Sec. 17b-105a. Food stamp program. Authority of commissioner to seek waiver and implement federal options. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 17b-105a. Food stamp program. Authority of commissioner to seek waiver and implement federal options. (a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall seek a waiver from federal law to allow persons who live in an area in which (1) the unemployment rate is greater than ten per cent, or (2) there is an insufficient number of jobs to provide such persons with employment, to be exempt from the three-month participation limit of the food stamp program implemented pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of 1977.

      (b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement vehicle evaluation provisions in accordance with 7 CFR 273.8(f)(4).

      (c) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to 7 USC 2014(e)(6), shall implement the federal option to mandate the use of a standard utility allowance, to be used in place of actual utility costs, for purposes of calculating the excess shelter deduction of applicants for, or recipients of, food stamp program benefits. Pursuant to 7 USC 2014(e)(6)(C)(iii)(III), the commissioner shall not prorate a standard utility allowance based upon the fact that an assisted household shares the utility with an individual who is not a member of the assisted household.

      (P.A. 97-194, S. 1, 2; P.A. 02-37, S. 1; P.A. 03-36, S. 1; P.A. 05-141, S. 2; P.A. 07-63, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 97-194 effective June 26, 1997; P.A. 02-37 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and made a technical change therein and added Subsec. (b) requiring commissioner to implement federal option allowing applicants and recipients of food stamps to retain a car valued up to the limit established under the temporary family assistance program, effective July 1, 2002; P.A. 03-36 added new Subsec. (c) re implementation of standard utility allowance by commissioner; P.A. 05-141 amended Subsec. (c) to replace "7 CFR 273.9" with "7 USC 2014(e)(6)" and to prohibit commissioner from prorating standard utility allowance when assisted household shares utility with an individual who is not a member of the assisted household, effective June 24, 2005; P.A. 07-63 amended Subsec. (b) by substituting "vehicle evaluation provisions in accordance with 7 CFR 273.8(f)(4)" for former provision that permitted commissioner to implement federal option to allow food stamp applicants or recipients to retain a car valued up to limit established under temporary family assistance program, effective July 1, 2007.

      See Sec. 17b-112 re temporary family assistance program.