Bill Summary for H 392 (2013-2014)

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Summary date: 

Mar 21 2013

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
House Bill 392 (Public) Filed Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT REQUIRING A COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (DSS) TO VERIFY WHETHER AN APPLICANT FOR OR RECIPIENT OF TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) BENEFITS OR FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES (FNS) BENEFITS IS A FLEEING FELON OR A PROBATION OR PAROLE VIOLATOR, TO DIRECT INTERAGENCY COOPERATION AND INFORMATION SHARING IN ORDER TO VERIFY THE ELIGIBILITY STATUS OF AN APPLICANT OR RECIPIENT, TO DENY TANF OR FNS BENEFITS TO AN APPLICANT OR RECIPIENT WHO IS A FLEEING FELON OR A PROBATION OR PAROLE VIOLATOR, AND TO REQUIRE DRUG SCREENING AND TESTING FOR CERTAIN APPLICANTS AND RECIPIENTS OF WORK FIRST PROGRAM ASSISTANCE.
Intro. by Arp.

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Bill summary

Amends GS Chapter 108A, creating a new section, GS 108A-26.1 (Information sharing of outstanding arrest warrant of applicant for or recipient of program assistance), providing that a county department of social services will notify applicants for program assistance, under Part 2 or Part 5 of this Article, that confidential information from the applicant's record may be released if a felony or misdemeanor arrest warrant is issued against the applicant. County departments of social services will notify all recipients under programs of assistance at the time of renewal that the applicant's confidential information may not be protected in the instances described above.

As far as allowed by law, a county department of social services will conduct a criminal history check of an applicant or recipient of program assistance under Part 2 or Part 5 of this Article.  If the record check reveals that a warrant has been issued for the commission of a felony or a misdemeanor, the department of social services must, within 24 hours or by the end of the next business day, notify local law enforcement. The information that can be released is limited to name, address, telephone number, Social Security number, birth date, and physical description; all other information will be kept confidential.

The Social Services Commission (Commission) will adopt rules regarding the sharing of information between county departments of social services and local law enforcement agencies, the accuracy of information shared, and other rules the Commission deems necessary.

Each county's department of social services is authorized to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the head of any law enforcement agency as defined in GS 90-95.2, in order to perform the functions described in this section.

Amends GS Chapter 108A by creating a new section, GS 108A-26.2 (Individual subject to felony charge; eligibility for program assistance; federal approval; review by department), providing that departments of social services will not grant public assistance under Part 2 or 5 of Article 2 of GS 108A if they receive information that the applicant or recipient is subject to arrest on an outstanding warrant arising from violating parole or probation or from a felony charge. However, this does not affect the eligibility for assistance of other members of the applicant or recipient's household. An applicant or recipient will be eligible to receive program assistance if all other criteria of the law are met when he or she is no longer subject to arrest under an outstanding warrant.

Amends GS Chapter 114 by creating a new section, GS 114-19.33 (Criminal record checks of applicants for or recipients of program assistance), providing that the Department of Justice can provide to a county department of social services, from the State and National Repositories of Criminal Histories, the criminal history of any person who applies for program assistance under Part 2 or 5 of Article 2 of GS Chapter 108A. The county department will provide to the Department of Justice, along with a request, a form signed by the applicant or recipient acknowledging receipt of notification required by GS 108Aa-26.1(a), any identifying information required by the State and National Repositories, and any other information needed by the Department of Justice. Except as provided by GS 108A-26.1, the department of social services will keep all information obtained pursuant to this section confidential.