Authority: Title 63.2, Chapter 1; § 2.2-4000 et seq., Code of Virginia; P.L. 98-502, P.L. 104-156, P.L. 104-193, P.L. 104-327, P.L. 105-33, as amended, P.L. 105-89, Federal Code; Titles IV-A, IV-B, IV-D, IV-E, XIX, XX, XXI of the federal Social Security Act, as amended.
A. The Department of Social Services shall require localities to report all expenditures on designated social services, regardless of reimbursement from state and federal sources. The Department of Social Services is authorized to include eligible costs in its claim for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Maintenance of Effort requirements.
B. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Commissioner, Department of Social Services shall work with localities that seek to voluntarily merge and consolidate their respective local departments of social services. No funds appropriated under this act shall be used to require a locality to merge or consolidate local departments of social services.
C.1. Out of this appropriation, $627,458 $473,844 the first year and $627,458 $836,149 the second year from the general fund and $969,542 the first year and $969,542 $1,331,847 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be provided to support the statewide 2-1-1 Information and Referral System which provides resource and referral information on many of the specialized health and human resource services available in the Commonwealth, including child day care availability and providers in localities throughout the state, and publish consumer-oriented materials for those interested in learning the location of child day care providers.
2. The Department of Social Services shall request that all state and local child-serving agencies within the Commonwealth be included in the Virginia Statewide Information and Referral System as well as any agency or entity that receives state general fund dollars and provides services to families and youth. The Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Secretary of Education and Workforce, and the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security shall assist in this effort by requesting all affected agencies within their secretariats to submit information to the statewide Information and Referral System and ensure that such information is accurate and updated annually. Agencies shall also notify the Virginia Information and Referral System of any changes in services that may occur throughout the year.
3. The Department of Social Services shall communicate with child-serving agencies within the Commonwealth about the availability of the statewide Information and Referral System. This information shall also be communicated via the Department of Social Services' broadcast system on their agency-wide Intranet so that all local and regional offices can be better informed about the Statewide Information and Referral System. Information on the Statewide Information and Referral System shall also be included within the department's electronic mailings to all local and regional offices at least biannually.
D.1. Within 30 days of awarding or amending any contract related to the Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS), the Department of Social Services (DSS) shall provide the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, and Director, Department of Planning and Budget with a copy of the contract, including any fiscal implications.
2. Prior to the award of any contract that will potentially obligate the Commonwealth to future unappropriated spending, the department shall receive prior written concurrence from Director, Department of Planning and Budget. Any approved increases in funding requests shall be reported by DSS to the Chairmen of House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees within 30 days.
E. At least 60 days prior to the modification of any public guidance document, handbook, manual, or state plan, the Department of Social Services (DSS) shall provide written notification to the Governor and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget as to the purpose of such change. This notice shall also assess whether the amendment may require any 1) future state regulatory action; 2) increase in local costs; and/or 3) any state expenditure beyond that which is appropriated in this Act. This notice does not exempt the agency from any requirements set forth within § 4-5.03 of this Act.
F. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall convene a work group to develop and establish a plan to transfer the Child Care Development Fund grant from the Virginia Department of Social Services to the Virginia Department of Education no later than July 1, 2021. The work group shall include representatives of (i) the Secretariats of Education and Health and Human Resources; (ii) relevant state agencies, including the Department of Planning and Budget, the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Education, and the Department of Social Services; (iii) relevant regulatory boards, including the Board of Education; and (iv) the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations. The goal of this transfer is to house responsibility of child care and education programs under one agency. The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and Director of the Department of Planning and Budget no later than August 15, 2020. Such plan shall confirm the funding amounts and positions that need to be transferred between the impacted agencies, and shall identify any savings or additional costs associated with the transfer of these programs. The review shall also assess any potential administrative impacts on the Department of Social Services and the Department of Education.
G. Out of this appropriation, $250,000 the first year from the general fund is provided for the agency to contract with a vendor for assistance in evaluating the agency's needs for a new child welfare system, developing detailed cost estimates and a timeline for implementation. The department shall submit a plan for a new child welfare system to the Governor and the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees by October 1, 2020.
H. The Department of Social Services shall report a detailed accounting, annually, of the agency's organization and operations. This report shall include an organizational chart that shows all full- and part-time positions (by job title) employed by the agency as well as the current management structure and unit responsibilities. The report shall also provide a summary of organization changes implemented over the previous year. The report shall be made available on the department's website by August 15 of each year. For the report due August 15, 2020, the department shall provide a summary of all organizational changes implemented since January 1, 2018.
I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Social Services (DSS) shall have temporary authority to make any changes to relevant State Plans, request waivers from applicable Federal agencies, change eligibility criteria for benefits and services, and payment levels for applicable programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and new authorities and funding made available by the federal government to effect those policies necessary to ensure that benefits are available to eligible populations in response to COVID-19. Prior to the implementation of any change, DSS must receive written approval from the Governor. Within 15 days of implementing changes in response to COVID-19, DSS shall send a list of such actions to the Director, Department of Planning and Budget and the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees. The provisions of this paragraph, as well as any actions implemented under its authority, shall be in accordance with the Governor's emergency declaration for COVID-19 and be in effect for the period specified therein.
J. Out of this appropriation, $178,043 the first year from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant shall be provided to fund payment structure changes to implement one-time food benefit payments to families with children enrolled in Head Start.
K. Out of this appropriation, $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year from the general fund and $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be appropriated to fund the replacement of the agency licensing system. Any unexpended general fund balance as of June 30, 2021, related to this paragraph shall be reappropriated to continue replacement of the agency licensing system.
L. The Department of Social Services shall design, for consideration by the 2022 General Assembly, a program that provides a fixed reimbursement, which shall not exceed $15 monthly, for broadband service costs for select households currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The reimbursement payments under the program shall be structured as a direct payment to a broadband provider selected by the qualifying program participant household, provided that the selected broadband provider offers a low-cost broadband service for low-income households within its service area in the Commonwealth. The department shall develop program guidelines in coordination with the Commonwealth Broadband Chief Advisor to govern eligibility for participation in the program and disbursement of program funds. The department shall report on the program design and structure, administrative cost estimates, program guidelines, and other relevant information related to implementing the program to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees by November 1, 2021.
M.The Department of Social Services as administrator of the federal Community Services Block Grant shall establish an interagency working group to develop recommendations for implementation of local criminal justice diversion programs. Each diversion program should offer standards for providing persons charged with lower-level offenses alternatives to arrest, conviction or incarceration for lower-level offenses. The scope of these programs shall not include behavioral health issues as those priorities are being addressed elsewhere. The working group should include the appropriate offices and agencies of Health and Human Resources, Commerce and Trade, Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Governor's Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. The interagency working group shall work with community action agencies, local governments including local law enforcement, representatives of the judicial system, civil rights organizations as well as other stakeholders to develop locally-based solutions. The recommendations shall provide for two-generation whole family strategies that deal with meeting the needs of the potential offender and his or her entire family by addressing issues related to poverty, including homelessness. The Department of Social Services shall submit its recommendations to the Chairs of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee no later than September 30, 2021.
N. Out of this appropriation, $100,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Department of Social Services to increase interpretation and translation services to help immigrants in Virginia access local resources through 2-1-1, including healthcare, housing, and other social services.