PR 23-0498 — Close Relative Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Program Establishment Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2019

MENROLLED yORIGINAL o n Wh it,Sr CoucimemerBraneK Ndeu CunilmmbrTraonWht A PROPOSED RESOLUTION 23-221 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,COLUMBIA odelaeteeiseceofnemrgnc,dueocogesinaleve,wihrepctoOctober henedtoeuieteMaor8, oetbihapiotroramhrughhihaclse2019 rltveoacildmayeeiileorcevesbiypayentsorhearendTo hathresnoettemntoasusdyadtheaymntofnydeclare bsdyssbjctthe otheviaiiyorapopiton,touhoietheMayooisueuesoexistence iplmetprviinofthec,adtorqireheMayooisueaeortoof Cucileautigteprgam.an emergency, due to congressional review, with respect to the need to require the Mayor to establish a pilot program through which a close relative of a child may be eligible to receive subsidy payments for the care and custody of a child, to establish eligibility requirements for the subsidy, to provide that there is no entitlement to a subsidy and the payment of any subsidy is subject to the availability or appropriations, to authorize the Mayor to issue rules to implement provisions of the act, and to require the Mayor to issue a report to Council evaluating the program.

RESOLVED,BYRESOLVED, THECOUNCILOFTHEDISTRICTOFCOLUMBIAatTBY hsrsluinmaybeiedasheClseRltieCaeivrSusiyPiotroramTHE stbismetCngesinalRviwEmergencecaatonesluinof219.COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Close Relative Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Program Establishment Congressional Review Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2019”.

Sc..()TheradpretCaegvrsPrgrmwasfststbisedn206to epprviesaiiytogrnfaiie”,amlesnwhchgrnpaetsaetaigcre ftergankds,ihfiacalspot.

b)Tstmoyprvieddrigtepefomaceoesihtpoeeinsfrthe hldandamlySrvcsAgency(“CFSAeontrtedhtabraerppuaionf inargveseitsnteDitit.Onetdyfom217fondtat,00Dsrct hlrenndr18yarsfaewereiingnhushodsldbyeltveaegvrsht werotgadarns, S t o ) ()Furthermore,witnesiidthtmanyoftesecoseeltvecaregivers require immediate financial assistanceto ensure thatyouth are afforded stabilityand are notremovedfromahomewithaclosekieltonhp.

()TheFiclYear2020LocalBudgetAf2019,approvedonsecoadng, inldesfundinorheestablishmfa lserlaiecaregiversubsiotprogram (plotprogram”),whichbecaiabeonOctober,2010,thrtdayofisal Year 2020.

()Emergencygsltonisecssaytopevetagapintelawaste:

1)Thepevoulyapproved“CloeltieCaregiverSubsilot Program Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of2019,” effective June 25, 2019, is set to expire on October 14, 2019;

2)Thecorrespondingpermagiltin,B22-203he“Close RelativeCaregiversSubsidiesAmendf2019”scuretyunderMayoral Reviewwithnoprojectedobecomelaw;and 3)Thecorepodingtemporargslto,B22-358,“Closlaive Caregiver Subsidy PilotProgram Establishment Temporary Amendment Actof 2019”, is crrntyunderCongressionalReviesprojectobecomelawNovembe,7 2019.

f)TheemergenceisaionilenableCFSAocontinueplannorte administrofthepltprogram,includiinofone l timeuialnt.

The2. Councilofthe DistrictofColumbia determines thatthe circumstances enmertedinecion2cntiuteeergncycicumtacesmakingtecssrytatte C oeReatveargierSbidyiotPogamEsabihmntCngesinalReview .

EmergencyAmendmectof019eadptdateraigeredn.(a) The Grandparent Caregivers Program was first established in 2006 to help provide stability to families in which grandparents are taking care of their grandchildren with financial support.

(b) Testimony provided during the performance oversight proceedings for the Child and Family Services Agency (“CFSA”) demonstrated that a broader population of kin caregivers exists in the District.

One study from 2017 found that 9,000 District children under 18 years of age were living in households led by relative caregivers that were not grandparents.

(c) Witnesses testified that many of these close relative caregivers require immediate financial assistance to ensure that youth are afforded stability and are not removed from a home with a close kinship relationship.

(d) The Fiscal Year 2020 Local Budget Act of 2019, effective August 31, 2019 (D.C.

Law 23-11;

66 DCR 8242), includes funding for the establishment of a close relative caregiver subsidy pilot program (“pilot program”), which became available on October 1, 2019, the first day of Fiscal Year 2020.

(e) Emergency legislation is necessary to prevent a gap in the law as the:

(1) The Close Relative Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Program Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2019, effective July 16, 2019 (D.C.

Act 23-84;

66 DCR 8274), will expire on October 14, 2019 (“emergency legislation”).

ENROLLED ORIGINAL (2) The corresponding permanent legislation, the Close Relative Caregivers Subsidies Amendment Act of 2019, enacted on October 7, 2019 (D.C.

Act 23-121;

66 DCR ___), must complete the 30-day congressional review period and has no projected date to become law.

(3) The corresponding temporary legislation, Close Relative Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Program Establishment Temporary Amendment Act of 2019, enacted on September 4, 2019 (D.C.

Act 23-113;

66 DCR 12081), is currently under congressional review and is projected to become law November 7, 2019 (“temporary legislation”).

(f) To enable CFSA to continue planning for the administration of the pilot program, including the hiring of one full time equivalent, it is important that the provisions of the emergency legislation continue in effect, without interruption, until the temporary legislation has become law.

This3. resolution shalltakeeffect immediately.

The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Close Relative Caregiver Subsidy Pilot Program Establishment Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2019 be adopted after a single reading.

Sec.

4.

This resolution shall take effect immediately.