SENATE DOCKET, NO. 124 FILED ON: 1/8/2009
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 82
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
PRESENTED BY:
Susan C.
Tucker
_______________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:
An Act protecting and improving the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Chil
dren (EAEDC) program.
_______________
PETITION OF:
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Name:
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District/Address:
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Susan C.
Tucker
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Second Essex and Middlesex
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Martha M. Walz
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8th Suffolk
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Patricia D. Jehlen
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Second Middlesex
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James B. Eldridge
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Middlesex and Worcester
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Allen J. McCarthy
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7th Plymouth
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Susan C. Fargo
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Third Middlesex
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Kay Khan
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11th Middlesex
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Steven A. Tolman
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Second Suffolk and Middlesex
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Susan C. Fargo
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Third Middlesex
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Barbara A. L'Italien
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18th Essex
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Mark C. Montigny
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Second Bristol and Plymouth
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Linda Dean Campbell
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15th Essex
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The
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand and Nine
_______________
An Act protecting and improving the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1: Section 1 of chapter 117A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following wor
ds:-
A person who is eligible for assistance under the provisions of this chapter, and who is maintaining his or her own home, shall receive monthly benefits no less than the payment standard in effect in fiscal year 2009. The Department is further author
ized and directed, subject to appropriation, to increase said payment standard through an annual cost of living adjustment until said payment standard is equal to
the same amount of benefits otherwise provided to an assistance unit of
the same size eligible under chapter one hundred and eighteen of the general laws.
SECTION 2: Said chapter 117A
, as so appearing,
is
hereby
further amended by inserting after section 10 the following section:-
Section 11:
Representation to secure fe
deral disability benefits
To maximize the receipt of federal benefits and to maximize reimbursement of interim assistance paid by the Commonwealth under this chapter, the Department shall implement a program to provide legal advice and representation to d
isabled recipients in order for said recipients to secure Supplemental Security Income benefits administered by the Social Security Administration.
SECTION 3: Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, in determining eligibility for the
program of emergency aid to elders, disabled and children under chapter 117A of the General Laws, the department of transitional assistance shall provide benefits to persons under age 21 who are regularly attending a full time grade school, high school, te
chnical or vocational school not beyond the secondary level, and who the department determines are homeless or in immigrant risk of becoming homeless or are otherwise considered unaccompanied youth as defined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education in accordance with federal law. Such students must meet other generally applicable eligibility requirements for the program and the income of assets of any legally liable persons who live with said student shall be considered in determining the f
inancial eligibility for benefits under this chapter.
