(a) A participant in the Alaska temporary assistance program shall cooperate with the department, or its designee, to develop and sign a family self-sufficiency plan that includes

(1) the steps the family will take towards the self-sufficiency of the family;

(2) the self-sufficiency services the department will provide to assist the family to attain self-sufficiency;

(3) specific benchmarks to indicate the steps toward successful completion of the family plan;

(4) a statement that the family may be subject to reductions in cash assistance or self-sufficiency services or other sanctions if the family fails to comply with the family plan; and

(5) a statement that describes the necessary conditions and the steps that must be taken to renegotiate the terms of the family plan.

(b) The family self-sufficiency plan must set a time period for the achievement of self-sufficiency from cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program. Initially, that time period may not provide for any more than a total of 60 months of cash assistance under the Alaska temporary assistance program even though the family may eventually be eligible for an exemption under AS 47.27.015(a)(1). Unless the members of the family who are not dependent children are all exempt under AS 47.27.035(b) - (d), the time period for receiving cash assistance may not exceed a cumulative total of 24 months unless each nonexempt person is in compliance with the work activity assignment made under AS 47.27.035.

(c) A family is exempt from the requirement that the family have a self-sufficiency plan under this section if the family

(1) does not include a needy adult; or

(2) [Repealed, § 3 ch 75 SLA 2001.]

(3) is receiving a diversion payment under AS 47.27.026.

(d) The department may provide only self-sufficiency services to a family that no longer qualifies for cash assistance due to employment, a family that is disqualified from receiving cash assistance under AS 47.27.015(a)(1), (c), or (g), or a family that qualifies for cash assistance but requests only self-sufficiency services. Self-sufficiency services that are made available to a family under this subsection shall be based on a determination of need established by the department in regulation. If a family receives only self-sufficiency services, the department may waive the self-sufficiency plan requirements specified in (a) and (b) of this section.