Department of Social Services (765)

Authority: Title 63.2, Chapter 1; § 2.2-4000 et seq., Code of Virginia; P.L. 98-502, P.L. 104-156, P.L. 104-193, P.L. 104-327, P.L. 105-33, as amended; P.L. 105-89; P.L. 105-178, Federal Code; Titles IV-A, IV-B, IV-D, IV-E, XIX, XX, XXI of the federal Social Security Act, as amended.

A. The Department of Social Services shall require localities to report all expenditures on designated social services, regardless of reimbursement from state and federal sources. The Department of Social Services is authorized to include eligible costs in its claim for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Maintenance of Effort requirements.

B. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Commissioner, Department of Social Services shall work with localities that seek to voluntarily merge and consolidate their respective local departments of social services. No funds appropriated under this act shall be used to require a locality to merge or consolidate local departments of social services.

C. The Commissioner, Department of Social Services, in consultation with relevant state and local agencies, shall develop proposed criteria for assessing funding requests for addressing space needs among local departments of social services, as well as proposed consolidated human services buildings. The criteria shall include but not be limited to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, access to public transportation, life safety issues, condition of current space and related major building systems, impact on service delivery, and other factors as may be appropriate. The department shall use the criteria to prioritize local requests for increased state reimbursement for renovating existing space, relocating or constructing new space. For those jurisdictions that, when applying such criteria, achieve high priority ranking for increased state reimbursement, yet initiate local funding actions to address critical space needs or to consolidate human services, they shall nevertheless retain their ranking on the prioritized list of projects for increased state reimbursement for renovating existing space, relocating or constructing new space. The department shall forward a prioritized list of projects to the Secretary of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Planning and Budget by November 1 of each year for consideration by the Governor in the development of the budget. The department shall also submit a copy of the list of prioritized projects by November 1 of each year, to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.

D.1. Out of this appropriation, $473,844 the first year and $473,844 the second year from the general fund and $781,791 the first year and $781,791 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be provided to support the statewide 2-1-1 Information and Referral System which provides resource and referral information on many of the specialized health and human resource services available in the Commonwealth, including child day care availability and providers in localities throughout the state, and publish consumer-oriented materials for those interested in learning the location of child day care providers.

2. The Department of Social Services shall request that all state and local child-serving agencies within the Commonwealth be included in the Virginia Statewide Information and Referral System as well as any agency or entity that receives state general fund dollars and provides services to families and youth.  The Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Secretary of Education and Workforce, and the Secretary of Public Safety shall assist in this effort by requesting all affected agencies within their secretariats to submit information to the statewide Information and Referral System and ensure that such information is accurate and updated annually.  Agencies shall also notify the Virginia Information and Referral System of any changes in services that may occur throughout the year.

3. The Department of Social Services shall communicate with child-serving agencies within the Commonwealth about the availability of the statewide Information and Referral System.  This information shall also be communicated via the Department of Social Services’ broadcast system on their agency-wide Intranet so that all local and regional offices can be better informed about the Statewide Information and Referral System.  Information on the Statewide Information and Referral System shall also be included within the department’s electronic mailings to all local and regional offices at least biannually.

E.1. Out of this appropriation, $6,400,000 $2,000,000 the first year and $4,400,000 $7,500,000 the second year from the general fund and $44,500,000 the first year and $8,200,000 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be provided to modernize eligibility determination systems in the Department of Social Services.  If any additional funding is needed, the department shall complete modernization efforts within existing resources. 

2. Within 30 days of awarding a contract related to the eligibility project, the Department of Social Services shall provide the Chairmen of House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, and Director, Department of Planning and Budget with a copy of the contract including costs.

3. Beginning July 1, 2012, the Department of Social Services shall also provide semi-annual progress reports that must include a current project summary, implementation status, accounting of project expenditures and future milestones.  All reports shall be submitted to the Chairmen of House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, and Director, Department of Planning and Budget.

F. Out of this appropriation, $522,286 the second year from the general fund and $1,924,019 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be provided to supplement management and programmatic support of the agency’s eligibility systems modernization effort. In addition, eight positions are added in FY 2013. These resources shall be dedicated to the modernization project until its completion or the end of FY 2017, whichever comes first.

G. On or before June 30, 2013 the Department of Social Services shall deposit to the general fund $4,371,057 resulting from the identification of a prior period general fund refund.