Report Title:
Bridge to Hope; Educational Activities
Description:
Appropriates funds for the bridge to hope program to accommodate new federal temporary assistance for needy families and new temporary assistance to other needy families participants to enable them to pursue education activities beyond the new two‑year federal limit. (SD1)
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1731 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to temporary assistance for needy families.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the recent changes to the federal temporary assistance for needy families program rules and subsequent first-to-work program changes, which limit educational activities to two years of study leading to vocational or technical degrees in order to meet federal work requirements, grandfathers currently participating students and allows them to finish their education. For example, first-to-work participating students who are pursuing a baccalaureate degree are transferred to the state-funded bridge-to-hope program to continue their studies.
However, new federal temporary assistance for needy families program first-to-work participating students are restricted to the new two-year education activity option to receive vocational or technical degrees. In other words, these students may not continue to pursue a four-year baccalaureate degree, and favorite areas of study such as pre-nursing will no longer be available to them, without violating federal work rules.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for the bridge to hope program to enable new federal temporary assistance for needy families and new temporary assistance to other needy families participants to pursue educational activities beyond the new two-year federal limit by transferring them to the state-funded bridge to hope program.
SECTION 2. Section 346-68, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
"(a) There is created within the
department a post-secondary education benefits program, to be known as the
bridge to hope program, for heads of households in the temporary assistance to
needy families program[.], temporary assistance to other needy families,
and first‑to‑work programs.
(b) To receive assistance under this program,
the [single] parent shall:
(1) Be enrolled as a student each term[;] in
an approved course of study such as vocational education;
(2) Maintain passing grades or better throughout the course of study; and
(3) Meet work activity requirements as defined by the
department[.]; provided that the work requirements shall be
consistent with academic success."
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the bridge to hope program to enable new federal temporary assistance for needy families and new temporary assistance to other needy families participants to pursue educational activities beyond the new two-year federal limit by transferring them to the state-funded bridge to hope program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval, except that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.