§ 20-76-105 - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Board. - Arkansas Statutes

20-76-105. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Board.

(a) The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Board is created.

(b) The board shall be composed of the following members:

(1) The Director of the Department of Workforce Services;

(2) The Director of the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board;

(3) The Director of the Division of County Operations of the Department of Human Services;

(4) (A) Four (4) members appointed by the Governor.

(B) One (1) member appointed under subdivision (b)(4)(A) of this section shall be a current or former recipient of transitional employment assistance or Aid to Families with Dependent Children;

(5) One (1) member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and

(6) One (1) member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

(c) (1) The board is designed to be an agent of change and challenge to the existing federal, state, and local agency service delivery mechanisms for programs serving low-income parents.

(2) The challenge shall be to ensure that persons in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program are getting the assistance, the information, and the services needed to help these low-income persons become self-sufficient.

(3) The chair and the appointed members of the board shall be selected on the basis of their:

(A) Experience and knowledge in administering and overseeing public assistance and work programs; and

(B) Understanding and commitment to active oversight of these programs.

(d) The appointed members of the board shall serve four-year terms.

(e) The Governor shall appoint the Chair of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Oversight Board from among the appointed members.

(f) Five (5) members including at least three (3) appointed members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

(g) The board shall meet as often as necessary to complete its statutory responsibilities, but no less than one (1) time every three (3) months.

(h) The Governor may remove an appointed member for cause.

(i) Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the unexpired portion of the term.

(j) (1) The Director of the Department of Workforce Services shall designate a senior manager of the Department of Workforce Services as staff director for the board.

(2) Additional staff support to the board shall be provided by the Department of Workforce Services and the Department of Human Services.

(k) The responsibilities of the board include:

(1) (A) Developing a vision and blueprint for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program to:

(i) Provide effective services to the Transitional Employment Assistance Program and Arkansas Work Pays Program clients;

(ii) Improve performance on the Transitional Employment Assistance Program client outcomes; and

(iii) Integrate Transitional Employment Assistance Program services, Arkansas Work Pays Program services, and services offered in local workforce offices.

(B) The board shall submit its recommended vision and blueprint to the Governor and the House Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor and the Senate Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor no later than December 31, 2007;

(2) Reviewing and developing recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Department of Workforce Services, and other state agencies on the following topics:

(A) Budget planning and the use of state and federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program funds;

(B) Measurement and performance on the Transitional Employment Assistance Program outcomes;

(C) Performance management of the operation of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program;

(D) Administrative operations, including without limitation:

(i) Dividing responsibilities among participating agencies;

(ii) Information systems; and

(iii) The integration of Transitional Employment Assistance and workforce systems;

(E) Rules developed by the Department of Workforce Services and other state agencies dealing with the Transitional Employment Assistance Program, the Arkansas Work Pays Program, the Career Pathways Initiative, the Community Investment Initiative, and other initiatives within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program;

(F) Policy and administration of the Transitional Employment Assistance Program, the Arkansas Work Pays Program, the Career Pathways Initiative, the Community Investment Initiative, and other initiatives within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program; and

(G) Additional initiatives that may be included within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program or funded with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program funds;

(3) Determining the scope of work and timeline for the independent evaluation of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program;

(4) Making reports to the Governor and to the House Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor and the Senate Interim Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor on the operations of the Transitional Employment Assistance Program, the Arkansas Work Pays Program, the Career Pathways Initiative, the Community Investment Initiative, and other Temporary Assistance for Needy Families initiatives; and

(5) Other responsibilities determined by a majority of the board.