H. B. 3146


(By Delegate Webster)
[Introduced February 21, 2003; referred to the
Committee on Finance.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-one, article nine, chapter nine of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to requiring the state department of health and human resources to adopt and implement individual development accounts using the temporary assistance for needy families fund.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-one, article nine, chapter nine of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 9. WEST VIRGINIA WORKS PROGRAM.
§9-9-21. Temporary assistance for needy families rainy day fund.
There is hereby established in the state treasury a special fund designated as the "temporary assistance for needy families rainy day fund" into which the secretary shall cause to be initially deposited the amount of thirty-six million dollars in federal block grant moneys. The purpose of this fund is to serve as a safety net for the program established in this article and it shall be used for continued support of the program in the event of reduced federal funding, economic downturn, natural disaster or other event which depletes the program's funds or makes them otherwise unavailable, if determined by the secretary to be necessary and appropriate under the circumstances.
This fund shall also serve as an aid to help families build up assets through individual development accounts authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996. The secretary shall approve and develop a plan for individual development programs by the first day of July, two thousand three. The secretary shall propose any rules, including emergency rules, necessary for the implementation of this amendment to this section relating to individual development accounts.


NOTE: The purpose of this section is to require the State Department of Health and Human Resources to adopt and implement individual development accounts using the temporary assistance for needy families fund, as authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.