Senate File 2143 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2143 BY PETERSEN A BILL FOR An Act relating to the state child care assistance program 1 eligibility and application provisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5723SS (3) 85 jp/nh

S.F. 2143 Section 1. Section 237A.13, subsection 7, paragraphs a and 1 c, Code 2014, are amended to read as follows: 2 a. Families with an income at or below one hundred percent 3 of the federal poverty level whose members are employed , for 4 at least twenty-eight hours per week in the aggregate, are 5 employed or are participating at a satisfactory level in an 6 approved training program or educational program , and parents 7 with a family income at or below one hundred percent of the 8 federal poverty level who are under the age of twenty-one years 9 and are participating in an educational program leading to a 10 high school diploma or the equivalent. 11 c. Families with an income of more than one hundred percent 12 but not more than one hundred forty-five percent of the 13 federal poverty level whose members are employed , for at least 14 twenty-eight hours per week in the aggregate, are employed 15 or are participating at a satisfactory level in an approved 16 training program or educational program . 17 Sec. 2. Section 237A.13, subsection 8, Code 2014, is amended 18 to read as follows: 19 8. Nothing in this section shall be construed as or is 20 intended as, or shall imply, a grant of entitlement for 21 services to persons who are eligible for assistance due to 22 an income level or other eligibility circumstance addressed 23 in this section . Any state obligation to provide services 24 pursuant to this section is limited to the extent of the funds 25 appropriated for the purposes of state child care assistance. 26 The department shall not redetermine the eligibility of a 27 program participant more frequently than every twelve months. 28 Sec. 3. STATE CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS —— MOBILE 29 DEVICES. 30 1. The department of human services shall review the 31 application form and other elements of the process used 32 by applicants to apply for the state child care assistance 33 program. The purpose of the review is to simplify the process 34 by eliminating requirements to provide unneeded or redundant 35 -1- LSB 5723SS (3) 85 jp/nh 1/ 3

S.F. 2143 information and improving the wording of the application, and 1 identifying other options for improvement. The department 2 shall report the results of the review to the governor and 3 general assembly on or before December 1, 2014. 4 2. The department shall implement an application process 5 enhancement so that applicants for the state child care 6 assistance program may apply for the program using a telephone 7 mobile computer device. 8 Sec. 4. IMPLEMENTATION. The department of human services 9 shall adopt rules and take other actions as necessary to 10 implement the amendments to section 237A.13 in this Act, on 11 July 1, 2014. 12 EXPLANATION 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 14 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 15 This bill relates to the state child care assistance program 16 eligibility and application provisions. 17 State child care assistance program eligibility requirements 18 in Code section 237A.13 are addressed. The program is 19 administered by the department of human services. The 20 department establishes waiting list requirements for the 21 program based upon the availability of funding and eligibility 22 requirements for the program generally match the waiting 23 list requirements. The bill amends two of the waiting list 24 requirements that are based upon income and employment for at 25 least 28 hours per week or participation in an educational 26 program. 27 The bill revises the 28-hour-per-week employment requirement 28 to apply to a combination of employment and participation at a 29 satisfactory level in an approved training or education program 30 for 28 hours per week in the aggregate. 31 The bill provides that the department shall not redetermine 32 the eligibility of a program participant more frequently than 33 every 12 months. 34 The department is required to review the application 35 -2- LSB 5723SS (3) 85 jp/nh 2/ 3

S.F. 2143 form and the process used to apply for the program to make 1 improvements. The results of the review are to be reported 2 to the governor and general assembly on or before December 1, 3 2014. In addition, the department is required to implement an 4 application process enhancement so that applicants may apply 5 for the program using a telephone mobile computer device. 6 The department is required to adopt rules and take other 7 actions as necessary for the bill to be implemented by July 1, 8 2014. 9 -3- LSB 5723SS (3) 85 jp/nh 3/ 3