(a) The Commissioner of Social Services is authorized and empowered to accept any and all allotments of federal funds, federal funds to match private contributions and commodities, and to manage and dispose of the same in whatever manner is required by federal law, and to take advantage of any amendments and supplements to the federal Social Security Act and of any other federal act relating to public welfare, and to conform to such federal requirements as are conditions precedent to the receipt of federal matching grants and are not prohibited by the general statutes.

(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall determine that portion of social security increases approved by the federal government or other unearned income which shall be disregarded by the Department of Social Services in the payment of benefits to recipients of, and in the determination of eligibility of applicants for the state supplement program to the Supplemental Security Income Program. The Commissioner of Social Services, upon application, shall increase the amount disregarded for unrelated recipients in the state supplement program to the Supplemental Security Income Program who share living arrangements. The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-166 to 4-176, inclusive, to establish specific dollar amounts to be disregarded. Such dollar amounts shall be no less than the amount of income from the Supplemental Security Income Program disregarded by the Department of Social Services pursuant to the provisions of this section in effect on June 30, 1976.

(1949 Rev., S. 2628; 1949, 1953, S. 1459d; 1967, P.A. 490; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; 75-522, S. 1, 2; P.A. 76-200, S. 1, 2; P.A. 77-614, S. 608, 610; P.A. 84-337; P.A. 88-317, S. 69, 107; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-418, S. 3, 41; P.A. 03-268, S. 2.)

History: 1967 act added authorization to conform to federal requirements as conditions precedent to receipt of grants; P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner and department with commissioner and department of social services; P.A. 75-522 added Subsec. (b) re disregard of social security increases; P.A. 76-200 rephrased Subsec. (b) to allow commissioner discretion as to how much of increase is to be disregarded within certain limits as set forth, previously increases were disregarded altogether; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner and department of social services with commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 84-337 amended Subsec. (b) by providing, upon application, an increase in the amount disregarded for unrelated recipients who share living arrangements; P.A. 88-317 amended reference to Secs. 4-166 to 4-176 in Subsec. (b) to include new sections added to Ch. 54, effective July 1, 1989, and applicable to all agency proceedings commencing on or after that date; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of income maintenance, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-418 allowed the commissioner to accept federal funds to match private contributions and required commissioner to submit annual report to appropriations committee re amount and use of such funds, effective July 1, 1993; Sec. 17-11 transferred to Sec. 17b-11 in 1995; P.A. 03-268 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting requirement that commissioner submit annual report to appropriations committee re amount, purpose and use of federal funds accepted to match private contributions.