H. B. 2112
(By Delegates Miller, Trump, Greear, Warner
and Walters)
[Introduced January 20, 1995; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article three, chapter nine of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-a,
relating to welfare assistance to minors with children;
requiring school attendance; providing for parental
responsibility; requiring certain assistance and counseling;
and limiting increases in assistance when recipient gives
birth to additional children.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article three, chapter nine of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section three-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. APPLICATION FOR AND GRANTING OF ASSISTANCE.
§9-3-3a. Welfare assistance to minors with children; parental
responsibility; required assistance and counseling;
restrictions on increases in aid for a recipient
giving
birth to
addition
al
children.
The parent or legal guardian of a minor with children is
responsible for financial support of the minor. If the
department is required to provide financial support for the
minor, the department may seek reimbursement from the adult
parent for the costs of support.
The department may not approve an application for welfare
assistance from an unmarried minor of school age with children
who has not completed a high school degree granting program or
who has not received a general equivalency degree until the minor
enters into and/or continues an accredited high school or a
general equivalency degree program through graduation or until
the minor's eighteenth birthday whichever occurs first.
In every case in which a minor with children applies for
welfare assistance, the department shall make available birth
control counseling to the minor.
Assistance to a family receiving aid for families with
dependent children shall not be increased with the birth of
additional children to the family if the birth occurs after the
ten-month period following the date on which the family becomes
eligible for aid.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that minors
with children continue school attendance in order to qualify for
welfare assistance. The bill also provides that parents of
minors with children remain financially responsible for the
children and it requires the department of health and human
resources to provide birth control counseling and assistance.
Under the bill, welfare assistance to a family receiving
assistance for ten months would not be increased with the birth
of additional children to the family.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.