2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 26 - HUMAN SERVICES CODE (§§ 26-1-101 — 26-24-101) › Article 2 - Public Assistance (§§ 26-2-101 — 26-2-1104) › Part 7 - COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM (§§ 26-2-701 — 26-2-726) › Section 26-2-712 - State department duties - authority

(1)
Plan submission.
The state department shall submit and amend as necessary a plan to the secretary of the federal department of health and human services that is consistent with the provisions of this part 7 and federal law.
(2)
County block grant allocation.
(a)
The state department shall allocate the amount of moneys that shall be provided to a county as a county block grant for the purposes of a county's administration and implementation of the works program pursuant to section
26-2-714
.
(b)
Except as provided in section
26-2-720.5
, the county block grant shall represent the total amount that a county shall receive from the state for the administration and implementation of the Colorado works program.
(3)
Maintenance of effort.
The state department shall monitor the state's progress toward meeting the levels of spending required under the federal law and section
26-2-713
.
(4)
Performance measurements.
(a)
The state department shall develop performance goals and a formula for measuring a county's progress toward meeting such performance goals in administering and implementing the works program with county block grants. The state department shall provide data gathered on behalf of each county to the general assembly on a quarterly basis regarding employment- and training-related performance measures for the works program. Such data must include wages earned by works program participants upon leaving the program, job retention rates, and other related information. Such data must be provided through the state department's computerized systems, if available. Counties are not required to provide additional manual or computerized systems to gather such data. The state department shall work with the state work force development council to gather data on works program participants who participate in training and job placement programs offered by work force development boards and the result of such participation.
(b)
The formula may be based upon the formula developed by the secretary of the federal department of health and human services after consultation with the national governors' association and the American public welfare association for measuring states' performance under the TANF block grants.
(5)
Oversight.
In connection with overseeing the works program, the specific duties of the state department are to:
(a)
Oversee the implementation of the works program statewide and, in connection with such oversight, develop standardized forms for the counties' use in streamlining the application process, delivery of services, and tracking of participants;
(b)
Monitor the state's progress in meeting the work participation requirements set forth in federal law;
(c)
Establish a process to implement the provisions for regionalization set forth in section
26-2-718
pursuant to which any combination of county departments may be approved by the state department to administer and implement the works program pursuant to the provisions of this part 7;
(d)
Establish statewide goals and monitor the state's progress toward meeting such goals for the reduction in the incidence of pregnancies of women and men who are not married;
(e)
Monitor the counties' provision of basic cash assistance grants pursuant to section
26-2-706.6
and, if necessary due to increased caseloads or economic downturns, do the following to ensure that the basic cash assistance grant is provided in a consistent manner statewide:
(I)
Grant moneys to one or more counties from the county block grant support fund administered pursuant to section
26-2-720.5
; or
(II)
If no funds administered pursuant to section
26-2-720.5
are available:
(A)
Request supplemental appropriations from the general assembly, including but not limited to an appropriation from the Colorado long-term works reserve created pursuant to section
26-2-721
; or
(B)
Reduce the county block grant of any county that maintains moneys in a county reserve account pursuant to section
26-2-714 (5)
in order that moneys may be made available to one or more counties to avoid the need to reduce or eliminate the basic cash assistance grant statewide. If the state department makes a reduction in a county's reserve account pursuant to this sub-subparagraph (B), the state department shall increase the county's block grant for the following fiscal year by the amount of the reduction authorized pursuant to this sub-subparagraph (B); or
(III)
After taking the actions described in subparagraphs (I) and (II) of this paragraph (e), take any actions necessary to reduce the costs of, or reduce or eliminate, the basic cash assistance grant statewide.
(6)
(Deleted by amendment, L. 2008, p. 1964, § 14, effective January 1, 2009.)
(7)
Colorado works program capacity building.
The state department shall develop training for case workers and other service providers so that they are knowledgeable and may assist persons who receive assistance through the Colorado works program in:
(a)
Identifying goals, including work activities, time frames for achieving self-sufficiency, and the means required to meet these benchmarks;
(b)
Obtaining supportive services such as mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, domestic violence services, life skills training, and money management and parenting classes;
(c)
Utilizing the family's existing strengths;
(d)
Providing ongoing support and assistance to the family in overcoming barriers to training and employment;
(e)
Monitoring the progress of the family toward attaining self-sufficiency;
(f)
Understanding and properly utilizing data reporting systems to report participation data and outcomes required by the state department; and
(g)
Providing opportunities for persons working with Colorado works participants to access professional-level curriculum to become proficient in assessing participant needs and developing individual plans to address those needs.
(8)
Domestic violence services training - rules.
(a)
To facilitate the proper identification, screening, and assessment of past and present victims of domestic violence who apply for or participate in the Colorado works program and to assist counties in complying with the provisions of this subsection (8) and section
26-2-708 (5)
, the state board shall promulgate rules that require the state department to provide ongoing domestic violence training and appropriate domestic violence training materials to county staff and to:
(I)
Assist counties in developing local resources and using available community resources to provide counseling and supportive services to past and present victims of domestic violence; and
(II)
Require counties to make applicants to and participants in the Colorado works program aware of the services and assistance provided by the state department pursuant to this subsection (8) and by the county.
(b)
The state department may contract with an individual or entity that has demonstrated expertise in the area of domestic violence assistance for the provision of the services specified in this subsection (8).
(9)
Waiver process.
(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection (9), the governor and the state department, acting jointly, may grant a county's application for a waiver of any requirement of this part 7 or the rules promulgated pursuant to this part 7. Any waiver granted pursuant to this subsection (9) shall be designed to improve methods of achieving participants' self-sufficiency, meeting work participation rates and performance goals, or reducing dependency.
(b)
Any application for a waiver shall include a statement of the purpose of the waiver. The application shall be submitted to the governor and the state department no later than October 1 of the year immediately preceding the year in which the county intends to implement the waiver. The county shall provide notice of its application to all adjacent counties. The governor and the state department shall grant or deny the county's application no later than December 1 of the year in which the county applied. A waiver granted pursuant to this subsection (9) shall take effect on January 1 of the year immediately following approval of such waiver. The governor and the state department shall specify the duration of such waivers.
(c)
The state department and the governor shall not approve an application under this subsection (9) that proposes to waive any statute or rule governing statewide eligibility, the amount of the basic cash assistance grant, the county maintenance of effort, or any requirement of the federal law. The governor and the state department shall not approve an application under this subsection (9) that proposes to waive a participant's right to appeal a county determination under the works program, but they may approve the waiver of statutes or rules governing the method or procedure for such appeal.
(d)
The governor and the state department may approve any number of applications for waivers of one or more provisions of this part 7 or of the rules promulgated pursuant to this part 7, so long as such waivers meet the requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this subsection (9).
(e)
In the event that the governor has reason to believe that a county's implementation of the works program pursuant to a waiver granted under this subsection (9) fails to satisfy the requirements of the federal law or is inconsistent with the purposes of the works program as set forth in section
26-2-705
, the governor may revoke the waiver granted to the county and require the county to resume implementation of the works program pursuant to the provisions of this part 7 and the rules promulgated pursuant to this part 7.
(f)
In the event that the governor and the state department grant waivers to a county pursuant to this subsection (9), the performance contract entered into between the county and the state department pursuant to section
26-2-715
shall be amended to reflect the county's authority to implement the works program in accordance with the waivers granted and the governor's authority to revoke the waivers in accordance with paragraph (e) of this subsection (9).
(10)
Job market analysis.
The state department, the department of labor and employment, and the state board for community colleges and occupational education created in section
23-60-104 (1)(b)
, C.R.S., shall annually analyze job market information in order to establish a compilation of the types of jobs most appropriate and likely to lead to long-term self-sufficiency for participants. As used in this subsection (10), "job market information" means any state or regional job market or labor data or statistics or any information related to state or regional labor trends that the department of labor and employment may have or to which it may have access.
(11)
Tuition voucher system.
(a)
The state department shall collaborate with the state board for community colleges and occupational education, created in section
23-60-104 (1)(b)
, C.R.S., to develop a tuition voucher system pursuant to which a participant may attend courses at an institution in the state's system of community and technical colleges by using a tuition voucher.
(b)
The state department and the state board for community colleges and occupational education, created in section
23-60-104 (1)(b)
, C.R.S., shall enter into a cooperative arrangement to make available appropriate educational and academic training programs for participants who receive tuition vouchers.
Amended by 2018 Ch. 96, § 17, eff. 8/8/2018.
Amended by 2017 Ch. 264, § 95, eff. 5/25/2017.
L. 97: Entire part added, p. 1204, § 1, effective June 3. L. 2001: (4)(a) amended, p. 414, § 2, effective August 8; (9)(b) amended, p. 1174, § 13, effective August 8. L. 2008: (7) amended, p. 1964, § 14, effective June 2; (4)(a) amended, p. 1291, § 6, effective July 1; (1), (2), (5)(a), (5)(b), (5)(e), (6), (8), and (9)(c) amended and (10) and (11) added, p. 1964, § 14, effective 1/1/2009. L. 2017: (4)(a) amended, (SB 17-294), ch. 264, p. 1410, § 95, effective May 25. L. 2018: IP(5) and (5)(d) amended, (SB 18-095), ch. 96, p. 756, § 17, effective August 8.
For the legislative declaration in SB 18-095, see section 1 of chapter 96, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.