House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

NEW!

Subscribe to receive notifications of new Co-Sponsorship Memos circulated

By Member | By Date | Keyword Search

House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	December 16, 2022 09:14 AM
From:	Representative Seth M. Grove
To:	All House members
Subject:	Update to Section 403.1 of the Human Services Code

In 2011, the General Assembly approved Section 403.1 of the Human Services Code to provide the Secretary of the Department of Human Services broad powers to maintain the budget of the Department within their approved appropriations. In the near future I will be introducing legislation to update this section to remove the application to the 2011-2012 fiscal year.  Further, the legislation will provide the Secretary three more options: Access data from any other state agency to verify residency and eligibility of applicants prior to approval. Utilize data analytics, including artificial intelligence, for eligibility verification and the detection of fraud. Prioritize all job training programs with the Department of Labor and Industry, Department of Education, and Workforce Development Boards to increase employment and self-reliance for:  Medical Assistance consumers. Residents making minimum wage who are not enrolled in a secondary or higher education institution. These simple updates will provide the department the tools needed to assist in providing and protecting our crucial safety net while ensuring the Department can operate within its approved budget.    Further, it rebalances our job training programs, of which we spend $1 billion, to focus on medical assistance consumers and those making minimum wage.  We need to set criteria to focus our efforts on our job training programs to help our most vulnerable population.   Combined, these simple updates will provide fiscally responsible support base and prioritizes our job training programs for the neediest.  I hope you will join me in cosponsoring this commonsense legislation.

---