C.R.S. Section 26-2-708
Assistance

  • assessment
  • individual responsibility contract
  • waivers for domestic violence
  • rules

(1)

Subject to the provisions of the federal law, the provisions of this section, and available appropriations, a county department shall perform an assessment for a new participant who is eighteen years of age or older, or who is sixteen years of age or older but has not yet attained the age of eighteen years of age and has not completed high school or successfully completed a high school equivalency examination, as defined in section 22-33-102 (8.5), C.R.S., and is not attending high school or participating in a high school equivalency examination program. The initial assessment must be completed no more than thirty days after the submission of the application for assistance under the works program. Updated assessments may be conducted at the discretion of the county department.

(2)

A county department shall develop an individual responsibility contract for a new participant who has been assessed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, within thirty days after completing the initial assessment of the participant as required in subsection (1) of this section, subject to the provisions of the federal law and this section. The IRC shall be limited in scope to matters relating to securing and maintaining training, education, or work. The county department shall seek the input and involvement of the participant when developing the IRC.

(3)

The IRC shall contain provisions in bold print at the beginning of the document that notify the participant of the following:

(a)

That no individual is legally entitled to any form of assistance under the Colorado works program;

(b)

That the IRC is a contract that contains terms and conditions governing the participant’s receipt of assistance under the Colorado works program and that nothing in such contract may be deemed to create a legal entitlement to assistance under the Colorado works program;

(c)

That the participant’s failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the IRC may result in sanctions, including but not limited to the termination of any cash assistance;

(d)

For a county that has elected to implement a Colorado works controlled substance abuse control program described in section 26-2-706.6 (7), that the IRC may require the participant to participate in the Colorado works controlled substance abuse control program, based upon the participant’s use of a controlled substance, by requiring the participant to take action toward rehabilitation consistent with the recommendations of the assessment pursuant to section 26-2-706.6 (7). The program may be included as a county-defined work activity. The rehabilitation plan may include random drug testing, drug treatment, or other rehabilitation activities. The participant may be subject to any sanctions for nonparticipation in a work activity if the participant fails to meet the requirements of the rehabilitation plan; except that a participant may not be sanctioned for failing to meet the requirements of the rehabilitation plan if services required under the plan are not available, if transportation or child care is not available, or if the costs of the services are prohibitive.

(e)

That the applicant or participant shall indicate by signature on the IRC either agreement with the terms and conditions of the IRC or that the applicant or participant requests a county level review of the proposed IRC in accordance with section 26-2-710 (4) on the grounds that the proposed IRC is unreasonable within the context of the county’s written policies.
(4)(Deleted by amendment, L. 99, p. 272, § 1, effective April 13, 1999.)(5) The state board shall establish through rules, after consultation with domestic violence service providers, statewide standards and procedures that:

(a)

Require counties to provide notice to all past or present victims of domestic violence as described in the federal law or those at risk of further domestic violence of the referrals required pursuant to paragraph (b) of this subsection (5), the possible waivers pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (5), and the applicable procedures described in paragraph (e) of this subsection (5);

(b)

Require counties to provide for referrals to any available counseling and supportive services to past or present victims of domestic violence as described in the federal law or those at risk of further violence, but the rules shall not obligate a county to pay for any counseling or supportive services to which a participant is referred;

(c)

Allow counties upon a showing of good cause, as determined by rules of the state board, to provide waivers from any program requirements, except as provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (5), that will make it more difficult for an applicant or a participant to escape domestic violence or that would unfairly penalize such individuals who are or have been victimized by such violence or who are at risk of further violence;

(d)

Require counties to submit requests for waivers of work requirements to the state department to determine whether good cause exists to grant such waivers;

(e)

Require counties to assure the voluntariness and confidentiality of the procedures for identifying eligibility for referrals to supportive services and waivers, the procedures for applying for waivers, and the procedures by which an applicant or a participant who is denied a waiver may appeal such decision.

(5.3)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

No later than July 1, 2023, the state board shall promulgate rules:

(I)

Establishing statewide standards and procedures that require counties to inform and not penalize any applicant or household that demonstrates good cause for an exemption from work requirements, which includes, but is not limited to, an applicant or participant who is:

(A)

The head of a single-parent household unit and has a child under one year of age; or

(B)

Experiencing hardship, as defined in rules promulgated by the state board; and

(II)

Ensuring equal access to TANF services for those exempted who wish to participate on a voluntary basis.

(b)

When promulgating rules pursuant to this subsection (5.3), the state board shall consider compliance with the federal law in relation to the calculation of the state’s work participation rates specified in the federal law.

(5.5)

and (6)(Deleted by amendment, L. 2008, p. 1957, § 9, effective January 1, 2009.)

Source: Section 26-2-708 — Assistance - assessment - individual responsibility contract - waivers for domestic violence - rules, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-26.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

26‑2‑101
Short title 26‑2‑102
Legislative declaration 26‑2‑102.5
Foster care - Title IV-E of the social security act - Title IV-E administrative costs cash fund - rules 26‑2‑103
Definitions 26‑2‑104
Public assistance programs - electronic benefits transfer service - joint reports with department of revenue - signs - rules 26‑2‑105
Federal requirements 26‑2‑106
Applications for public assistance 26‑2‑107
Verification - record 26‑2‑108
Granting of assistance payments and social services - rules 26‑2‑109
Right to own certain property 26‑2‑110
Repayment not required 26‑2‑111
Eligibility for public assistance - rules - repeal 26‑2‑111.5
Access to supplemental security income program benefits for old age pension applicants and recipients 26‑2‑111.6
Old age pension work incentive program 26‑2‑111.8
Eligibility of noncitizens for public assistance 26‑2‑112
Old age pensions for inmates of public institutions 26‑2‑113
Funds for old age pensions 26‑2‑114
Amount of assistance payments - old age pension 26‑2‑115
State old age pension fund - priority 26‑2‑116
Old age pension stabilization fund 26‑2‑119
Amount of assistance payments - aid to the needy disabled - rules 26‑2‑119.7
Federal disability benefits - application assistance - fund - rules - report - legislative declaration 26‑2‑120
Amount of assistance payments - aid to the blind 26‑2‑121
Expenses of treatment to prevent blindness or restore eyesight 26‑2‑122
Public assistance in the form of social services 26‑2‑122.3
Home care allowance - repeal 26‑2‑122.5
Acceptance of available money to finance the low-income energy assistance program 26‑2‑123
Removal to another county 26‑2‑124
Reconsideration and changes 26‑2‑125
Colorado works cases - vendor payments 26‑2‑127
Appeals 26‑2‑128
Recovery from recipient - estate 26‑2‑129
Funeral - final disposition expenses - death reimbursement - definitions - rules 26‑2‑131
Public assistance not assignable 26‑2‑132
Limitation 26‑2‑133
State income tax refund offset - rules 26‑2‑134
Checks, drafts, or orders for payment of moneys for public assistance - identification of bearer 26‑2‑135
Medically correctable program - fund established - rules 26‑2‑137
Noncitizens programs 26‑2‑138
Refugee services program - state plan - rules - definitions - repeal 26‑2‑139
Food pantry assistance grant program - created - timeline and criteria - grants - definitions - repeal 26‑2‑140
Colorado diaper distribution program - diapering essentials - report - rules - definitions 26‑2‑141
High-quality work management system - implementation - funding - repeal 26‑2‑142
Colorado teen parent driver’s license program - report - rules - definitions - appropriation 26‑2‑143
Colorado commodity supplemental food grant program - creation - appropriation - rules - definitions 26‑2‑144
Food bank assistance grant program - creation - rules - definition 26‑2‑201
Short title 26‑2‑202
Legislative declaration 26‑2‑203
Definitions 26‑2‑204
Mandatory minimum state supplementation of SSI benefits 26‑2‑205
Optional state supplementation 26‑2‑206
Interim assistance 26‑2‑207
Administration 26‑2‑208
Federal requirements 26‑2‑209
Limitations 26‑2‑210
State supplemental security income stabilization fund - creation 26‑2‑301
Food stamps - administration 26‑2‑301.5
Performance standards - incentives - sanctions 26‑2‑302
Federal requirements 26‑2‑304
Appeals - recoveries - rules 26‑2‑305
Fraudulent acts - penalties 26‑2‑305.5
Categorical eligibility - repeal 26‑2‑306
Trafficking in food stamps 26‑2‑307
Fuel assistance payments - eligibility for federal standard utility allowance - supplemental utility assistance fund established - definitions - repeal 26‑2‑308
Colorado employment first - supplemental nutrition assistance program - federal match - legislative declaration - definition - repeal 26‑2‑701
Short title 26‑2‑702
Legislative intent 26‑2‑703
Definitions 26‑2‑704
No individual entitlement 26‑2‑705
Works program - purposes 26‑2‑706
Target populations 26‑2‑706.5
Restrictions on length of participation - rules 26‑2‑706.6
Payments and services under Colorado works - rules 26‑2‑707.5
Community resources investment assistance 26‑2‑707.7
Information concerning immunization of children 26‑2‑708
Assistance - assessment - individual responsibility contract - waivers for domestic violence - rules 26‑2‑709
Benefits - cash assistance - programs - rules - repeal 26‑2‑709.5
Exit interviews and follow-up interviews of participants - reporting 26‑2‑710
Administrative review 26‑2‑711
Works program - sanctions against participants - rules 26‑2‑712
State department duties - authority 26‑2‑713
State maintenance of effort 26‑2‑714
County block grants formula - use of money - rules 26‑2‑714.5
Adjusted work participation rate - notification - county authorization - career and technical education 26‑2‑715
Performance contracts 26‑2‑716
County duties - appropriations - penalties - hardship extensions - domestic violence extensions - incentives - rules 26‑2‑717
Reporting requirements 26‑2‑718
Regionalization 26‑2‑719
Private contracting 26‑2‑720.5
County block grant support fund - created 26‑2‑721
Colorado long-term works reserve - creation - use 26‑2‑721.3
Colorado works program maintenance fund - creation - use - report 26‑2‑725
Outreach and engagement plan - family voice participation 26‑2‑1001
Short title 26‑2‑1002
Legislative declaration 26‑2‑1003
Definitions 26‑2‑1004
Individual development account program - rules 26‑2‑1005
Eligibility for participation in the individual development account program 26‑2‑1101
Legislative declaration 26‑2‑1102
Definitions 26‑2‑1103
Transitional jobs program 26‑2‑1104
Repeal
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 26-2-708’s source at colorado​.gov