Bill
SB 2828
RI Works expands eligibility (LPRs no waiting period) and boosts benefits to at least 100% of the federal poverty level, with updated rules on income, housing, and child support pa
Date Introduced: March 4, 2026
Sponsor: Sen. Murray (with multiple co-sponsors)
Referred to: Senate Finance
Effective Date: July 1, 2026
Purpose
- To amend Rhode Island’s RI Works Program (cash assistance) to expand eligibility and increase benefit levels.
- Key changes include: allowing lawful permanent residents to receive benefits without a waiting period, raising the monthly cash assistance to 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) for eligible households, tying future payments to the federal poverty guidelines, removing a housing-related benefit reduction for subsidized housing households, and enhancing the child support pass-through to families.
Main Provisions and Changes
1) Eligibility and Residency
- Keeps Rhode Island residency requirements intact.
- Grants eligibility for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) without the prior waiting period for benefits, aligning RI Works with a more inclusive approach for permanent residents.
2) Individual Employment Plan and Intensive Employment Services
- Requires an individualized employment plan (IEP) developed by DHS (in coordination with the Department of Labor and Training) for families/participants.
- Plans must include strategies for immediate employment and long-term career objectives, with intensive employment services as the core component.
- A case manager may be assigned to applicants/participants.
- Requires immediate participation in intensive assessment and employment services, with special provisions for teen parents (under 20 without a HS diploma or GED) to be referred to specialized teen-parent programs.
3) Participation and Compliance
- Applicants/participants must comply with the IEP and work requirements.
- Attendance at appointments (initial interview, orientation, assessments, job readiness, job search) is a condition of eligibility.
- Quitting or refusing a job requires good cause; otherwise, sanctions apply per program rules.
4) Resources and Income Rules
- Resource limit: countable resources must be under $5,000 (with several excluded resources listed, such as the home occupied by the family, certain real property, one vehicle per adult (up to two per household) and other exemptions).
- Specific exclusions apply to real property, certain income-producing property, household goods, burial plots, tax credits, SNAP, SSI, VA disability benefits, etc.
5) Income Calculation and Exclusions
- General income included in eligibility/benefit calculations with several exclusions (e.g., first $525 of gross earnings plus 50% of earnings over $525; child support pass-through exclusions; income of SSI recipients; food stamps; certain education grants; etc.).
- Earned income of an adult who begins employment while in RI Works may be excluded for the first 6 months or until 185% of the federal poverty level is exceeded, whichever comes first; subject to a 60-month lifetime limit on benefits.
6) Time Limits and Hardship Extensions
- Lifetime cash assistance limit: generally 60 months (6 years) per adult, with certain conditions bypassing the limit for specific circumstances; expansions and exceptions for hardship may apply.
- The department may extend benefits beyond the time limit for hardship, up to 20% of the average monthly caseload, with ongoing employment plan requirements during extensions.
- Notification requirements begin six months before approaching the limit.
7) Minor Parents and Under-18s
- Specific provisions for families with a minor parent (under 18) to reside with an adult caregiver, with steps to ensure health, safety, and educational progress (e.g., teen parenting program, supervised living arrangements).
8) Assignment of Support Rights and Cooperation
- Adult participants must assign child support rights and cooperate with paternity establishment and medical support orders.
- Failure to cooperate can result in a 25% reduction in cash assistance, unless good cause is shown.
- Duty to cooperate with third-party repayment of care costs under Title XIX (Medicaid) is also required.
9) Cash Assistance and Pass-Through
- Cash assistance is issued once a signed, penalty-perjury application is received; eligibility lasts as long as criteria are met.
- Payment standards (monthly cash) are set to:
- Through June 30, 2026: $510 for the first person ($445 if residing in subsidized housing), $191 for the second person, $164 for the third, $125 for each additional.
- Beginning July 1, 2026: payment standards must be no less than 100% of the federal poverty guideline for the household size, with annual updates thereafter.
- For households in subsidized housing, the July 1, 2026 change eliminates a $65 reduction (i.e., higher net benefits for those in subsidized housing).
10) Child Support Pass-Through
- Monthly pass-through: the first $50 (one child) or $100 (two or more children) of collected child support (or the actual amount if less) is paid to the RI Works family within two business days of determination or month-end, respectively.
- If multiple noncustodial parents contribute to the same family, only one pass-through payment is sent.
Section 2
- Effective date: July 1, 2026.
Impact and Stakeholders
Notes
- Financial and programmatic changes align RI Works with contemporary poverty guidelines, expanding eligibility and boosting benefits while preserving work requirements and time-limit structures, subject to hardship exceptions and annual poverty-level updates. The act takes effect July 1, 2026.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
