Title 44, Title 44: POOR

44:10-17. Reports a. The commissioner shall submit to the Senate Revenue, Finance and Appropriations Committee and the General Assembly Appropriations Committee, or their successor committees, and the Governor, at the earliest possible date, a REACH program implementation report,…

44:10-18. Independent evaluation The commissioner shall provide for an independent evaluation of the REACH program by a private entity under contract with the Department of Human Services and shall, no later than three years after the effective date of this act, present to the Go…

44:10-34. Definitions relative to welfare reform, work activity 1. As used in this act: "Alternative work experience" means unpaid work and training only with a public, private nonprofit or private charitable employer that provides a recipient with the experience necessary to adj…

44:10-35. Evaluation of caregiver's eligibility for benefits 2. A person , other than a natural or adoptive parent or stepparent, who is a care giver to a dependent child who is that care giver's legal or blood relative shall be evaluated to determine whether that person is eligi…

44:10-36. Eligibility of parent for benefits 3. A parent who is eligible for benefits who is married to a person who is not the parent of one or more of the eligible parent's children shall not be eligible for benefits if the household income exceeds the income eligibility standa…

44:10-37 Certain income disregarded in computing benefit. 4. In computing the cash assistance benefit provided to recipients, the following disregards shall be applied to the earned income of each person in the assistance unit: a. In the case of a recipient who is employed an ave…

44:10-38. Provision of supportive services 5. a. The program shall provide supportive services to a recipient as a last resort when no other source of support is available, except that the recipient shall be required to continuously seek other sources of support. The commissioner…

44:10-39. Subsidy for campus-based child care 6. A community college which provides campus-based child care and any work activity to a recipient as part of that recipient's individual responsibility plan pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-62), shall receive a subsid…

44:10-40. Medical assistance allowed, certain 7. a. Single adults and couples without dependent children shall not be eligible for medical assistance for inpatient or outpatient hospital care or long-term care under the program, except that medical assistance shall be provided fo…

44:10-41. Report on Work First New Jersey program 8. a. The commissioner, in cooperation with other affected agencies of State government, shall report biennially to the Governor and the Legislature on the Work First New Jersey program, and shall include in that report any recomm…

44:10-42. Establishment, updating of standard of need 9. The commissioner shall establish by regulation a standard of need and update the standard annually. The standard of need shall serve only as a benchmark against which the Legislature may decide on appropriations to fund cas…

44:10-43. Rules, regulations 13. The commissioner, 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 and to comply with the requirements of Pub.L.104-193. L.1997,c.13,s.13…

44:10-44 Definitions relative to welfare reform, eligibility. 1. As used in this act: "Applicant" means an applicant for benefits provided by the Work First New Jersey program. "Assistance unit" means: a single person without dependent children; a couple without dependent childre…

44:10-45. Determination of eligibility for benefits 2. a. Benefits under the Work First New Jersey program shall be determined according to standards of income and resources established by the commissioner. These standards shall take into account, for the determination of eligibi…

44:10-46. Eligibility for persons with less than one year of State residence 3. A recipient who has resided in New Jersey for less than 12 consecutive months shall be eligible to receive cash assistance benefits in the amount that the recipient would have received from the recipi…

44:10-47. Disclosure of applicant information 4. Information concerning applicants or recipients shall not be disclosed except for purposes directly connected with the administration of the program, in accordance with regulations to be adopted by the commissioner. Any person or e…

44:10-48 Eligibility of citizens, eligible aliens. 5. a. Only those persons who are United States citizens or eligible aliens shall be eligible for benefits under the Work First New Jersey program. Single adults or couples without dependent children who are legal aliens who meet …

44:10-49 Assignment of child support rights by signing application for benefits. 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 assi…

44:10-5.6. Payment cycles 5. The Department of Human Services shall cycle the issuance of benefits over multiple dates throughout the month in a manner that best serves AFDC and food stamp recipients within the framework of the electronic benefit distribution system in each count…

44:10-5.7. Evaluation, implementation of system 6. a. The Department of Human Services shall evaluate the operation of the electronic benefit distribution system in the initial counties, and, as deemed appropriate, shall proceed to implement the system in additional counties. b. …

44:10-5.8. Implementation plan, reports 7. a. The Commissioner of Human Services shall prepare an electronic benefit distribution system implementation plan, in consultation with the county welfare agencies in Camden, Hudson and Essex counties, on or before October 1, 1991. The p…

44:10-5.9. Work First New Jersey program administrators, duties 30. The director or other chief administrative officer of each agency or office administering assistance under the Work First New Jersey program established pursuant to P.L.1997, c.38 (C.44:10-55 et seq.) shall: a. c…

44:10-50. Absent child, eligibility for benefits 7. a. A dependent child who has been or is expected by a parent, legal guardian or caretaker relative to be absent from the home for a period of time as established by regulation of the commissioner, shall remain eligible for benef…

44:10-51 Provision of emergency assistance. 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. The standards for eligib…

44:10-51.1 Emergency assistance payments, repayments. 1. The Commissioner of Human Services shall not count months of emergency assistance, which were repaid to a county or municipal agency, in accordance with the agreement to repay, toward a recipient's time limit, as establishe…

44:10-51.2 Rules, regulations. 2. The Commissioner of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to effectuate the purposes of this act. L.2017, c.34, s.2.

44:10-52. Opportunity for hearing 9. The commissioner shall assure that an applicant or recipient shall be afforded the opportunity for a hearing if the applicant's or recipient's claim for benefits is denied, reduced, suspended, terminated or not acted upon within a reasonable t…

44:10-53. Waiving compliance with Work First New Jersey program for certain projects 10. In the case of an experimental, pilot or demonstration project which in the judgment of the commissioner is likely to assist in promoting the objectives of the Work First New Jersey program, …

44:10-54. Rules, regulations 13. The commissioner, 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 and to comply with the requirements of Pub.L.104-193. L.1997,c.14,s.13…

44:10-55. Short title 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Work First New Jersey Act."L.1997,c.38,s.1.

44:10-56 Findings, declarations relative to Work First New Jersey Program. 2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. The federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," Pub.L.104-193, establishes the federal block grant for temporary assist…

44:10-57. Definitions relative to Work First New Jersey program 3. As used in this act: "Alternative work experience" means unpaid work and training only with a public, private nonprofit or private charitable employer that provides a recipient with the experience necessary to adj…

44:10-58. Establishment of Work First New Jersey program 4. a. The Work First New Jersey program is established in the Department of Human Services. The commissioner shall take such actions as are necessary to implement and operate the program in accordance with the provisions of…

44:10-59. Primary responsibility for support; benefits eligibility 5. a. All adult persons, except as otherwise provided by law governing the Work First New Jersey program, are charged with the primary responsibility of supporting and maintaining themselves and their dependents; …

44:10-59.1 "State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program" established. 1. a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program. Under the pilot program, the division shall di…

44:10-59.2 "State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program" established. 2. a. There is established in the Division of Family Development in the Department of Human Services the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program. Under the pilot program, the division shall distribute to each perso…

44:10-59.3 Report to Governor, Legislature. 3. No later than one month following the completion of the State WFNJ Menstrual Hygiene Benefit Pilot Program and the State WFNJ Diaper Benefit Pilot Program established pursuant to this act, the Commissioner of Human Services shall pre…

44:10-60. Requirements for benefits for individuals under 18 with a dependent child 6. a. If an applicant or recipient is less than 18 years of age, has never married, and is pregnant or is caring for a dependent child, the applicant or recipient shall be required, as a condition…

44:10-62 Adult recipient to seek employment. 8. a. As defined by the commissioner, each adult recipient shall continuously and actively seek employment in an effort to remove the assistance unit of which the recipient is a member from the program. A recipient may be assigned to a…

44:10-62.1 Short title. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Public Assistance Cost Reduction and Transportation Independence Pilot Program Act." L.2008, c.105, s.1.

44:10-62.2 Findings, declarations relative to "Public Assistance Cost Reduction and Transportation Independence Pilot Program Act." 2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. The Work First New Jersey program provides transportation assistance to eligible persons to further e…

44:10-62.3 Establishment of pilot program for transfer of ownership of surplus State motor vehicles to certain nonprofit entities. 3. a. The State Treasurer is authorized to establish a pilot program for the transfer of ownership and title of surplus State motor vehicles to any q…

44:10-63.1 Work First New Jersey Program, failure to cooperate, sanctions. 2. In an assistance unit with a single adult or couple without dependent children or a single adult or couple with dependent children, the failure of a recipient to actively cooperate with the Work First N…

44:10-64. Satisfaction of sanction, repayment obligation 10. a. A person shall be required to satisfy any sanction or repayment obligation incurred pursuant to any federal or State law governing public assistance, including any act repealed by this act, as a condition of eligibil…

44:10-65. Community, alternative work experience not considered employment 11. Participation by a recipient in a community work experience or alternative work experience provided by a sponsor pursuant to this act shall not be considered employment for any purpose, except that: a.…

44:10-66. Workers' compensation status of recipient participating in community alternative work experience 12. For the purposes of chapter 15 of Title 34 of the Revised Statutes, a recipient who participates in a community work experience or alternative work experience shall be r…