Chapter 5108 | Prevention, Retention, And Contingency Program

Section 5108.01 | Prevention, retention, and contingency program definitions.

• Effective: September 29, 2017
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly

As used in this chapter:

(A) "County family services planning committee" means the county family services planning committee established under section 329.06 of the Revised Code.

(B) "Prevention, retention, and contingency program" means the program established by this chapter and funded in part with federal funds provided under Title IV-A.

(C) "Title IV-A" means Title IV-A of the "Social Security Act," 49 Stat. 620 (1935), 42 U.S.C. 301, as amended.

Section 5108.02 | Prevention, retention, and contingency program.

• Effective: July 1, 2000
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 471 - 123rd General Assembly

There is hereby established the prevention, retention, and contingency program. The department of job and family services shall administer the program, as long as federal funds are provided for the program, in accordance with Title IV-A, federal regulations, state law, the state Title IV-A plan submitted to the United States secretary of health and human services under section 5101.80 of the Revised Code, and amendments to the plan.

Section 5108.03 | Model design for assistance or services to promote self sufficiency and personal responsibility.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

Under the prevention, retention, and contingency program, each county department of job and family services shall do both of the following in accordance with the statement of policies the county department develops under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code:

(A) Provide benefits and services that individuals need to overcome immediate barriers to achieving or maintaining self sufficiency and personal responsibility;

(B) Perform related administrative duties.

Section 5108.04 | Statement of policies governing the prevention, retention, and contingency program.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

Each county department of job and family services shall adopt a written statement of policies governing the prevention, retention, and contingency program for the county. The statement of policies shall be adopted not later than October 1, 2003, and shall be updated at least every two years thereafter. A county department may amend its statement of policies to modify, terminate, and establish new policies. A county department also may amend its statement of policies to suspend operation of its prevention, retention, and contingency program temporarily. The county director of job and family services shall sign and date the statement of policies and any amendment to it. Neither the statement of policies nor any amendment to it may have an effective date that is earlier than the date of the county director's signature.

Each county department of job and family services shall provide the department of job and family services a written copy of the statement of policies and any amendments it adopts to the statement not later than ten calendar days after the statement or amendment's effective date.

Section 5108.05 | Provision in statement of policies.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

In adopting a statement of policies under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code for the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program, each county department of job and family services shall do all of the following:

(A) Establish or specify all of the following:

(1) Benefits and services to be provided under the program that are allowable uses of federal Title IV-A funds under 42 U.S.C. 601 and 604(a), except that they may not be "assistance" as defined in 45 C.F.R. 260.31(a) but rather benefits and services that 45 C.F.R. 260.31(b) excludes from the definition of assistance;

(2) Restrictions on the amount, duration, and frequency of the benefits and services;

(3) Eligibility requirements for the benefits and services;

(4) Fair and equitable procedures for both of the following:

(a) The certification of eligibility for the benefits and services that do not have a financial need eligibility requirement;

(b) The determination and verification of eligibility for the benefits and services that have a financial need eligibility requirement.

(5) Objective criteria for the delivery of the benefits and services;

(6) Administrative requirements;

(7) Other matters the county department determines are necessary.

(B) Provide for the statement of policies to be consistent with all of the following:

(1) The plan of cooperation the board of county commissioners develops under section 307.983 of the Revised Code;

(2) The review and analysis of the county family services committee conducted in accordance with division (B)(2) of section 329.06 of the Revised Code;

(3) Title IV-A, federal regulations, state law, the Title IV-A state plan submitted to the United States secretary of health and human services under section 5101.80 of the Revised Code, and amendments to the plan.

(C) Either provide the public and local government entities at least thirty days to submit comments on, or have the county family services planning committee review, the statement of policies, including the design of the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program, before the county director signs and dates the statement of policies.

Section 5108.051 | Inapplicability of RC 5108.05.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

A county department of job and family services is not required to follow division (C) of section 5108.05 of the Revised Code when amending its statement of policies under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code. Division (C) of section 5108.05 of the Revised Code applies only when a county department adopts its initial and updated statement of policies under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code.

Section 5108.06 | Specification of benefits and services.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

In adopting a statement of policies under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code for the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program, a county department of job and family services may specify both of the following:

(A) Benefits and services to be provided under the program that prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies or encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families as permitted by 45 C.F.R. 260.20(c) and (d);

(B) How the county department will certify individuals' eligibility for such benefits and services.

Section 5108.07 | County commissioners' certification of compliance with chapter.

• Effective: October 16, 2009
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 1 - 128th General Assembly

(A) Each statement of policies adopted under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code shall include the board of county commissioners' certification that the county department of job and family services complied with this chapter in adopting the statement of policies.

(B) The board of county commissioners shall revise its certification under division (A) of this section if the county department adopts an amendment under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code to suspend operation of its prevention, retention, and contingency program temporarily or any other amendment under that section the board considers to be significant.

Section 5108.08 | Benefits and services inalienable.

• Effective: September 5, 2001
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 94 - 124th General Assembly

Benefits and services provided under the prevention, retention, and contingency program are inalienable whether by way of assignment, charge, or otherwise and exempt from execution, attachment, garnishment, and other like process.

Section 5108.09 | Basis for decision in administrative appeal.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

When a state hearing under division (B) of section 5101.35 of the Revised Code or an administrative appeal under division (C) of that section is held regarding the prevention, retention, and contingency program, the hearing officer, director of job and family services, or director's designee shall base the decision in the hearing or appeal on the county department of job and family services' written statement of policies adopted under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code and any amendments the county department adopted to the statement if the county department provides a copy of the statement of policies and all amendments to the hearing officer, director, or director's designee at the hearing or appeal.

Section 5108.10 | Applying for participation.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

Eligibility for a benefit or service under a county's prevention, retention, and contingency program shall be certified in accordance with the statement of policies adopted under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code if the benefit or service does not have a financial need eligibility requirement.

Eligibility for a benefit or service shall be determined in accordance with the statement of policies and based on an application containing information the county department of job and family services requires if the benefit or service has a financial need eligibility requirement. When a county department receives an application for such benefits and services, it shall follow verification procedures established by the statement of policies to verify the facts surrounding the application and to obtain such other information as may be required. On completion of the verification procedure, the county department shall determine whether the applicant is eligible for the benefits or services and the approximate date when the benefits or services are to begin.

Section 5108.11 | Contract for county's prevention, retention, and contingency program.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

(A) To the extent permitted by section 307.982 of the Revised Code, a board of county commissioners may enter into a written contract with a private or government entity for the entity to do either or both of the following for the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program:

(1) Certify eligibility for benefits and services that do not have a financial need eligibility requirement;

(2) Accept applications and determine and verify eligibility for benefits and services that have a financial need eligibility requirement.

(B) If a board of county commissioners enters into a contract under division (A) of this section with a private or government entity, the county department of job and family services shall do all of the following:

(1) Ensure that eligibility for benefits and services is certified or determined and verified in accordance with the statement of policies adopted under section 5108.04 of the Revised Code;

(2) Ensure that the private or government entity maintains all records that are necessary for audits;

(3) Monitor the private or government entity for compliance with Title IV-A, this chapter of the Revised Code, and the statement of policies;

(4) Take actions that are necessary to recover any funds that are not spent in accordance with Title IV-A or this chapter of the Revised Code.

Section 5108.12 | Responsibility for funds expended or claimed.

• Effective: September 26, 2003
• Latest Legislation: House Bill 95 - 125th General Assembly

Each county department of job and family services is responsible for funds expended or claimed under the county's prevention, retention, and contingency program that the department of job and family services, auditor of state, United States department of health and human services, or other government entity determines is expended or claimed in a manner that federal or state law or policy does not permit.