HUMAN SERVICES -- THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM, the official text

H7394 2026 -- H 7394 ======== LC004309 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM Introduced By: Representatives Place, Santucci, Fascia, and Hopkins Date Introduced: January 28, 2026 Referred To: House Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 40-5.2-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-5.2 entitled The Rhode 2 Island Works Program is hereby amended to read as follows: 3 40-5.2-11. Cash assistance. 4 (a) A family or assistance unit found by the department to meet the eligibility criteria set 5 forth in this chapter shall be eligible to receive cash assistance as of the date a signed, written 6 application, signed under a penalty of perjury, is received by the department. 7 (b) The family members or assistance unit shall be eligible for cash assistance for so long 8 as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria outlined in accordance with this chapter. Parents and 9 adult non-parent caretaker relatives receiving cash assistance shall be eligible so long as they meet 10 the terms and conditions of the work requirements of § 40-5.2-12. An adult caretaker relative shall 11 be eligible for assistance as a member of the assistance unit so long as he or she meets all the 12 eligibility requirements of this chapter. 13 (c) The monthly amount of cash assistance shall be equal to the payment standard for the 14 family minus the countable income of the family in that month. The department is authorized to 15 reduce the amount of assistance in the month of application to reflect the number of the days 16 between the first day of the month and the effective date of the application. 17 (d) A decision on the application for assistance shall be made or rejected by the department 18 no later than thirty (30) days following the date submitted and shall be effective as of the date of 19 application. 1 (e) The payment standard is equal to the sum of the following: five hundred ten dollars 2 ($510) (four hundred forty-five dollars ($445) for a family residing in subsidized housing) for the 3 first person; one hundred ninety-one dollars ($191) for the second person; one hundred sixty-four 4 dollars ($164) for the third person; and one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) for each additional 5 person. 6 (f) A family or assistance unit eligible for cash assistance pursuant to the provisions of this 7 section shall if otherwise qualified, be enrolled for assistance in the supplemental nutrition 8 assistance program (SNAP) pursuant to the provisions of chapter 6 of title 40. 9 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC004309 ======== LC004309 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM *** 1 This act would provide that a family eligible for cash assistance pursuant to § 40-5.2-11, 2 shall if qualified, be provided SNAP benefits. 3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC004309 ======== LC004309 - Page 3 of 3