AG 1997 10 20 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The remaining counties will be designated "standard" counties. Essentially, the difference is as follows: Electing counties will have some considerable latitude in and responsibility for setting eligibility requirements and payment levels for public assistance to families. They will receive block grants intended to cover costs of both public assistance cash payments and program administration. These counties will basically design their total block grant programs, both the staff services and the cash assistance to be provided. Boards of county commissioners in these counties will have responsibility for setting policies and designating the agency or agencies to administer their programs. The State will choose this group of counties from among those which request this status. Standard counties will follow essentially uniform eligibility requirements and payment levels set by the State. These counties will receive block grants intended to cover administrative costs only. Cash assistance costs will be drawn from one statewide pool of federal funds. These counties will design the service delivery programs to be carried out under their block grants. They will also have some capacity to seek waivers from the standard eligibility requirements and payment levels set by the State. This new approach to welfare reform will be effective 7-1-98, though county plans are due by 1-15-98. This is a very complex issue. Both the State and the County Commissioners Association have been working hard to get out information county commissioners will need in making decisions. We have been following this issue closely at the Department. We have been analyzing the opportunities for improving program outcomes which may be possible through this legislation. We have also been assessing the potential cost savings, costs, and risks which may result from taking either the standard or the electing approach. At this point, there are several significant issues about which either decisions have not been made at the State level, or information is still not available. Our staff is still determining what specific program features may be beneficial to pursue implementing. Major issues about which additional information and assessment is needed include: 1) 2) What financial risk do electing counties take by having public assistance cash payments included in their county block grants (while standard counties will draw from one pool of federal funding?) What extra administrative costs will electing counties incur? (The legislation indicates they will issue their own assistance checks, write their own program policies, have their own recipient appeals processes, and do their own statistical reporting. If their individual county eligibility policies vary from the standard state policies, they may have to do separate eligibility determination for programs like Medicaid and Food Stamps which will have a "one application" process for standard counties).