SB424 HD1

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	424
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to Human Services.

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 one year of study leading to vocational or technical degrees to meet federal work requirements, exempts currently participating students and allows them to finish their education. For example, current 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 one-year education activity option to receive vocational or technical degrees. These students will no longer be able to continue to pursue a four-year baccalaureate degree in popular areas of study such as pre-nursing without violating federal work rules.

The purpose of this Act is to expand the bridge to hope program to enable heads of households receiving financial assistance and participating in the first-to-work program to pursue educational activities beyond the new one-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.~~] with minor dependents who receive financial assistance and participate in the first-to-work program.

(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 on a full-time basis as defined by the post-secondary educational institution that the parent is attending; provided that the approved course of study shall not be limited to vocational education;

(2) Maintain passing grades or better throughout the course of study; and

(3) Meet work activity requirements as defined by the department[.] which, when added to the number of hours in the approved course of study, shall not exceed the total number of hours required by heads of household with minor dependents receiving financial assistance who are not participants of the bridge to hope program."

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 accommodate new federal temporary assistance for needy families program students to enable them to pursue educational activities beyond the new one-year federal limit.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 3 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.