The director of job and family services shall adopt rules to implement this chapter. The rules shall be consistent with Title IV-A, Title IV-D, federal regulations, state law, the Title IV-A state plan submitted to the United States secretary of health and human services under section 5101.80 of the Revised Code, amendments to the plan, and waivers granted by the United States secretary. Rules governing eligibility, program participation, and other applicant and participant requirements shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. Rules governing financial and other administrative requirements applicable to the department of job and family services and county departments of job and family services shall be adopted in accordance with section 111.15 of the Revised Code.

(A) The rules shall specify, establish, or govern all of the following:

(1) A payment standard for Ohio works first based on federal and state appropriations that is increased in accordance with section 5107.04 of the Revised Code;

(2) For the purpose of section 5107.04 of the Revised Code, the method of determining the amount of cash assistance an assistance group receives under Ohio works first;

(3) Requirements for initial and continued eligibility for Ohio works first, including requirements regarding income, citizenship, age, residence, and assistance group composition;

(4) For the purpose of section 5107.12 of the Revised Code, application and verification procedures, including the minimum information an application must contain;

(5) The extent to which a participant of Ohio works first must notify, pursuant to section 5107.12 of the Revised Code, a county department of job and family services of additional income not previously reported to the county department;

(6) For the purpose of section 5107.16 of the Revised Code, both of the following:

(a) Standards for the determination of good cause for failure or refusal to comply in full with a provision of a self-sufficiency contract;

(b) The compliance activities a member of an assistance group must complete for the member to be considered to have ceased to fail or refuse to comply in full with a provision of a self-sufficiency contract.

(7) The department of job and family services providing written notice of a sanction under section 5107.161 of the Revised Code;

(8) For the purpose of division (B) of section 5107.17 of the Revised Code, the circumstances under which the adult member of an assistance group or an assistance group's minor head of household whose failure or refusal, without good cause, to comply in full with a provision of a self-sufficiency contract causes a sanction under section 5107.16 of the Revised Code must enter into a new, or amend an existing, self-sufficiency contract before the assistance group may resume participation in Ohio works first following the sanction;

(9) Requirements for the collection and distribution of support payments owed participants of Ohio works first pursuant to section 5107.20 of the Revised Code;

(10) For the purpose of section 5107.22 of the Revised Code, what constitutes cooperating in establishing a minor child's paternity or establishing, modifying, or enforcing a child support order and good cause for failure or refusal to cooperate;

(11) The requirements governing the LEAP program, including the definitions of "equivalent of a high school diploma" and "good cause," and the incentives provided under the LEAP program;

(12) If the director implements section 5107.301 of the Revised Code, the requirements governing the award provided under that section, including the form that the award is to take and requirements an individual must satisfy to receive the award;

(13) Circumstances under which a county department of job and family services may exempt a minor head of household or adult from participating in a work activity or developmental activity for all or some of the weekly hours otherwise required by section 5107.43 of the Revised Code.

(14) The maximum amount of time the department will subsidize positions created by state agencies and political subdivisions under division (C) of section 5107.52 of the Revised Code;

(15) The implementation of sections 5107.71 to 5107.717 of the Revised Code by county departments of job and family services;

(16) A domestic violence screening process to be used for the purpose of division (A) of section 5107.71 of the Revised Code;

(17) The minimum frequency with which county departments of job and family services must redetermine a member of an assistance group's need for a waiver issued under section 5107.714 of the Revised Code;

(18) Requirements for work activities, developmental activities, and alternative work activities for Ohio works first participants.

(B) The rules adopted under division (A)(3) of this section regarding income shall specify what is countable income, gross earned income, and gross unearned income for the purpose of section 5107.10 of the Revised Code. The rules also shall specify the amount of an assistance group's gross earned income that is to be disregarded for the purpose of division (D)(3) of section 5107.10 of the Revised Code.

The rules adopted under division (A)(10) of this section shall be consistent with 42 U.S.C. 654(29).

The rules adopted under division (A)(13) of this section shall specify that the circumstances include that a school or place of work is closed due to a holiday or weather or other emergency and that an employer grants the minor head of household or adult leave for illness or earned vacation.

(C) The rules may provide that a county department of job and family services is not required to take action under section 5107.76 of the Revised Code to recover an erroneous payment under circumstances the rules specify.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.127, HB 487, §101.01, eff. 9/10/2012.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 07-01-2000; 01-01-2006; 2007 HB119 09-29-2007.