HOUSE BILL No. 4036 January 8, 1997, Introduced by Rep. Middaugh and referred to the Committee on Human Services and Children. A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled "The social welfare act," by amending section 57f (MCL 400.57f), as added by 1995 PA 223. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 57f. (1) The family independence agency shall enter 2 into an agreement with the Michigan jobs commission in order to 3 facilitate the administration of work first. The family indepen- 4 dence agency shall make information on the program available to 5 the legislature. 6 (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) OR (4), 7 every member of a family independence assistance group shall be 8 referred to and shall participate in work first. If a recipient 9 has cooperated with work first but the work first agency 10 determines that a job is not available, the recipient may enroll 11 in a program that is specifically job-related and of no more than 00104'97 MGM 2 1 2 years' duration that is offered by a college or university, 2 community college, state-licensed vocational or technical educa- 3 tion program, or state-licensed proprietary school. The particu- 4 lar activities in which the recipient is required or authorized 5 to participate, the number of hours of work required, and other 6 details of work first shall be developed by the Michigan jobs 7 commission and the family independence agency and shall be set 8 forth in the recipient's social contract. 9 (3) The following individuals are exempt from participation 10 in work first: 11 (a) A child under the age of 16. 12 (b) A child aged 16 or older, or a minor parent, who is 13 attending elementary or secondary school full-time. 14 (c) An individual who is working a minimum number of hours 15 determined by the family independence agency to be necessary to 16 meet federal requirements. 17 (d) The mother of a child under the age of 3 months. 18 (e) An individual aged 65 or older. 19 (f) A recipient of supplemental security income, social 20 security disability, or medical assistance due to disability or 21 blindness. 22 (g) An individual suffering from a physical or mental 23 impairment that meets federal supplemental security income dis- 24 ability standards, except that no minimum duration is required. 25 (h) The spouse of an individual described in subdivision (f) 26 or (g) who is the full-time caregiver of that individual. 00104'97 3 1 (i) A parent or caretaker of a child who is suffering from a 2 physical or mental impairment that meets the federal supplemental 3 security income disability standards, except that no minimum 4 duration is required. 5 (4) In addition to those individuals exempt under subsection 6 (3), the family independence agency may grant a temporary exemp- 7 tion FOR UP TO 90 DAYS from participation in work first, not to8exceed 90 days,to an individual who is suffering from a docu- 9 mented short-term mental or physical illness, limitation, or dis- 10 ability that severely restricts his or her ability to participate 11 in employment or training activities. An individual with a docu- 12 mented mental or physical illness, limitation, or disability that 13 does not severely restrict his or her ability to participate in 14 employment or training activities shall be required to partici- 15 pate in work first at a medically permissible level. 16 (5) An individual is not disabled for purposes of this sec- 17 tion if substance abuse is a contributing factor material to the 18 determination of disability. 19 (6) THE FAMILY INDEPENDENCE AGENCY SHALL NOT PAY OR AUTHO- 20 RIZE THE PAYMENT OF FAMILY INDEPENDENCE ASSISTANCE UNTIL IT VERI- 21 FIES WITH THE EMPLOYER OF EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR 22 FAMILY INDEPENDENCE ASSISTANCE UNDER SECTION 57B AND WHO PARTICI- 23 PATES IN WORK FIRST THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAS WORKED THE NUMBER OF 24 HOURS SCHEDULED TO BE WORKED. 00104'97 Final page. MGM