Act No. 469

Public Acts of 2006

Approved by the Governor

December 19, 2006

Filed with the Secretary of State

December 20, 2006

EFFECTIVE DATE: December 20, 2006

STATE OF MICHIGAN

93RD LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2006

Introduced by Reps. Kolb, Kooiman, Stahl and Pastor

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 6587

AN ACT to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled "An act to protect the welfare of the people of this state; to provide general assistance, hospitalization, infirmary and medical care to poor or unfortunate persons; to provide for compliance by this state with the social security act; to provide protection, welfare and services to aged persons, dependent children, the blind, and the permanently and totally disabled; to administer programs and services for the prevention and treatment of delinquency, dependency and neglect of children; to create a state department of social services; to prescribe the powers and duties of the department; to provide for the interstate and intercounty transfer of dependents; to create county and district departments of social services; to create within certain county departments, bureaus of social aid and certain divisions and offices thereunder; to prescribe the powers and duties of the departments, bureaus and officers; to provide for appeals in certain cases; to prescribe the powers and duties of the state department with respect to county and district departments; to prescribe certain duties of certain other state departments, officers, and agencies; to make an appropriation; to prescribe penalties for the violation of the provisions of this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on specific dates," by amending section 57e (MCL 400.57e), as amended by 2001 PA 280.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 57e. (1) Each family receiving family independence assistance shall execute a family self-sufficiency plan outlining the responsibilities of members of the family independence program assistance group, the contractual nature of family independence program assistance, and the focus on the goal of attaining self-sufficiency. The family self-sufficiency plan shall be developed by the department and the adult family members of the family independence assistance program group with the details of work first participation to be included in the family self-sufficiency plan being developed by the department, the department of labor and economic growth, and the adult family members of the family independence assistance program group. Except as described in section 57b, the department shall complete a thorough assessment to facilitate development of the family self-sufficiency plan, including consideration of referral to a life skills program, and determination as to whether the family independence assistance program group's adult members are eligible to participate in the work first program or are exempt from work first participation under section57f. The family self-sufficiency plan shall identify compliance goals that are to be met by members of the family independence assistance program group and goals and responsibilities of the members of the family independence assistance program group, the department, and the work first program. The family self-sufficiency plan shall reflect the individual needs and abilities of the particular family, and shall include at least all of the following:

(a) The obligation of each adult and each child aged 16 or older who is not attending elementary or secondary school full-time to participate in the work first program unless exempt under section 57f.

(b) The obligation of each minor parent who has not completed secondary school to attend school.

(c) Except as provided in section 57f(3), the obligation of each adult to engage in employment, work first activities, education or training, community service activities, or self-improvement activities, as determined appropriate by the department.

(d) The obligation to cooperate in the establishment of paternity and the procurement of child support, if applicable.

(e) The obligation of a recipient who fails to comply with compliance goals due to substance abuse to participate in substance abuse treatment and submit to any periodic drug testing required by the treatment program.

(f) If the recipient is determined to be eligible to participate in the work first program, the obligation that the requirements of the family self-sufficiency plan must, at a minimum, meet federal guidelines for work participation. Exceptions may be granted if it is determined that the recipient or a family member in the recipient's household has a disability that needs reasonable accommodation as required by section 504 of title V of the rehabilitation act of 1973, 29USC 794, subtitle A of title II of the Americans with disabilities act of 1990, 42 USC 12131 to 12134, or another identified barrier that interferes with the recipient's ability to participate in required activities. Reasonable accommodation must be made to adjust the number of required hours or the types of activities required to take the identified limitations into account.

(g) The obligation that the recipient must enroll in a GED preparation program, a high school completion program, or a literacy training program, if the department determines the resources are available and the assessment and plan demonstrate that these issues present a barrier to the recipient meeting the requirements in his or her family self-sufficiency plan. This basic educational skills training shall be combined with other occupational skills training, whenever possible, to assure that it can be counted toward federal work participation requirements.

(h) Any other obligation the department determines is necessary to enable the family to achieve independence.

(2) The department shall monitor each family's compliance with the family self-sufficiency plan.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless all of the following bills of the 93rd Legislature are enacted into law:

(a) House Bill No. 6580.

(b) Senate Bill No. 1500.

(c) Senate Bill No. 1501.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives

Secretary of the Senate

Approved

Governor