Title 40, Title 40 Services

Parent, stepparent, grandparent, and sponsor income deeming. (a) Parents. For purposes of determining eligibility for and the amount of cash assistance to which a family is entitled under this chapter, the income of a child shall include the income of his/her parent(s). For purpo…

All participants are responsible for reporting changes in income, resources, family composition or other factors that can affect the family’s eligibility or payment level within ten (10) days of the change in circumstances.

Whenever adult family member(s) become aware that a minor child in their household has been or will be temporarily absent from the home, the adult family member(s) have the responsibility to report such absence of a minor child from the home by the end of the five-day (5) period …

No payment of assistance under § 40-5.2-11(e) shall be made for any month if the amount of such payment would be less than ten dollars ($10.00), but a family with respect to whom a payment of assistance is denied solely by reason of this section shall otherwise be deemed to be a …

Except as otherwise provided for herein, cash assistance shall not be transferable or assignable at law or in equity, and none of the money paid or payable under this chapter shall be subject to execution, levy, attachment, garnishment, or other legal process, or to the operation…

The department has the authority under this chapter to develop a non-assistance up-front cash program for recipients in accordance with federal TANF guidelines.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, no single parent, or both parents meeting all other program requirements, shall be required to work or participate in employment plan activities or rehabilitative plan activities to the extent that appropriate child care is nec…

(a) The purpose of the Rhode Island works program is to help parents who are eligible for cash assistance to support their children by preparing for, accepting, and retaining employment. It is the intent of the Rhode Island general assembly that the Rhode Island works program sha…

(a) The department shall provide appropriate child care to every participant who is eligible for cash assistance and who requires child care in order to meet the work requirements in accordance with this chapter. (b) Low-income child care. The department shall provide child care …

(a) Every member of any family/assistance unit eligible for cash assistance under this chapter shall be eligible for medical assistance through the RIte Care or RIte Share programs, as determined by the department, subject to the provisions of § 40-8-1(d) and provided, further, t…

(a) To the extent that the department has allocated resources for this purpose, the department is authorized to provide assistance to families receiving assistance in accordance with this chapter to meet emergency needs that cannot be met with the cash resources available to the …

The family/assistance unit may be eligible for an incentive bonus payment, if the participant is employed and is working at least thirty (30) hours per week or more for a single-parent family and thirty-five (35) hours per week for a two-parent family at the time of closure on ca…

The department shall promptly take all necessary steps to correct any overpayment or underpayment of cash assistance paid under this chapter, and, in the case of: (1) An overpayment to an individual who is a current recipient of cash assistance (including a recipient whose overpa…

Any applicant, recipient, or participant aggrieved because of a decision by the department, including but not limited to, a decision regarding eligibility for benefits, the amount of benefits, terms of an employment plan, or a delay in making a decision with respect to an applica…

(a) All records pertaining to the administration of public assistance pursuant to this chapter and chapter 8 of this title are hereby declared to constitute a confidential matter. (b) In furtherance thereof: (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to make use of, or cause to be u…

(a) Except as otherwise provided for herein, the director of the department of human services is responsible for implementation of this chapter. (b) No later than March 1 of each year, the director shall submit a plan to the general assembly showing how, within available resource…

The director of the department of human services shall, pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42, promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. Any reference to the department’s rulemaking process is pursuant to this section.

Any noncustodial parent who is required by order of the family court to pay support to any family receiving assistance of any kind under this chapter, and who is unemployed and, in whole or in part as a result of the unemployment, has failed to comply with all of the terms of the…

(a) It is the intent of the general assembly: (1) To fundamentally change the public assistance program formerly known as the family independence program in order to provide temporary financial assistance to eligible families with children while requiring the entry or reentry of …

Any person who, by any fraudulent device, obtains or attempts to obtain public assistance pursuant to this chapter to which he or she is not entitled, or who willfully fails to report income or resources as provided in this chapter, shall be guilty of larceny and, upon conviction…

Authorization to pay all forms of assistance specified in this chapter shall be made by representatives of the department and the state controller is hereby authorized to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for payments upon receipt by him or her of proper vouchers …

(a) For purposes of this section, the term “banking institution” shall mean: (1) Any state or federally chartered bank, savings bank, loan and investment bank, or credit union located within this state; and (2) Any currency-exchange specialist located within this state and enroll…

One month each year, each child who lives in a family receiving cash assistance under this chapter in that month shall be given a supplementary payment of no less than one hundred dollars ($100) for the purchase of clothing in accordance with Title IV-A of the Social Security Act…

(a) The department shall: (1) Screen and identify individuals with a history of domestic violence applying for or receiving assistance while maintaining the confidentiality of such individuals; (2) Refer these individuals to counseling and supportive services; and (3) Waive, purs…

For any month in which a noncustodial parent makes a child support payment in the month when due and the support is collected by the department of human services, for a child or children receiving cash assistance pursuant to this chapter, the first fifty dollars ($50.00) of the c…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate sums as it may deem necessary for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this chapter; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of these …

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end, the …

(a) All provisions of this chapter, with the exception of subsection (b), shall be effective and apply to all applicants and recipients on or after July 1, 2008. (b) For all current recipients as of July 1, 2008, who have received cash assistance, either state or federally funded…

Any references in the Rhode Island general laws to the family independence act, family independence program, or family independence program cash assistance or benefits shall be deemed to be applicable and shall be effective in accordance with the Rhode Island works program outlin…

Promoting economic independence through the Rhode Island works program. (a) The department of human services, through the Rhode Island works program, in collaboration with the department of labor and training, shall promote economic independence and help maintain and strengthen f…

The department of human services and the department of labor and training shall promote work by: (1) Providing assessments, intensive employment services, support services, and transitional cash assistance with the expectation that participants in the works program move quickly t…

The Rhode Island works program shall strive to: (1) Eliminate or reduce the harmful effects of poverty on families and children by fostering employment and opportunity as a means to economic independence; (2) Assist participants to gain employment as rapidly as possible, giving d…

(a) The director of the department of human services and the director of the department of labor and training, to the extent that federal/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds are made available, shall commit their department resources and focused efforts to meet th…

As used in this chapter, the following terms having the meanings set forth herein, unless the context in which such terms are used clearly indicates to the contrary: (1) “Applicant” means a person who has filed a written application for assistance for herself or himself and her o…

(a) All families who wish to make application to the department of human services for assistance under this chapter shall have the opportunity to do so. (b) Cash assistance shall be provided to eligible needy families only with dependent children who meet all the requirements of …