Sponsored by:
Senator STEPHEN M. SWEENEY
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
Senator JOSEPH F. VITALE
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE
District 37 (Bergen)
Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman SHEILA Y. OLIVER
District 34 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblywoman L. GRACE SPENCER
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman PAMELA R. LAMPITT
District 6 (Burlington and Camden)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senator Ruiz, Assemblywomen McKnight, Mosquera, Muoio and Quijano
SYNOPSIS
Extends eligibility for certain individuals for emergency assistance.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on February 29, 2016, with amendments.
An Act extending eligibility for certain individuals for emergency assistance and amending P.L.1997, c.14.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 8 of P.L1997, c.14 (C.44:10-51) is amended to read as follows:
8. a. Emergency assistance shall be provided only to recipients of Work First New Jersey and persons receiving Supplemental Security Income pursuant to P.L.1973, c.256 (C.44:7-85 et seq.) in emergent situations, as determined by the commissioner, for up to 12 cumulative months; except that:
(1) the commissioner may provide for an extension of emergency assistance for up to six additional months to an assistance unit with dependent children, if the commissioner determines that a case of extreme hardship exists. The commissioner shall review each such case on a monthly basis during the six-month period and shall continue the emergency assistance only if the commissioner determines, based upon the monthly review, that the extreme hardship continues to exist. If the extreme hardship continues to exist at the end of the six-month period, the commissioner may provide an additional six months of emergency assistance to no more than 10% of those assistance units with dependent children which are receiving temporary rental assistance under the emergency assistance component of the program, based upon the most current data available; [and]
(2) the commissioner may provide for an extension of emergency assistance for up to six additional months to no more than 10% of single adults and couples without dependent children who are receiving temporary rental assistance under the emergency assistance component of the program, if the commissioner determines that a case of extreme hardship exists. The commissioner shall review each such case on a monthly basis during the six-month period and shall continue the emergency assistance only if the commissioner determines, based upon the monthly review, that the extreme hardship continues to exist; and
(3) the commissioner shall provide for an extension of emergency assistance to an individual, if the commissioner determines that the individual is:
(a) the parent or other relative of a disabled child or other disabled dependent who must provide full-time care for the disabled child or other disabled dependent;
(b) permanently disabled, including, but not limited to, a person eligible for disability insurance benefits under Title II of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.s.401 et seq.), as defined by regulation of the commissioner; 1[or]1
(c) over 60 years of age 1[and] ; or
(d)1 chronically unemployable as defined by regulation of the commissioner.
The commissioner shall review each individual’s eligibility for emergency assistance every six months and shall continue the emergency assistance if the commissioner determines, based upon the review, that the individual continues to meet the criteria established pursuant to this paragraph (3).
Any form of emergency assistance provided pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section shall count toward the maximum period of emergency assistance allowed.
b. A person receiving emergency assistance shall contribute from the person's income toward the payment of all emergency shelter arrangements, including temporary housing and temporary rental assistance, in accordance with regulations adopted by the commissioner. As a condition of receipt of emergency assistance, a person shall be required to take all reasonable steps to end the person's dependency on emergency assistance and take all other actions required by the commissioner.
c. The commissioner shall adopt regulations to establish classifications for hotel or motel per diem rates in accordance with the level of enhanced services provided at a participating hotel or motel.
d. The provisions of this section shall apply to a person who receives general public assistance pursuant to P.L.1947, c.156 (C.44:8-107 et seq.) after the effective date of this act and is subsequently transferred directly into the Work First New Jersey program.
e. The commissioner shall require that identifying information for all individuals who receive emergency assistance pursuant to subsection a. of this section shall be entered into the Foothold Homeless Management Information System, or a similar electronic database as designated by the commissioner. The identifying information shall include: individual identifier of the recipient; amount and type of emergency assistance delivered to the recipient; and time period in which emergency assistance was provided to the recipient. The information shall be compiled by the Division of Family Development on an annual basis and submitted to the Legislature no later than April 1 of the current calendar year for expenditures in the prior calendar year.
f. Recipients of emergency assistance benefits shall be notified, in writing, of any termination or modification of the recipient’s emergency assistance benefits at least one month prior to the termination or modification of the recipient’s emergency assistance benefits.
g. Section 9 of P.L.1997, c.14 (C.44:10-52) shall apply to any denial, termination, or modification of emergency assistance benefits.
(cf: P.L.1997, c.14, s.8)
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 as the commissioner determines necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.