101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
SB1687

 

Introduced 2/15/2019, by Sen. Jil Tracy

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
305 ILCS 5/5-52c new

    Amends the Medical Assistance Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to submit to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services a demonstration waiver application pursuant to the Social Security Act to establish community engagement and work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children who apply for or receive medical assistance. Provides that the waiver application shall propose to align the number of required community engagement and work hours to the work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring all non-exempt individuals to complete 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) of qualifying activities to remain eligible for medical assistance benefits. Provides that under the waiver, certain persons shall be exempt from the community engagement and work requirements, including children under the age of 19, pregnant women, and full-time students. Provides that implementation of the community engagement and work requirements shall be contingent on the receipt of all necessary federal waivers or approvals.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning public aid.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Public Aid Code is amended by
5adding Section 5-52c as follows:
 
6    (305 ILCS 5/5-52c new)
7    Sec. 5-52c. Waiver for community engagement and work
8requirements. The Department shall submit to the U.S.
9Department of Health and Human Services a demonstration waiver
10application pursuant to Section 1115 of the Social Security Act
11to establish community engagement and work requirements for
12able-bodied adults without dependent children who apply for or
13receive medical assistance under this Article. The waiver
14application shall propose to align the number of required
15community engagement and work hours to the work requirements
16under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by
17requiring all non-exempt individuals to complete 20 hours per
18week (80 hours per month) of qualifying activities to remain
19eligible for medical assistance benefits. As used in this
20Section, "qualifying activities" includes, but is not limited
21to, volunteer work, employment or job training, and job search
22activities. Under the waiver, the following persons shall be
23exempted from the community engagement and work requirements:

 

 

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1        (1) children under the age of 19;
2        (2) pregnant women;
3        (3) primary caregivers of a dependent, including
4    either a dependent minor child or a dependent adult with
5    disabilities (limited to only one exemption per
6    household);
7        (4) individuals 65 years of age or older;
8        (5) individuals identified as medically frail; and
9        (6) full-time students.
10In addition, individuals who (i) meet the education, training,
11and employment requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition
12Assistance Program or the Temporary Assistance for Needy
13Families Program or (ii) are employed for more than 30 hours
14per week shall be deemed to meet the community engagement and
15work requirements and no additional participation shall be
16required.
17    If the Department receives federal approval for the
18demonstration waiver, the Department may adopt any rules
19necessary to implement the community engagement and work
20requirements, including rules on a notice period to inform
21non-exempt individuals of the community engagement and work
22requirements and rules on the disenrollment of non-exempt
23individuals from the medical assistance program for falsely
24reporting community engagement and work hours.
25    Implementation of the community engagement and work
26requirements provided in this Section shall be contingent on

 

 

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1the receipt of all necessary federal waivers or approvals.