Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Increases child support amount that may be received in addition to assistance grant under Work First New Jersey program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the Work First New Jersey program and amending P.L.1997, c.14.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 6 of P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-49) is amended to read as follows:
6. a. The signing of an application for benefits under the Work First New Jersey Program shall constitute an assignment of any child support rights pursuant to Title IV-D on behalf of individual assistance unit members to the county agency. The assignment shall terminate with respect to current support rights when a determination is made by the county agency that the person in the assistance unit is no longer eligible for benefits. The determination of the amount of repayment to the county agency and distribution of any unpaid support obligations that have accrued during the period of receipt of benefits shall be determined by regulation of the commissioner in accordance with federal law.
b. The county agency shall pass through to the assistance unit the full amount of the current child support collected on behalf of a child in those circumstances defined by the commissioner.
c. [An] In accordance with federal law, an assistance unit eligible for benefits and in receipt of child support shall receive, in addition to its regular grant of cash assistance benefits, a monthly amount of child support [based on the current child support received for the month, as determined by regulations adopted by the commissioner, and in accordance with federal law] of up to $400 per month, except that the total amount of child support received for that month shall be less than the monthly grant amount the assistance unit receives from the Work First New Jersey program.
(cf: P.L.2008, c.101, s.2)
2. The Commissioner of Human Services, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month next following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill amends section 6 of P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-49), concerning the monthly amount of child support an eligible assistance unit may receive under the Work First New Jersey (WFNJ) program. The bill increases the monthly child support amount received to up to $400, except that the total amount of child support must be less than the monthly grant the assistance unit receives from WFNJ. Under current regulations, N.J.A.C.10:90-3.8, an eligible assistance unit that receives child support is eligible to receive a child support amount of up to $100 per month provided that the total monthly child support amount is less than the monthly WFNJ grant amount.