Code of the District of Columbia

§ 4–205.15. Standards for inclusion in TANF assistance unit.

(a) An application on behalf of a dependent child shall include in the TANF assistance unit the following individuals, if living in the same household as the dependent child and otherwise eligible:

(1) The parent or parents of a dependent child, except that a parent who marries a person with whom the parent does not have any child in common may, at the parent’s request, choose not to be included in the dependent child’s assistance unit;

(1A) The step-parent of a dependent child, if there is a parent of the dependent child in the home who chooses to be included in the dependent child’s assistance unit; and

(1B) Any dependent child of a step-parent who is included in a dependent step-child’s assistance unit; and

(2) All blood-related, half-blooded-related, and adopted brothers and sisters of the dependent child who are themselves dependent children under age 18 or under 19 years of age and are full-time students in a secondary school (or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training); and

(3) Repealed.

(b) For the purposes of subsection (a) of this section, the Mayor shall determine the meaning of the term “full-time student” and shall determine which vocational or technical training courses are equivalent to the level of secondary school.

(c) In order to be included in an TANF assistance unit under this section, a dependent child aged 16 or 17 years must be enrolled in a program of secondary education or vocational or technical training.

(d) An application on behalf of a dependent child may include in the TANF assistance unit a caretaker relative other than a parent, provided that neither parent is living in the home and the caretaker relative requests to be included, meets each eligibility requirement, and lives in the same household as the dependent child.

(e) Individuals who are ineligible to receive TANF, and who shall be excluded from the TANF assistance unit during the period of ineligibility, shall include:

(1) An individual who receives SSI benefits;

(2) An alien who is ineligible for TANF as a result of the deeming of a sponsor’s income and resources to the alien pursuant to § 421 of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, approved August 22, 1996 (110 Stat. 2105; 8 U.S.C. § 1631);

(3) An alien who is ineligible for TANF because the alien does not meet the citizenship and alienage requirements of § 4-205.24(a);

(4) An individual who is ineligible for TANF as the result of the imposition of a sanction; and

(5) An individual who is ineligible for TANF, pursuant to § 4-205.33, due to receipt of lump-sum income.

(6) Repealed.