Governor Sam Brownback has signed into law a sweeping bill tightening Kansas welfare rules, but the new requirements must comply with nation-wide guidelines.
Sandra Kimmons, with the Kansas Department for Children and Families, says many of the provisions in the law were already on the books. Some new rules, like a $25 limit on ATM cash withdrawals, may catch the eye of the feds. Kimmons says that requirement doesn’t seem to violate federal rules.
“We have no idea that the feds will say, we have not found any specific regulation that states that, most of it’s very general terms,” says Kimmons.
The legislation cuts back on the amount of cash assistance welfare recipients can receive during their lifetimes. It also restricts what they can buy. And, it codifies many existing policies, turning them into law and making it more difficult to change the rules in the future.