2023 New Mexico Statutes › Chapter 27 - Public Assistance › Article 2D - Education Works › Section 27-2D-2 - Definitions.

As used in the Education Works Act:
A. "applicant" means a person applying for cash assistance on behalf of a benefit group;
B. "benefit group" means a pregnant woman or a group of people that includes a dependent child, all of that dependent child's full, half, step- or adopted siblings living with the dependent child's parent or relative within the fifth degree of consanguinity and the parent with whom the children live;
C. "cash assistance" means cash payments distributed by the department pursuant to the Education Works Act;
D. "department" means the human services department [health care authority department];
E. "dependent child" means a natural, adopted step-child or ward who is:
(1) seventeen years of age or younger;
(2) eighteen years of age and is enrolled in high school; or
(3) between eighteen and twenty-two years of age and is receiving special education services regulated by the public education department;
F. "director" means the director of the income support division of the department;
G. "earned income" means cash or payment in kind that is received as wages from employment or payment in lieu of wages; and earnings from self-employment or earnings acquired from the direct provision of services, goods or property, production of goods, management of property or supervision of services;
H. "education works program" means the cash assistance, activities and services available to a recipient pursuant to the Education Works Act;
I. "federal act" means the federal Social Security Act and rules promulgated pursuant to the Social Security Act;
J. "federal poverty guidelines" means the level of income defining poverty by family size published annually in the federal register by the United States department of health and human services;
K. "parent" means natural parent, adoptive parent or stepparent;
L. "person" means an individual;
M. "recipient" means a person who receives cash assistance or services or a member of a benefit group who has reached the age of majority;
N. "secretary" means the secretary of human services;
O. "services" means child-care assistance; payment for education- or employment-related transportation costs; job search assistance; employment counseling; employment, education and job training placement; an annual payment for education-related costs; case management; or other activities whose purpose is to assist transition into employment;
P. "unearned income" means old age, survivors and disability insurance; railroad retirement benefits; veterans administration compensation or pension; military retirement; pensions, annuities and retirement benefits; lodge or fraternal benefits; shared shelter payments; settlement payments; individual Indian money; child support; unemployment compensation benefits; union benefits paid in cash; gifts and contributions; and real property income; and
Q. "vehicle" means a conveyance for the transporting of persons to or from employment or education for the activities of daily living or for the transportation of goods; "vehicle" does not include boats, trailers or mobile homes used as a principal place of residence.
History:
Laws 2003, ch. 317, § 2; 2007, ch. 350, § 8; 2009, ch. 186, § 5.
ANNOTATIONS
Bracketed material.
— The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law. Laws 2023, ch. 205, § 16 provided that references to the human services department shall be deemed to be references to the health care authority department.
Cross references.
— For provisions regarding the health care authority department,
see
Chapter 9, Article 8.
For the Social Security Act,
see
42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq.
The 2009 amendment,
effective June 19, 2009, in Subsection K, deleted "or legal guardian".
Applicability.
— Laws 2009, ch. 186, § 7 provided that the provisions of Laws 2009, ch. 186 apply beginning August 1, 2009.
The 2007 amendment,
effective June 15, 2007, added the definition of "applicant" in Subsection A and revised the definition of "cash assistance" to eliminate the qualification in the definition of "cash payment" that payments be funded by maintenance of effort funds appropriated in compliance with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, Title 42 of the U.S. Code.