(1) A county department may use county block grant moneys to invest in the development of community resources that support the purposes of the federal "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act", Public Law 104-193, and that are designed to assist eligible applicants or participants under section 26-2-706 or 26-2-706.6. An eligible applicant or participant may receive benefits or services from such a community resource without completing an application pursuant to section 26-2-106 or an individual responsibility contract pursuant to section 26-2708 (2). However, nothing in this subsection (1) precludes a county department from requiring such applications and individual responsibility contracts in a county's individual contracting procedures established pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.
The state board shall establish standards and procedures through rules for the use ofcounty block grant moneys pursuant to this section including but not limited to the contracting procedures counties must follow to ensure that funds are being spent to support TANF-eligible applicants or participants. Such contracting procedures shall include a requirement that a county's contract with a provider shall specify the approximate number of applicants or participants to be served by the provider. Counties shall also be required to adopt official written policies as referenced in section 26-2-716 (2.5) regarding the types of community resources in which counties are investing, the purposes of such community resource investments, the income eligibility standards, and the county's dispute resolution processes.
A county that uses county block grant moneys pursuant to this section shall use allmoneys in accordance with all applicable federal and state statutes and regulations.
A county shall not be authorized to use funds pursuant to this section for the purposeof supplanting funds.
Nothing in this section shall preclude a household from applying for and receivingbasic cash assistance.
Source: L. 2001: Entire section added, p. 660, § 1, effective May 30. L. 2008: (1) amended, p. 1957, § 8, effective January 1, 2009.