ELIMINATION OF EXTENDED FIP H.B. 4409 (H-1):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 4409 (Substitute H-1 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Earl Poleski
House Committee: Appropriations
Senate Committee: Appropriations
CONTENT
The bill would repeal Section 57s of the Social Welfare Act, which established the Extended Family Independence Program (EFIP) in the Department of Human Services (DHS). The change would take effect on October 1, 2015.
Section 57s states the following:
The department shall pay $10.00 per month for 6 months to individuals who leave family independence programs due to no longer meeting the financial eligibility criteria based on earned income, if those individuals continue to meet the federal guidelines for work participation.
The EFIP policy is described in more detail in the Bridges Eligibility Manual, Section 519. Through EFIP, former Family Independence Program (FIP) recipients who are no longer eligible for full benefits due to their income level, may continue to receive modified benefits during a transition period. In addition to receiving a $10 monthly payment, EFIP recipients remain categorically eligible for other programs such as Child Development and Care (CDC), Direct Support Services (DSS), and energy assistance. Each month that an individual receives EFIP counts toward the individual's FIP time limit.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Governor's recommended FY 2015-16 budget for the Department of Human Services eliminated EFIP and assumed savings of $116,400 Gross and GF/GP. The FY 2015-16 caseload consensus had projected 980 cases per month. Annual savings in future years would be based on the number of cases that would have been eligible for the program.
Fiscal Analyst: Frances Carley
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.