RELATING TO MEDICAID.

Requires legislative approval before the department of human services can seek a medicaid waiver from the federal government.

RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.

Requires the Department of Human Services to recognize individuals who have not received a decision on their application for public assistance within 45 days to be presumptively eligible until an eligibility decision is made.

RELATING TO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE.

Increases standard of need from the 1993 federal poverty level to an annually updated poverty level for the current year. Includes the general assistance (GA) and aged, blind, and disabled programs for the calculation. Removes limitation on making GA payments only from total appropriations made for GA.

RELATING TO FAMILY COURT.

Redefines joint custody as shared parenting or equal parenting time as developed in a parenting plan. Creates a rebuttable presumption in favor of shared parenting in all custody actions involving children.

RELATING TO INCOME TAX CHECK-OFF FOR SENIOR SERVICES.

Creates the senior services trust fund into which is deposited a $5 income tax check-off from refunds, to be used to fund programs and services of the executive office on aging.

RELATING TO THE ELDERLY.

Appropriates funds to the executive office on aging for expansion of elder programs and services.

RELATING TO CAREGIVER COORDINATOR POSITION.

Establishes a caregiver coordinator position in the executive office on aging.

RELATING TO CHILD ABUSE.

Clarifies that deputy sheriffs and narcotics enforcement officers, and AG investigators must report child abuse cases, and have the authority to take a child victim into protective custody.