108A-24. Definitions.

As used in Chapter 108A:

(1) "Applicant" is any person who requests assistance or on whose behalf assistance is requested.

(1a) Repealed by Session Laws 2001-424, s. 21.52.

(1b) "Community service" means work exchanged for temporary public assistance.

(1c) "County block grant" means federal and State money appropriated to implement and maintain a county's Work First Program.

(1d) "County department of social services" means a county department of social services, consolidated human services agency, or other local agency designated to administer services pursuant to this Article.

(1e) "County Plan" is the biennial Work First Program plan prepared by each Electing County pursuant to this Article and submitted to the Department for incorporation into the State Plan that also includes the Standard Work First Program.

(2) "Department" is the Department of Health and Human Services, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(3) "Dependent child" is a person 17 years of age or younger or, in the medical assistance program, a person under 19 years of age. A child 18 years of age, if in high school and expected to graduate by his or her 19th birthday, may receive Work First benefits through the month he or she turns 19 years of age or graduates from high school, whichever comes first.

(3a) "Electing County" means a county that elects to develop and is approved to administer a local Work First Program.

(3b) "Employment" means work that requires either a contribution to FICA or the filing of a State N.C. Form D-400, or the equivalent.

(3c) "Family" means a unit consisting of a minor child or children and one or more of their biological parents, adoptive parents, stepparents, or grandparents living together. For purposes of the Work First Program, family also includes a blood or half-blood relative or adoptive relative limited to brother, sister, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent, uncle, aunt, great-uncle, great-aunt, great-great-uncle, great-great-aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, stepbrother, and stepsister.

(3d) "Federal TANF funds" means the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant funds provided for in Title IV-A of the Social Security Act.

(3e) "FICA" means the taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contribution Act, 26 U.S.C. 3101, et seq.

(3f) Repealed by Session Laws 2009-489, s. 1, effective August 26, 2009.

(3g) "Full-time employment" means employment which requires the employee to work a regular schedule of hours per day and days per week established as the standard full-time workweek by the employer, but not less than an average of 30 hours per week.

(4) Repealed by Session Laws 1983, c. 14, s. 3.

(4a) "Mutual Responsibility Agreement" ("MRA") is an agreement between a county and a recipient of Work First Program assistance which describes the conditions for eligibility for the assistance and what the county will provide to assist the recipient in moving from assistance to self-sufficiency. A MRA may provide for recipient parental responsibilities and child development goals and what a county or the State will provide to assist the recipient in achieving those child development goals. Improvement in literacy shall be a part of any MRA, but a recipient shall not be penalized if unable to achieve improvement. A MRA is a prerequisite for any Work First Program assistance under this Article.

(4b) "Parent" means biological parent or adoptive parent, and for Work First purposes, includes a stepparent.

(5) "Recipient" is a person to whom, or on whose behalf, assistance is granted under this Article.

(6) "Resident," unless otherwise defined by federal regulation, is a person who is living in North Carolina at the time of application with the intent to remain permanently or for an indefinite period; or who is a person who enters North Carolina seeking employment or with a job commitment.

(7) "Secretary" is the Secretary of Health and Human Services, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

(8) "Standard Program County" means a county that participates in the Standard Work First Program.

(9) "Standard Work First Program" means the Work First Program developed by the Department.

(10) "State Plan" is the biennial Work First Program plan, based upon the aggregate of the Electing County Plans and the Standard Work First Program, prepared by the Department for the State's Work First Program pursuant to this Article, and submitted sequentially to the Budget Director, to the General Assembly, to the Governor, and to the appropriate federal officials for approval.

(11) "Temporary" is a time period, not to exceed 60 cumulative months, which meets the federal requirement of Title IV-A.

(12) "Title IV-A" means the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 601, et seq., as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, P.L. 104-193, as further amended by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, P.L. 109-171 and to other provisions of federal law as may apply to assistance provided in this Article.

(13) "Work" is lawful activity exchanged for cash, goods, uses, or services.

(14) "Work First Diversion Assistance" is a short-term cash payment that is intended to substantially reduce the likelihood of a family requiring Work First Family Assistance. Work First Diversion Assistance must be used to address a specific family crisis or episode of need and may not be used for ongoing or recurrent needs. Work First Diversion Assistance is limited to once in a 12-month period.

(15) "Work First Family Assistance" is a program of time-limited periodic payments to assist in maintaining the children of eligible families while the adult family members engage in activities to prepare for entering and to enter the workplace.

(16) "Work First Program" is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program established in this Article.

(17) "Work First Program assistance" means the goods or services provided under the Work First Program.

(18) "Work First Services" are services funded from appropriations made pursuant to this Article and designed to facilitate the purposes of the Work First Program.