DAR File No. 39439

Workforce Services, Employment Development

Rule R986-200

Family Employment Program

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 39439
Filed: 06/11/2015 03:05:35 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

The purpose of this amendment is to clarify procedure, meet an ongoing need, and comply with federal law.

Summary of the rule or change:

The Department has always allowed clients to verbally request a good cause determination. The current rule provides it must be written. The Department is eliminating that to reflect practice. Federal law requires the Department to recognize Native American specified relatives if the child is Native American even if there is no blood tie between the two. This change is to comply with this federal requirement. Additionally, the Department sees refugee children who are here with an adult but they are either not related or documentation to prove a blood relationship cannot be obtained. The Department will now recognize the adult as a specified relative.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Subsection 35A-1-104(4)
• Subsection 35A-3-302(5)(b)
• Section 35A-1-104

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

This applies to federally-funded programs so there are no costs or savings to the state budget.

local governments:

This applies to federally-funded programs so there are no costs or savings to local governments.

small businesses:

There will be no costs to small businesses to comply with these changes because this is a federally-funded program.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There will be no costs to persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local government entities to comply with these changes because there are no costs or fees associated with these proposed changes.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for this change to anyone, including persons affected by this change.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

There are no compliance costs associated with this change. There are no fees associated with this change. There will be no cost to anyone to comply with these changes. There will be no fiscal impact on any business.

Jon Pierpont, Executive Director

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Workforce Services
Employment Development
140 E 300 S
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111-2333

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Suzan Pixton at the above address, by phone at 801-526-9645, by FAX at 801-526-9211, or by Internet E-mail at spixton@utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/31/2015

This rule may become effective on:

08/07/2015

Authorized by:

Jon Pierpont, Executive Director

R986. Workforce Services, Employment Development.

R986-200. Family Employment Program.

R986-200-208. Good Cause for Not Cooperating With ORS.

(1) The Department is responsible for determining if the client has good cause or other exception for not cooperating with ORS.

(2) To establish good cause for not cooperating, the client must file a [written ]request for a good cause determination and provide proof of good cause within 20 days of the request.

(3) A client has the right to request a good cause determination at any time, even if ORS or court proceedings have begun.

(4) Good cause for not cooperating with ORS can be shown if one of following circumstances exists:

(a) The child, for whom support is sought, was conceived as a result of incest or rape. To prove good cause under this paragraph, the client must provide:

(i) birth certificates;

(ii) medical records;

(iii) Department records;

(iv) records from another state or federal agency;

(v) court records; or

(vi) law enforcement records.

(b) Legal proceedings for the adoption of the child are pending before a court. Proof is established if the client provides copies of documents filed in a court of competent jurisdiction.

(c) A public or licensed private social agency is helping the client resolve the issue of whether to keep or relinquish the child for adoption and the discussions between the agency and client have not gone on for more than three months. The client is required to provide written notice from the agency concerned.

(d) The client's cooperation in establishing paternity or securing support is reasonably expected to result in physical or emotional harm to the child or to the parent or specified relative. If harm to the parent or specified relative is claimed, it must be significant enough to reduce that individual's capacity to adequately care for the child.

(i) Physical or emotional harm is considered to exist when it results in, or is likely to result in, an impairment that has a substantial effect on the individual's ability to perform daily life activities.

(ii) The source of physical or emotional harm may be from individuals other than the noncustodial parent.

(iii) The client must provide proof that the individual is likely to inflict such harm or has done so in the past. Proof must be from an independent source such as:

(A) medical records or written statements from a mental health professional evidencing a history of abuse or current health concern. The record or statement must contain a diagnosis and prognosis where appropriate;

(B) court records;

(C) records from the Department or other state or federal agency; or

(D) law enforcement records.

(5) If a claim of good cause is denied because the client is unable to provide proof as required under Subsection (4) (a) or (d) the client can request a hearing and present other evidence of good cause at the hearing. If the ALJ finds that evidence credible and convincing, the ALJ can make a finding of good cause under Subsections (4) (a) or (d) based on the evidence presented by the client at the hearing. A finding of good cause by the ALJ can be based solely on the sworn testimony of the client.

(6) When the claim of good cause for not cooperating is based in whole or in part on anticipated physical or emotional harm, the Department must consider:

(a) the client's present emotional health and history;

(b) the intensity and probable duration of the resulting impairment;

(c) the degree of cooperation required; and

(d) the extent of involvement of the child in the action to be taken by ORS.

(7) The Department recognizes no other exceptions, apart from those recognized by ORS, to the requirement that a client cooperate in good faith with ORS in the establishment of paternity and establishment and enforcement of child support.

(8) If the client has exercised his or her right to an agency review or adjudicative proceeding under Utah Administrative Procedures Act on the question of non-cooperation as determined by ORS, the Department will not review, modify, or reverse the decision of ORS on the question of non-cooperation. If the client did not have an opportunity for a review with ORS, the Department will refer the request for review to ORS for determination.

(9) Once a request for a good cause determination has been made, all collection efforts by ORS will be suspended until the Department has made a decision on good cause.

(10) A client has the right to appeal a Department decision on good cause to an ALJ by following the procedures for appeal found in R986-100.

(11) If a parent requests a hearing on the basis of good cause for not cooperating, the resulting decision cannot change or modify the determination made by ORS on the question of good faith.

(12) Even if the client establishes good cause not to cooperate with ORS, if the Department supervisor determines that support enforcement can safely proceed without the client's cooperation, ORS may elect to do so. Before proceeding without the client's cooperation, ORS will give the client advance notice that it intends to commence enforcement proceedings and give the client an opportunity to object. The client must file his or her objections with ORS within 10 days.

(13) A determination that a client has good cause for non-cooperation may be reviewed and reversed by the Department upon a finding of new, or newly discovered evidence, or a change in circumstances.

 

R986-200-214. Assistance for Specified Relatives.

(1) Specified relatives include:

(a) grandparents;

(b) brothers and sisters;

(c) stepbrothers and stepsisters;

(d) aunts and uncles;

(e) first cousins;

(f) first cousins once removed;

(g) nephews and nieces;

(h) people of prior generations as designated by the prefix grand, great, great-great, or great- great-great;

(i) brothers and sisters by legal adoption;

(j) the spouse of any person listed above;

(k) the former spouse of any person listed above;

(l) individuals who can prove they met one of the above mentioned relationships via a blood relationship even though the legal relationship has been terminated;[ and]

(m) former stepparents[.]

(n) a Native American adult who has a Native American child placed in, or living in that adult's home, and both the child and the adult are members of, or eligible for membership in, a federally recognized tribe; and

(o) an adult of the same ethnicity, culture, country of origin, religion, language and/or nationality as the refugee/asylee child in his or her care.

(2) The specified relative must provide proof of relationship to the child. If the specified relative is unable to provide proof, but DCFS has determined that one of the relationships in subparagraph (1) of this section exists, the Department will accept the DCFS determination. DCFS will not be liable for any potential overpayment resulting from a determination made regarding relationship.

(3) The Department shall require compliance with Section 30-1-4.5

(4) A specified relative may apply for financial assistance for the child. If the child is otherwise eligible, [the ]FEP rules apply.[with the following exceptions:]

([a]5) The child must have a blood or a legal relationship to the specified relative even if the legal relationship has been terminated , or have a blood relationship to a dependent child who is in the home and who is included in the household for assistance purposes[;]. This does not apply to specified relatives who are eligible under subsection (1)(n) and (o) of this section;

([b]6) Both parents must be absent from the home where the child lives. This is true even for a parent who has had his or her parental rights terminated;

([c]7) The child must be currently living with, and not just visiting, the specified relative;

([d]8) The parents' obligation to financially support their child will be enforced and the specified relative must cooperate with child support enforcement; and

([e]9) If the parent(s) state they are willing to support the child if the child would return to live with the parent(s), the child is ineligible unless there is a court order removing the child from the parent(s)' home.

([5]10) If the specified relative is currently receiving FEP or FEPTP, the child must be included in that household assistance unit.

([6]11) The income and resources of the specified relative are not counted unless the specified relative requests inclusion in the household assistance unit.

([7]12) If the specified relative is not currently receiving FEP or FEPTP, and the specified relative does not want to be included in the financial assistance payment, the specified relative shall be paid, on behalf of the child, the full standard financial assistance payment for one person. The size of the financial assistance payment shall be increased accordingly for each additional eligible child in the household assistance unit excluding the dependent child(ren) of the specified relative. Since the specified relative is not included in the household assistance unit, the income and assets of the specified relative, or the relative's spouse, are not counted.

([8]13) The specified relative may request to be included in the household assistance unit. If the specified relative is included in the household assistance unit, the household must meet all FEP eligibility requirements including participation requirements and asset limits.

([9]14) Income eligibility for a specified relative who wants to be included in the household assistance unit is calculated according to R986-200-241.

 

KEY: family employment program

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [October 1, 2014]2015

Notice of Continuation: September 8, 2010

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: 35A-3-301 et seq.