1. (a) The Department of Social Services shall administer, in accordance with sections 17b-688h and 17b-688i, an employment services program for the purpose of providing employment services to recipients of benefits under the temporary assistance for needy families program pursuant to Title IV-A of the Social Security Act. Said program shall include the provision of employment services to recipients of temporary family assistance that will enable them to become employed and independent of cash assistance within twenty-one months of receipt of temporary family assistance.

2. (b) In no event shall temporary family assistance be granted to an applicant for such assistance, who is not exempt from participation in the employment services program, prior to the applicant's attendance at an initial scheduled employment services assessment interview and participation in the development of an employment services plan. The Department of Social Services shall not delay temporary family assistance to an applicant in cases where the department schedules the initial employment services assessment interview more than ten business days after the date on which application for assistance is made, or in cases where the Labor Department does not complete an employment services plan for the benefit of the applicant within ten business days of the date on which the applicant attends an employment services assessment interview. The Commissioner of Social Services shall refer any applicant denied temporary family assistance, who may be in need of emergency benefits, to other services offered by the Department of Social Services or community services that may be available to such applicant. The Department of Social Services shall reduce the benefits awarded to a family under the temporary family assistance program when a member of the family who is required to participate in employment services fails to comply with an employment services requirement without good cause. The first instance of noncompliance with an employment services requirement shall result in a twenty-five per cent reduction of such benefits for three consecutive months. The second instance of noncompliance with such requirement shall result in a thirty-five per cent reduction of such benefits for three consecutive months. A third or subsequent instance of noncompliance with such requirement shall result in the termination of such benefits for three consecutive months. If only one member of a family is eligible for temporary family assistance and such member fails to comply with an employment services requirement, the department shall terminate all benefits of such family for three consecutive months. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the department shall terminate the benefits awarded to a family under the temporary family assistance program if a member of the family who is not exempt from the twenty-one-month time limit specified in subsection (a) of section 17b-112 fails, without good cause, to:

   1. (1) Attend any scheduled assessment appointment or interview relating to the establishment of an employment services plan, except that such individual's benefits shall be reinstated if the individual attends a subsequently scheduled appointment or interview within thirty days of the date on which the department has issued notification to the individual that benefits have been terminated, or (2) comply with an employment services requirement during a six-month extension of benefits. Any individual who fails to comply with the provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection may submit a new application for such benefits at any time after termination of benefits.
3. (c) The Department of Social Services shall not enter into or renew any contractual obligations for the employment services program that extend beyond June 30, 1998. Within fifteen days after execution of such contractual obligations, the Department of Social Services shall send to the Labor Department a copy of such contracts for the information of the Labor Department.
4. (d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement policies and procedures necessary to carry out the purposes of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in regulation form, provided notice is published in the Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days of implementation of such policies and procedures. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.

See Sec. 17b-112 re temporary family assistance program.

(June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 120, 165; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2, S. 14; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9, S. 129, 131; P.A. 04-258, S. 13; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 35.)

History: June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 effective July 1, 1997; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 designated existing provisions re employment services program administration and inclusion as Subsec. (a), adding references to Secs. 17b-688h and 17b-688i therein, added Subsec. (b) re reduction and termination of benefits, designated existing provisions re contractual obligations as Subsec. (c), and designated provisions re policies and procedures as Subsec. (d), making a technical change therein; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-9 revised effective date of June Sp. Sess. P.A. 01-2 but without affecting this section; P.A. 04-258 amended Subsec. (b) to require that a temporary family assistance applicant, not exempt from participation in the employment services program, must attend an initial scheduled employment services assessment interview and participate in the development of an employment services plan prior to such applicant being granted assistance, to provide that assistance is not to be denied in cases where Department of Social Services schedules the initial employment services assessment more than ten business days after the date of application or in cases where the Labor Department does not complete an employment services plan for the benefit of the applicant within ten business days of the date on which the applicant attends an employment services assessment interview, and to provide that Department of Social Services shall refer applicants denied temporary family assistance, who may be in need of emergency benefits, to other services offered by department or community services that may be available, effective July 1, 2004; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2 amended Subsec. (b) to substitute that Department of Social Services shall not “delay” temporary family assistance in place of “deny” such assistance in cases where employment services program requirements are not scheduled or completed within specified time periods, effective July 1, 2004.