(a) An Alaska temporary assistance program participant shall, after the participant's family has received a cumulative total of 24 months of cash assistance or sooner if assigned to do so by the department, participate in work activities as assigned by the department or its designee in order for the family to continue to receive cash assistance or self-sufficiency services from the department under the Alaska temporary assistance program, unless the participant is exempt from the work participation requirements under one or more of the exemptions set out in (b) - (d) of this section.

(b) A parent or caretaker with a dependent child of up to 12 months of age may be exempt from work participation requirements for up to 12 months, as established in the family self-sufficiency plan.

(c) A parent or caretaker may be exempt from work participation requirements in the family self-sufficiency plan if

(1) the parent or caretaker is providing home care for a child who is experiencing a disability or a related, disabled person who requires 24-hour care;

(2) the parent or caretaker establishes an inability to participate for medical reasons supported by documentation from a physician or other licensed medical professional;

(3) the participation would impose an unreasonable hardship on the family; or

(4) there is a dependent child in the home that has not yet attained six years of age and the parent or caretaker demonstrates an inability to obtain needed child care because appropriate child care is not available.

(d) The department may not require a person to participate in work activities under (a) of this section

(1) if the person is the sole custodial parent for a child under six years of age unless the department agrees to pay for the costs of child care determined by the department to be necessary for the person's participation; and

(2) unless the department agrees to pay for transportation expenses determined by the department to be necessary for the person's participation in the activity.

(e) A participant in work activities under this section is not a state employee for purposes of AS 39.25 (State Personnel Act).

(f) A participant in work activities under this section is not considered an employee of the state or other public employer for purposes of AS 23.40.070 - 23.40.260 (Public Employment Relations Act) nor shall any provision of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under AS 23.40.070 - 23.40.260 be construed to interfere with the department's authority to assign participants to work activities as authorized under this section.