SENATE BILL NO. 309

A bill to amend 1939 PA 280, entitled

"The social welfare act,"

(MCL 400.1 to 400.119b) by adding section 104.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 104. (1) Beginning on the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section and subject to appropriation, the department shall establish and administer the Rx Kids program to improve the economic stability of households with very young children.

(2) The department shall administer the Rx Kids program to accomplish both of the following:

(a) Provide conditional cash allowances to each expectant mother who resides in the Rx Kids program service area and meets the Rx Kids program income-eligibility requirements.

(b) Provide monthly payments to each household with at least 1 child who is less than 1 year of age who resides in the Rx Kids program service area and meets the Rx Kids program income-eligibility requirements. Each monthly payment made for each household under this subdivision must begin at the date of the birth of a qualifying child for up to at least 6 months of age but not more than 12 months of age for the qualifying child.

(3) The department shall do both of the following:

(a) Establish income and asset levels for eligibility, types of income and assets to be considered in making eligibility determinations, and composition of the Rx Kids program group. Notwithstanding this subdivision, an individual who is eligible for medical assistance may be eligible for the Rx Kids program if the individual meets the eligibility requirements established by the department.

(b) Contract with third-party organizations to administer the Rx Kids program.

(4) The department shall administer the Rx Kids program in an Rx Kids program service area that has raised 2 years of matching funds for the program. The department may create and administer the Rx Kids program to an area that is not an Rx Kids program service area only if the legislature has appropriated an amount sufficient to operate the Rx Kids program in that area.

(5) The department shall cap the cost of administering the Rx Kids program at 5% of the costs of the Rx Kids program.

(6) As used in this section:

(a) "Local unit of government" means a county, township, city, or village.

(b) "Rx Kids program" means a program of Michigan State University Pediatric Public Health Initiative, in collaboration with Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan, and administered by GiveDirectly.

(c) "Rx Kids program service area" means a local unit of government that operated the Rx Kids program before the effective date of the amendatory act that added this section.