House Bill 376 Summary

• Requires individuals age 18+ receiving public assistance (TANF, Medicaid, and other state-funded economic assistance) who are not employed to submit documentation each quarter showing job search and employment application attempts to their caseworker.

• Authorizes the state agency administering public assistance programs to verify employment searches and applications through the WIN Job Centers database maintained by the Mississippi Department of Employment Security.

• Imposes penalties for non-compliance: first instance results in 90-day ineligibility for benefits; second and subsequent instances result in 180-day ineligibility.

• Adds employment documentation requirement to existing Medicaid eligibility criteria in Section 43-13-115 and TANF disqualification grounds in Section 43-17-5.

• Implementation is contingent upon the Mississippi Department of Human Services and Division of Medicaid receiving all necessary federal waivers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; effective July 1, 2017.