4141.162 Establishing income and eligibility verification system. - Ohio Statutes

4141.162 Establishing income and eligibility verification system.

(A) The director of job and family services shall establish an income and eligibility verification system that complies with section 1137 of the “Social Security Act.” The programs included in the system are all of the following:

(1) Unemployment compensation pursuant to section 3304 of the “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”;

(2) The state programs funded in part under part A of Title IV of the “Social Security Act” and administered under Chapters 5107. and 5108. of the Revised Code;

(3) Medicaid pursuant to Title XIX of the “Social Security Act”;

(4) The supplemental nutrition assistance program pursuant to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.;

(5) Any Ohio program under a plan approved under Title I, X, XIV, or XVI of the “Social Security Act.”

Wage information provided by employers to the director shall be furnished to the income and eligibility verification system. Such information shall be used by the director to determine eligibility of individuals for unemployment compensation benefits and the amount of those benefits and used by the agencies that administer the programs identified in divisions (A)(2) to (5) of this section to determine or verify eligibility for or the amount of benefits under those programs.

The director shall fully implement the use of wage information to determine eligibility for and the amount of unemployment compensation benefits by September 30, 1988.

Information furnished under the system shall also be made available to the appropriate state or local child support enforcement agency for the purposes of an approved plan under Title IV-D of the “Social Security Act” and to the appropriate federal agency for the purposes of Titles II and XVI of the “Social Security Act.”

(B) The director shall adopt rules as necessary under which the department of job and family services and other state agencies that the director determines must participate in order to ensure compliance with section 1137 of the “Social Security Act” exchange information with each other or authorized federal agencies about individuals who are applicants for or recipients of benefits under any of the programs enumerated in division (A) of this section. The rules shall extend to all of the following:

(1) A requirement for standardized formats and procedures for a participating agency to request and receive information about an individual, which information shall include the individual’s social security number;

(2) A requirement that all applicants for and recipients of benefits under any program enumerated in division (A) of this section be notified at the time of application, and periodically thereafter, that information available through the system may be shared with agencies that administer other benefit programs and utilized in establishing or verifying eligibility or benefit amounts under the other programs enumerated in division (A) of this section;

(3) A requirement that information is made available only to the extent necessary to assist in the valid administrative needs of the program receiving the information and is targeted for use in ways which are most likely to be productive in identifying and preventing ineligibility and incorrect payments;

(4) A requirement that information is adequately protected against unauthorized disclosures for purposes other than to establish or verify eligibility or benefit amounts under the programs enumerated in division (A) of this section;

(5) A requirement that a program providing information is reimbursed by the program using the information for the actual costs of furnishing the information and that the director be reimbursed by the participating programs for any actual costs incurred in operating the system;

(6) Requirements for any other matters necessary to ensure the effective, efficient, and timely exchange of necessary information or that the director determines must be addressed in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of section 1137 of the “Social Security Act.”

(C) Each participating agency shall furnish to the income and eligibility verification system established in division (A) of this section that information, which the director, by rule, determines is necessary in order to comply with section 1137 of the “Social Security Act.”

(D) Notwithstanding the information disclosure requirements of this section and section 4141.21 and division (A) of section 4141.284 of the Revised Code, the director shall administer those provisions of law so as to comply with section 1137 of the “Social Security Act.”

(E) Requirements in section 4141.21 of the Revised Code with respect to confidentiality of information obtained in the administration of Chapter 4141. of the Revised Code and any sanctions imposed for improper disclosure of such information shall apply to the redisclosure of information disclosed under this section.

Amended by 128th General Assembly File No. 9, HB 1, § 101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 10-31-2001