluations and outcomes, selected by the cochairpersons. Beginning July 1, 2025, members of the board shall be appointed or reappointed by the appointing authorities to staggered three-year terms, such that not more than one-third of the board members' terms end on the same date, with term expiration dates as follows: (A) June 30, 2026, for members appointed before June 30, 2022, (B) June 30, 2028, for members appointed on or after June 30, 2022, but before July 1, 2025, and (C) three years after the date of appointment for members appointed July 1, 2025, or later. The Chief Court Administrator, or the Chief Court Administrator's designee, shall serve as ex-officio members of the advisory board. The staff of the Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity shall serve as the organizing and administrative staff of the advisory board.
(e) Not later than July 1, 2020, pursuant to the advisory authority established in section 3-125, the Office of the Attorney General, in consultation with the Two-Generational Advisory Board, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Chief Data Officer appointed pursuant to section 4-67p and the Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information Network, established pursuant to section 10a-57g, shall develop a uniform interagency data sharing protocol to remove legal barriers to promote cross-agency and cross-sector collaboration under this section to the fullest extent permitted under state and federal laws.
(f) Not later than December 31, 2020, and annually thereafter, the Two-Generational Advisory Board, in consultation with the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, education, housing, human services, labor, public health, transportation and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) Shared indicators and goals for interagency collaboration developed pursuant to section 1 of public act 19-78*, (2) improvements in Two-Generational Initiative service coordination and streamlined resources, (3) methods of improved family engagement to assure continuous feedback from family leaders regarding the priorities and challenges of low income households, and (4) recommendations to (A) improve systems, policy, culture, program, budget or communications issues among agencies and service providers on the local and state levels to achieve two-generational success; (B) eliminate barriers to two-generational success; and (C) improve data sharing within and between agencies to inform systems and policy direction to achieve family economic success.
(g) Within available appropriations, parent and family participants of the Two-Generational Initiative may be compensated for time and travel related to Two-Generational Advisory Board meetings and Two-Generational Initiative activities related to asset building, leadership and community engagement.
(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 401; P.A. 16-79, S. 1; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3, S. 153; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 141; P.A. 18-19, S. 1; 18-129, S. 2; P.A. 19-78, S. 2; 19-117, S. 124; P.A. 25-83, S. 1; 25-119, S. 7.)
*Note: Section 1 of public act 19-78 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 16-79 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re persons who may be included in households, add provision re pilot sites to be informed by members of low-income households and peer-to-peer exchange and add provision defining “Greater Hartford”, amended Subsec. (b)(1) to add “, including, but not limited to, health and mental health services,”, amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re member representing interests of business or trade organizations, member with expertise on issues concerning children and families, member of transportation committee, member of education committee and not more than 6 members of low-income households, amended Subsec. (e) to add references to education, housing, public health and transportation committees, delete former Subdivs. (1) to (4) re report to detail numbers of families served, adults who have obtained jobs, children who have improved academically and adults who have received and completed job training and enrolled and obtained certificates or degrees in educational courses, add new Subdivs. (1) to (5) re statements in report and redesignate existing Subdivs. (5) and (6) re cost of program and recommendations to expand program, respectively, as Subdivs. (6) and (7), and made technical changes, effective June 1, 2016; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 16-3 amended Subsec. (c) by making a technical change and replacing “Commission on Children” with “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors”, effective July 1, 2016; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provisions re pilot program, adding reference to initiative, replacing reference to academic and job readiness support services with provisions re two-generational service delivery approach, and promotion of systemic change, substantially amended Subsec. (b) including by adding provisions re Office of Early Childhood to serve as two-generational initiative's coordinating agency and matters for initiative's review and consideration, deleted provisions re workforce liaison, deleted former Subsecs. (c) and (d) re interagency working group and coordinators of two-generational programs, respectively, added new Subsec. (c) re initiative to foster comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach for early care and education and workforce readiness in learning communities, added new Subsec. (d) re Two-Generational Advisory Council, amended Subsec. (e) by replacing provisions re information to be included in report with provisions re same, and made technical and conforming changes, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-19 added new Subsec. (e) re facilitation of data sharing, redesignated existing Subsec. (e) as Subsec.(f) and amended same to add reference to labor committee, add Subdiv. (4) re recommendations on improved data sharing, and make a technical change, effective May 25, 2018; P.A. 18-129 amended Subsec. (b)(2) by designating existing provision re the household as Subpara. (A) and adding Subpara. (B) re coordinated state-wide reading plan for students in kindergarten to grade three, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-78 substantially amended Subsec. (a) including by replacing “foster family economic self-sufficiency in low-income households through a comprehensive two-generational service delivery approach” with “disrupt cycles of poverty and advance family economic self-sufficiency”, replacing “promote systemic change to create conditions across local and state public sector agencies and private sector” with “collaborate across public and private sectors” and adding reference to children, substantially amended Subsec. (b) including by deleting reference to executive branch, adding “to attain family economic mobility and success”, adding reference to apprenticeship, adding “sufficiently supported pathways to family-sustaining workforce opportunities”, replacing reference to state and local support systems around the household with reference to state and federal resources around the family and deleting provisions re coordinated state-wide reading plan for certain students, development of long-term plan to coordinate, align and optimize service delivery of relevant programs state wide and partnerships between state and national philanthropic organizations; amended Subsec. (c) by replacing “informed by members of low-income households within these communities” with “implemented in partnership with parent and family leaders to determine the priorities and challenges of low-income households”, and adding reference to learning communities, deleting former Subsecs. (d), (e) and (f) re Two-Generational Advisory Council, adding new Subsec. (d) re Two-Generational Advisory Board, adding new Subsec. (e) re uniform interagency data sharing protocol to promote collaboration, adding new Subsec. (f) re report by Two-Generational Advisory Board, adding Subsec. (g) re compensation for parent and family participants of Two-Generational Initiative, and made technical and conforming changes, effective July 1, 2019 (Revisor's note: Pursuant to P.A. 19-117, “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity”); P.A. 19-117 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by replacing “Commission on Women, Children and Seniors” with “Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity”, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 25-83 amended Subsec. (d) by inserting appointing authority Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity in Subdiv. (8) and provisions re staggered member terms, effective July 1, 2025; P.A. 25-119 replaced Connecticut Preschool through Twenty with Preschool through Twenty in Subsec. (e), effective July 1, 2025.
| (Return to Chapter Table of Contents) |
(Return to List of Chapters) |
(Return to List of Titles) |