Rhode Island SB 332: AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ACT

Bill Text

2025 -- S 0332
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LC000974
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ACT
Introduced By: Senators LaMountain, Britto, Tikoian, Burke, McKenney, Felag, Murray,
and Lawson
Date Introduced: February 21, 2025
Referred To: Senate Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 40-6-3.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6 entitled "Public 1
Assistance Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
40-6-3.1. Eligibility for general public assistance. 3
(a) The state, acting by and through the department, shall provide assistance (in the form 4
specified in § 40-6-3.2) to residents of the state found by the department, in accordance with this 5
chapter and rules and regulations of the department, to be eligible for general public assistance; 6
provided further, that benefits under this program shall be provided only to residents who are 7
citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence or otherwise 8
permanently residing in the United States under color of law, and benefits shall not be provided to 9
illegal or undocumented aliens. 10
(b) Individuals eligible for GPA.(1) General public assistance shall be provided to the 11
following individuals and families provided all other eligibility requirements of this chapter are 12
met: Individuals age eighteen (18) or older, provided that they do not have a dependent child who 13
is living in his or her home, and provided that they are determined by the department, in accordance 14
with this chapter and departmental regulations, to be suffering from an illness, injury, or medical 15
condition as determined by physical examination by a licensed physician, that is reasonably 16
expected to last for a period of at least thirty (30) days from the date the application for general 17
public assistance is filed with the department and that precludes the individual from working. The 18
illness, injury, or medical condition may be based on a primary diagnosis of alcoholism or 19

LC000974 - Page 2 of 5
substance abuse. The total physical or mental incapacity shall be verified by a medical practitioner 1
and/or a qualified substance abuse counselor designated by the department, within forty-five (45) 2
days of the date the individual is found by the department to be totally incapacitated. If total 3
physical or mental incapacity cannot be reasonably verified, then the individual shall not be eligible 4
for general public assistance under this subsection. 5
(2) The department shall provide an application for medical assistance (Medicaid) benefits 6
to each applicant for general public assistance and shall use a uniform medical form for both 7
programs to secure information from the applicant’s treating physician. A decision on the 8
application for general public assistance shall be made within thirty (30) days of receipt of a 9
completed application. 10
(3) Individuals found eligible on the basis of illness, injury, or medical condition under 11
subsection (b) shall be eligible for assistance only in the forms specified in § 40-6-3.2(a)(2) and 12
(a)(3), and only for an initial period of up to six (6) months, renewable for a period of up to an 13
additional six (6) months. In order to receive assistance for a period greater than twelve (12) 14
months, individuals must reapply for general public assistance. 15
(c) Resources. Ownership of real or personal property shall disqualify individuals from 16
receiving general public assistance; provided, however, that the following property or resources 17
owned by the individuals shall be exempted: 18
(1) A home occupied by the individuals; 19
(2) One motor vehicle having an equity value not exceeding four thousand six hundred 20
fifty dollars ($4,650) or a vehicle necessary to transport a family member with a disability, where 21
the vehicle is specially equipped to meet the specific needs of the person with a disability or if the 22
vehicle is a special type of vehicle that makes it possible to transport the person with the disability; 23
(3) Cash or liquid assets not exceeding four hundred dollars ($400); 24
(4) Such tools of the trade not to exceed an aggregate value of one thousand dollars 25
($1,000) and household furnishings and effects as the director shall determine by regulation; and 26
(5) Individual retirement accounts. 27
(d) Income. (1)(i) Income shall not disqualify an individual from receiving general public 28
assistance provided that the income, as defined and determined by the department, is within the 29
income limitations established by the regulations of the department. 30
(ii) Pursuant to the purposes set forth in § 40-6-3 and notwithstanding the provisions of § 31
40-6-3.3 [Repealed], individuals found ineligible for cash assistance under chapter 5.1 of this title 32
due to provisions of the chapter regarding alien sponsors, the de