(A) As used in this section, "poverty guideline" means the official poverty guideline as revised annually by the United States secretary of health and human services in accordance with section 673 of the "Community Services Block Grant Act," 95 Stat. 511 (1981), 42 U.S.C.A. 9902, as amended, for a family size equal to the size of the family of the person whose income is being determined.

(B) The department of human services shall establish the adult emergency assistance program with funds appropriated by the general assembly.

Funds appropriated for the program shall be used to assist persons eligible for the program with emergency needs, including food, clothing, shelter, and other essential goods or services. The funds shall be used for direct payments to, or on behalf of, eligible persons. A person is eligible for the program if the person meets all of the following requirements:

(1) The person is at least eighteen years of age;

(2) The person is not a parent residing with the parent's child;

(3) The person does not have income greater than forty per cent of the poverty guideline, unless the person is sixty-five years of age or older and receiving supplemental security income under Title XVI of the "Social Security Act," 86 Stat. 1475 (1972), 42 U.S.C.A. 1383, as amended.

(C) As soon as possible after the start of each fiscal year, the department shall distribute, in a single payment, the funds appropriated that fiscal year for the program to the Ohio state set-aside committee of the federal emergency management agency or to a fiscal agent designated by the committee. The committee shall determine the amount of the appropriation to be allocated to each county, and the committee or its fiscal agent shall distribute the allocations to the counties. Each county's allocation shall be paid to a nonprofit entity that serves as the county's emergency food and shelter board or to a fiscal agent designated by the entity. If an entity serves as the emergency food and shelter board for more than one county, the allocation for each of those counties shall be paid to that entity.

The committee may reallocate funds during a fiscal year based on its determination of local needs and expenditures.

The committee or its fiscal agent may use up to three per cent of the amount appropriated for a fiscal year for administrative expenses. The committee may allow any county entity receiving funds under this section, the entity's fiscal agent, or an entity designated by the county entity to use up to four per cent of the county's allocation for administrative expenses.

(D) If any local entity returns unexpended funds for the program to the committee, the committee shall return the funds to the department. The department shall seek approval from the controlling board to transfer the unexpended funds to increase that fiscal year's appropriation for the program. If the controlling board approves the increase, the department shall distribute the increased appropriation to the committee or its fiscal agent. The committee may allocate, distribute, and reallocate the additional funds in the same manner as other funds appropriated that fiscal year for the program.

(E) Each entity receiving funds under this section shall report to the committee, in the form and manner required by the committee, information regarding the entity's use of the funds. The committee shall compile the information received from these reports and provide it to the department and the general assembly. The committee shall provide the department and the general assembly with the information no later than the thirtieth day of September of each fiscal year.

Effective Date: 06-30-1999.