S257 - Appropriations Act of 2017. (SL 2017-57)

Overview: Sec. 11C.13 of S.L. 2017-57 outlines the criteria for the payment of temporary financial assistance on behalf of a resident and recipient of State-County Special Assistance in the form of a monthly payment to facilities licensed to accept State-County Special Assistance payments. Counties must pay 50% of the cost of providing the monthly payment. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Social Services (DSS), must make the payments to facilities in accordance with the following requirements:

• The monthly payment is $34.00 per month per resident who is a State-County Special Assistance recipient.
• The payments must only be used to offset the cost of serving the residents who are recipients of State-County Special Assistance.
• The DSS must make the payments only from July 1, 2017 until June 30, 2019, and only to the extent that sufficient State and county funds allocated for this purpose are available.
• The DSS must not make payments under this section on behalf of a resident whose eligibility determination for State-County Special Assistance is pending.
• The DSS must terminate all monthly payments under this section on the earlier of June 30, 2019, or upon depletion of the funds allocated and is not required to provide temporary assistance beyond this period.

This section does not obligate the General Assembly to appropriate funds for the purpose of this section, and is not an entitlement to provide funds for this purpose to a facility, resident of a facility, or other individual.

This section became effective July 1, 2017, and expires June 30, 2019.