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HB 5992

AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- THE RHODE ISLAND WORKS PROGRAM

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Karen Alzate and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island Works will require an Individual Employment Plan as the entry condition for benefits, tying eligibility to intensive assessment and job planning.

05/22/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 5992

Summary — HB 5992 (LC002071) — "The Rhode Island Works Program" (2025)

Status
- Introduced in House (RI) Feb 28, 2025; referred to House Finance.
- Scheduled for hearing/consideration May 22, 2025.
- 05/22/2025: Committee recommended the measure be held for further study.

Purpose
- To amend the Rhode Island Works statute (R.I. Gen. Laws chapter 40-5.2) to clarify and update eligibility requirements, work‑participation planning, and resource limits for cash assistance recipients.

Key provisions (text excerpts shown in bill)
1. Citizenship / alienage
- Restates federal PRWORA (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act) standards (citing §402(b) of PRWORA and effective reference to Oct 1, 2008).
- Affirms lawful permanent residents are not subject to waiting periods for benefits for which they are otherwise eligible.

  1. Exemption from federal drug-felony bar

    • Explicitly provides that all individuals domiciled in Rhode Island are exempt from application of subdivision 115(d)(1)(A) of PRWORA (the federal provision that can make persons convicted of certain drug‑related felonies ineligible for some federal/state assistance). In short: the state will not apply that federal drug‑felony disqualification to Rhode Island domiciliaries.

  2. Individual employment plan (IEP) as condition of eligibility

    • Strengthens and clarifies that applicants must undergo an assessment and, in consultation with DHS and the Department of Labor and Training (DLT), sign an Individual Employment Plan that becomes the entry condition for participation.
    • Assessments consider physical capacity, skills, education, work experience, health, family responsibilities, childcare/support needs, and residence.
    • Requires immediate participation in "intensive assessment and employment services" (defined by reference to § 40‑5.2‑12(g) and (i)) unless temporarily exempt.
    • DLT and DHS will jointly develop/ revise IEPs identifying immediate employment and longer‑term career strategies.
    • Case managers may be assigned; DHS may require attendance at orientation, assessment, job readiness, and job search appointments as a condition of eligibility.
    • Teen parents under age 20 without a high school diploma or GED must be referred to specialized teen‑parent programs providing intensive services to complete education while participating in approved work plan activities.

  3. Work compliance and sanctions

    • Applicants/participants must comply with IEP terms and program attendance requirements; quitting or refusing work without "good cause" can trigger sanctions consistent with department rules.

  4. Resource limits

    • The bill sets countable resource criteria: a family’s available resources must be below the department’s allowable limit, and combined available resources exceeding $5,000 make a family ineligible for assistance.
    • The bill begins a list of resource exclusions (e.g., primary residence) but the provided excerpt is truncated.

Sections amended
- The act amends R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 40‑5.2‑10, 40‑5.2‑11, and 40‑5.2‑35. Full changes to §§ 40‑5.2‑11 and 40‑5.2‑35 are not included in the excerpt provided; readers should consult the full bill text for those revisions.

Who is affected
- Current and prospective Rhode Island Works (cash assistance/TANF) applicants and participants — particularly those with prior drug‑felony convictions, teen parents under age 20, and recipients subject to work‑participation requirements.
- DHS and DLT (administration, case management, and service delivery).
- Potential fiscal effects on state/local budgets tied to program caseload and services, though no fiscal numbers are included in the bill text provided.

Notes & next steps
- The excerpt contains the substantive language for § 40‑5.2‑10; other amended sections are not fully shown here. For implementation details, regulatory changes, or fiscal impacts, consult the complete bill text, legislative fiscal notes, and DHS rulemaking once available.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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