SB1687 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB101 09485 KTG 54583 b

101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1687

Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Jil Tracy

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

305 ILCS 5/5-52c new

Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a demonstration waiver application pursuant to the Social Security Act to establish community engagement and work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children who apply for or receive medical assistance. Provides that the waiver application shall propose to align the number of required community engagement and work hours to the work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring all non-exempt individuals to complete 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) of qualifying activities to remain eligible for medical assistance benefits. Provides that under the waiver, certain persons shall be exempt from the community engagement and work requirements, including children under the age of 19, pregnant women, and full-time students. Provides that implementation of the community engagement and work requirements shall be contingent on the receipt of all necessary federal waivers or approvals.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning public aid.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by adding Section 5-52c as follows:

(305 ILCS 5/5-52c new)

Sec. 5-52c. Waiver for community engagement and work requirements. The Department shall submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a demonstration waiver application pursuant to Section 1115 of the Social Security Act to establish community engagement and work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children who apply for or receive medical assistance under this Article. The waiver application shall propose to align the number of required community engagement and work hours to the work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring all non-exempt individuals to complete 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) of qualifying activities to remain eligible for medical assistance benefits. As used in this Section, "qualifying activities" includes, but is not limited to, volunteer work, employment or job training, and job search activities. Under the waiver, the following persons shall be exempted from the community engagement and work requirements:

(1) children under the age of 19;

(2) pregnant women;

(3) primary caregivers of a dependent, including either a dependent minor child or a dependent adult with disabilities (limited to only one exemption per household);

(4) individuals 65 years of age or older;

(5) individuals identified as medically frail; and

(6) full-time students. In addition, individuals who (i) meet the education, training, and employment requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program or (ii) are employed for more than 30 hours per week shall be deemed to meet the community engagement and work requirements and no additional participation shall be required.

If the Department receives federal approval for the demonstration waiver, the Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement the community engagement and work requirements, including rules on a notice period to inform non-exempt individuals of the community engagement and work requirements and rules on the disenrollment of non-exempt individuals from the medical assistance program for falsely reporting community engagement and work hours.

Implementation of the community engagement and work requirements provided in this Section shall be contingent on the receipt of all necessary federal waivers or approvals.