SB 670 - This act creates the Community Partnership Program Pilot Project for the purpose of addressing poverty issues and promoting local participation. The Program is created as a pilot project in St. Charles county. Qualified individuals participating in the program must enter into a standard contractual agreement with the program in order to receive services. The individual may only enter into one contract at a time.

The Division of Family Services is required to publicly disclose the amount of public assistance dispersed to families with dependent children. The division must treat disbursements to those participating in the program in the same way as those not participating. It must notify qualified individuals within the geographic area of the program and provide a hotline for individual complaints.

Any community partnership may contract with the Division to distribute public assistance to qualified individuals. Community partnerships may charge fees of participants, not to exceed ten percent of the amount of public assistance distributed. The partnerships may supplement a participant's public assistance with cash grants or services, such as child care, job training, transportation, education, and health benefits.

As a condition for receipt of public assistance, the program may require participants to meet additional requirements. However, they may not require any participant to perform illegal acts or attend religious services. Any qualified individual who fails to meet the requirements of the contract with the program will forfeit any increase in public assistance over the amount he or she would have received if not a member of the program. The qualified individual will also lose any other supplemental support received from the program. The forfeiture will continue until the qualified individual complies with the contract or until the contract terminates.

After the contract terminates, the qualified individual will be deemed a "nonparticipant" for a period of thirty days, after which the individual may renew the contract. Every contract must have a termination clause allowing each party to terminate upon thirty days notice.

Community partnership organizations must satisfy certain conditions before contracting with the Division for the provision of services, such as demonstrating what services will be provided and establishing a grievance procedure for qualified individuals.

Private donations may be solicited by and given to the program and taxpayers may receive a tax credit equal to fifty percent of their donations. If the tax credit exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability, the credit may be carried over. The credit will be available January 1, 2001 and applies to all taxable years beginning after December 31, 2000.

The community partnership program pilot project fund is also established to provide public assistance to qualified individuals who participate. In addition, the Community Partnership Program Pilot Project Advisory Council is created to make recommendations to the Division on ways to improve and expand the program. The council will meet at least twice yearly.

This act is substantially similar to SB 44 (1999).
ERIN MOTLEY