Authority: Title 2.1, Chapter 39; Title 63.1, Chapters 1 and 6, Code of Virginia; Title VI, Subtitle B, P.L. 97-35, as amended; P.L. 103-252, as amended; P.L. 104-193, as amended, Federal Code.

A.1. All increased state or federal funds distributed to Community Action Agencies shall be distributed as follows:

The funds shall be distributed to all local Community Action Agencies according to the Department of Social Services' funding formula (75 percent based on low-income population, 20 percent based on number of jurisdictions served, and five percent based on square mileage served), adjusted to ensure that no agency receives less than 1.5 percent of any increase.

2. Out of this appropriation, $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for expansion of community action services into the following previously unserved local jurisdictions: the City of Petersburg (to be served by the Richmond Community Action Program); the Counties of Nottoway, Lunenburg, and Charlotte (by the Central Piedmont Action Council); the County of Orange (by the Skyline Community Action Program); the County of Brunswick (by the Sussex-Surry-Greensville Improvement Association); the County of Campbell (by the Lynchburg Community Action Group); and the County of Lee (by the Rural Areas Development Association, Inc.).

3. Out of this appropriation, $750,000 the first year and $750,000 the second year from the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families block grant shall be provided for Centers for Employment Training programs at Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Program, Alexandria Office of Community Services, People Inc., Lynchburg Community Action Group, and Total Action Against Poverty.

B. The Department shall continue to fund from this Item all Community Action Agencies funded in Item 463 of Chapter 853 of the 1995 Acts of Assembly.

C. The toll-free telephone hotline operated by the Department of Social Services to receive child abuse and neglect complaints shall also be publicized and used by the Department to receive complaints of adult abuse and neglect.

D. If it has not already done so, the Department of Social Services shall apply for all available federal Food Stamp waivers as soon as possible and in no case later than July 14, 2000. The Department shall provide appropriate documentation of such application to the Department of Planning and Budget (DPB) on or before July 14, 2000. If the Department of Social Services determines that any such waiver cannot contribute to improving the accuracy of Food Stamp eligibility and benefits determination and will clearly have a detrimental impact on the Commonwealth’s Food Stamp program, it shall notify DPB in writing on or before July 10, 2000, and shall obtain DPB agreement not to apply for the waiver. The Department shall not terminate such waivers without advance approval from the Department of Planning and Budget.

E. Out of the appropriation for State Administration of Financial Assistance for Standards of Living Services, $374,994 $2,609,771 the first year and $222,222 $1,572,359 the second year from the general fund is appropriated to meet the Food Stamp reinvestment requirement of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These amounts are attributable to the error rate for federal fiscal year 1998 years through 1999.Of the amount required in the second year, $88,888 shall be assessed to local departments of social services on a basis proportional to caseload. This reduction is reflected in the appropriation in Item 383.

F. The Department of Social Services is hereby authorized to expend amounts provided for in Item 548 for grant payments and administrative costs of the Virginia Caregivers Grant Program operated pursuant to Chapter 21, Title 63.1, Code of Virginia.

G. Out of this appropriation, $250,000 the first year and $250,000 the second year from the federal TANF grant shall be provided by the Department to support the expansion of services provided by food banks. The Department shall issue a Request for Proposals specifying that these funds shall be used only for the expansion of services and shall not to be used to supplant funds that support existing programs.