REPORT TITLE:
Unclaimed Assistance Benefits


DESCRIPTION:
Allows for the reversion to the State of unclaimed benefits in a
electronic benefit transfer account upon the death of a client.
(SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1055
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           S.D.1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO UNCLAIMED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BENEFITS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to broaden the scope
 
 2 of the financial assistance benefits affected by section
 
 3 346-39.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, and to delete the language
 
 4 pertaining to the closure of the financial assistance case.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  Section 346-39.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended to read as follows:
 
 7      "[[]�346-39.5[]]  Unclaimed financial assistance balances in
 
 8 electronic [benefits] benefit transfer accounts.  If there is a
 
 9 balance of financial assistance benefits in an electronic
 
10 [benefits] benefit transfer account, that balance shall revert
 
11 back to the State upon the death of [the] a client who has no
 
12 surviving family member receiving assistance in the same
 
13 financial assistance case or upon abandonment of the financial
 
14 assistance account.
 
15      For purposes of this section, financial assistance benefits
 
16 refer to[:
 
17      (1)  Temporary assistance to families with minor dependents;
 
18      (2)  General assistance to households without minor
 
19           dependents; or
 

 
Page 2                                                     1055
                                     S.B. NO.           S.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (3)  Aid to the aged, blind, and disabled program.]
 
 2 cash payments authorized by the department to be issued through
 
 3 the electronic benefit transfer system.  A financial assistance
 
 4 account shall be considered abandoned when there is no debit
 
 5 transaction to the account for a period of ninety consecutive
 
 6 calendar days [after the effective date of closure of the
 
 7 financial assistance case]."
 
 8      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 9 New statutory material is underscored.
 
10      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.