093_HB3023eng HB3023 Engrossed LRB093 10034 DRJ 10285 b 1 AN ACT in relation to public aid. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by 5 changing Sections 11-1 and 11-20.1 as follows: 6 (305 ILCS 5/11-1) (from Ch. 23, par. 11-1) 7 Sec. 11-1. No discrimination). There shall be no 8 discrimination or denial of financial aid and social services 9 on account of the race, religion, color, national origin, 10 sex, marriage status, or political affiliation of any 11 applicant or recipient. 12 Participation in any marriage promotion or family 13 formation activity is voluntary. Non-participation shall not 14 affect any person's eligibility for or receipt of financial 15 aid or social services in any program under this Code. 16 Where financial aid or social services are granted to 17 certain classes of persons under a program for which federal 18 funds are available, nothing in this Section shall require 19 granting of financial aid or social services to other persons 20 where federal funds would not be available as to those other 21 persons. 22 (Source: P.A. 80-354.) 23 (305 ILCS 5/11-20.1) (from Ch. 23, par. 11-20.1) 24 Sec. 11-20.1. Employment; Rights of recipient and 25 obligations of Illinois Department when recipients become 26 employed; Assistance when a recipient has employment or 27 earned income or both. 28 (a) When a recipient reports employment or earned 29 income, or both, or the Illinois Department otherwise learns 30 of a recipient's employment or earned income, or both, the HB3023 Engrossed -2- LRB093 10034 DRJ 10285 b 1 Illinois Department shall provide the recipient with: 2 (1) An explanation of how the earned income will 3 affect the recipient's eligibility for a grant, and 4 whether the recipient must engage in additional work 5 activities to meet the recipient's monthly work 6 activities requirement and what types of activities may 7 be approved for that purpose, and whether the employment 8 is sufficient to cause months of continued receipt of a 9 grant not to be counted against the recipient's lifetime 10 eligibility limit. 11 (2) An explanation of the Work Pays budgeting 12 process, and an explanation of how the first month's 13 income on a new job will be projected, and how the 14 recipient should report the new job to avoid the 15 Department overestimating the first month's income. 16 (3) An explanation of how the earned income will 17 affect the recipient's eligibility for food stamps, 18 whether the recipient will continue to receive food 19 stamps, and, if so, the amount of food stamps. 20 (4) The names and telephone numbers of all 21 caseworkers to whom the recipient's case or cases are 22 assigned or will be transferred, an explanation of which 23 type of case each worker will be handling, and the 24 effective date of the transfer. 25 (5) An explanation of the recipient's 26 responsibilities to report income and household 27 circumstances, the process by which quarterly reporting 28 forms are sent to recipients, where and to whom the 29 reports should be returned, the deadline by which reports 30 must be returned, instructions on how to fill out the 31 reports, an explanation of what the recipient should do 32 if he or she does not receive the form, advice on how to 33 prove the report was returned by the recipient such as by 34 keeping a copy, and an explanation of the effects of HB3023 Engrossed -3- LRB093 10034 DRJ 10285 b 1 failure to file reports. 2 (6) If the recipient will continue to receive a 3 grant, an explanation of the recipient's new fiscal month 4 and a statement as to when the recipient will receive his 5 or her grant. 6 (7) An explanation of Kidcare, Family Assist, 7 Family Care, and the 12 month extension of medical 8 assistance that is available when a grant is cancelled 9 due to earned income. 10 (8) An explanation of the medical assistance the 11 person may be eligible for when the 12 month extension 12 expires and how to request or apply for it. 13 (9) An explanation of the availability of a child 14 care subsidy to all families below the child care 15 assistance program's income limit, how to apply for the 16 benefit through the Child Care Resource and Referral or 17 site-administered child care program or both, the nature 18 of the child care program's sliding scale co-payments, 19 the availability of the 10% earned income disregard in 20 determining eligibility for child care assistance and the 21 amount of the parent co-payment, the right to use the 22 subsidy for either licensed or license exempt legal care, 23 and the availability of benefits when the parent is 24 engaged in an education and training program. 25 (10) (Blank). 26 (11) (Blank). 27 (11a) (Blank). 28 (12) (Blank). 29 (13) An explanation of the availability of payment 30 for initial expenses of employment and how to request or 31 apply for it. 32 (14) An explanation of the job retention component 33 and how to participate in it, and an explanation of the 34 recipient's eligibility to receive supportive services to HB3023 Engrossed -4- LRB093 10034 DRJ 10285 b 1 participate in education and training programs while 2 working. 3 (15) A statement of the types of assistance that 4 will be provided to the person automatically or continued 5 and a statement of the types of assistance for which the 6 person must apply or reapply. 7 (16) If the recipient will not continue to receive 8 a cash grant and the recipient has assigned his or her 9 right to child support to the Illinois Department, an 10 explanation of the recipient's right to continue to 11 receive child support enforcement services, the 12 recipient's right to have all current support paid after 13 grant cancellation forwarded promptly to the recipient, 14 the procedures by which child support will be forwarded, 15 and the procedures by which the recipient will be 16 informed of the collection and distribution of child 17 support. 18 (17) An explanation of the availability of payments 19 if the recipient experiences a decrease in or loss of 20 earned income during a calendar quarter as to which the 21 monthly grant was previously budgeted based upon the 22 higher income. 23 (18) If the recipient will not continue to receive 24 a cash grant, an explanation of the procedures for 25 reapplying for cash assistance if the person experiences 26 a decrease in or loss of earned income. 27 (19) An explanation of the earned income tax credit 28 and the procedures by which it may be obtained and the 29 rules for disregarding it in determining eligibility for 30 and the amount of assistance. 31 (20) An explanation of the education and training 32 opportunities available to recipients. 33 (b) The information listed in subsection (a) shall 34 be provided to the recipient on an individual basis during an HB3023 Engrossed -5- LRB093 10034 DRJ 10285 b 1 in-person meeting with a representative of the Illinois 2 Department. The individual in-person meeting shall be held 3 at a time which does not conflict with the recipient's work 4 schedule within 30 days of the date the recipient begins 5 working. If the recipient informs the Illinois Department 6 that an in-person meeting would be inconvenient, the Illinois 7 Department may provide the information during a home visit, 8 by telephone, or by mail within 30 days of the date the 9 recipient begins working, whichever the client prefers. 10 (c) At the conclusion of the meeting described in 11 subsection (b), the Illinois Department shall ensure that all 12 case transfers and calculations of benefits necessitated by 13 the recipient's employment or receipt of earned income have 14 been performed, that applications have been made or provided 15 for all benefits for which the person must apply or reapply, 16 and that the person has received payment for initial expenses 17 of employment. 18 (Source: P.A. 91-331, eff. 7-29-99.) 19 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 20 becoming law.