This letter transmits changes with the proposed effective date of April 1, 2004. If there are any changes made the rule contained in this CAMTL during the JCARR review period, a corrected rule will be sent out in the next CAMTL. This cover letter includes a summary statement of the policy change, referencing the clearance control number (CCN) assigned when the policy change was placed in the clearance process.

Section 119.032 of the Revised Code requires a review of all state agency rules within a five-year period. The purpose of this review is to determine whether a rule should be continued without amendment, be amended, or be rescinded, taking into consideration the rule's purpose and scope. In addition, the intent of the review is to ensure that rules are clear and concise as written, program requirements are accurate and up-to-date, unnecessary paperwork is eliminated, and when possible, local agencies are given more flexibility.

CHAPTER 1000

Rule 5101:1-1-50: Written Declaration of Citizenship/Alien Status and the Use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program. (CCN 5189)

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 was passed by Congress to establish a system for verifying the immigration status of non-citizen applicants for, or recipients of, certain types of federally funded benefits. In 1987, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) established the SAVE program, an intergovernmental information-sharing initiative designed to aid benefit providers in verifying an applicant's immigration status to carry out the IRCA requirement.

The INS developed, and made accessible to federal, state and local government agencies, an efficient, secure, and cost effective system for verification, the Alien Status Verification Index (ASVI).

Currently under the ASVI (Touch-Tone Telephone) system, there are two methods of verifying alien registration status: primary verification is an automated process used to provide alien verification within seconds of inquiry and secondary verification when the automated process is unable to provide information and under other specified circumstances.

Because of security safeguards and technological enhancements, the INS, now known as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can no longer support the current access method of the ASVI, the Touch-Tone Telephone system. A new system, the Automated Status Verification System (ASVS), a web-enabled, server-based Customer Processing System (CPS) has been developed to provide faster and better service. A transformation to this new system offers a fully automated means for verifying immigration status and can be accessed through the Personal Computer (Windows-Based) method. There will be a reduction in response time for secondary verification queries to three or less days, there will be a cost reduction associated with filling out the Form G-845 S, (Document Verification Request) and postal service, a reduction in costs per query, and assistance in providing verification response time for quicker determinations of non citizen eligibility for benefits.

The manual secondary verification process will not change and will continue to be available when needed. The Document Verification Request forms (G-845, G-845 S) shall still remain available for additional verification requests submitted. The response times may vary, depending on the workload of the DHS offices, the resources available to process additional verification requests, and the applicant's specific circumstances. Following is the address and phone number for sending Document Verification Request forms:

Department of Homeland Security

1240 East 9th Street

Room 1917

Cleveland, Ohio 44199

Attention: Status Verification Unit

Telephone: (216) 522-2268 or (216) 522-2612

Facsimile: (216) 522-7039

ACCESS

The Web-based 1 system URL address, http://www.vis-dhs.com/webone will be available at the end of February, however agency access to the system will become effective March 1, 2004 for the OWF, PRC, RCA, Medicaid, and Food Stamp programs. Medicaid rules will be addressed in a separate transmittal letter. The change to the SAVE food stamp rule was issued with FSTL #256.

Passwords will be required by users and must be changed every forty-five (45) days. It is an eight (8) character password which can be either capital letters, lower case letters, or number of special characters. A user will have three (3) tries to enter into the system, then a Supervisor must unlock the system. If the system has to be reset, the password would also have to be reset. The CPS Help Desk, 1-800-741-5023 will be available for assistance to all users from 7:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

TRAINING

Training for the ASVS system shall be provided to the counties through a website set up by the contractor of this service, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). This training will be available continuously on the CSC Web-based 1 website, the same screen where actual queries will be completed. ODJFS will provide a technical Super User who will set up the County Security Coordinators at the county level. The County Security Coordinators will set up the county agency supervisors, who will set up the county General Users who are the ones that actually perform the inquiries on the Web-based 1 system.

FORMS APPENDIX

JFS 04219(No Clearance)

JFS 04219 - "Request for Contact" has been amended to include medical assistance programs.

JFS 07341(CCN 5202)

Amended Substitute House Bill 95 added new Section 5101.271 of the Revised Code outlining what must be included in release of information forms provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Because of this new section, the JFS 07341, "Applicant/Recipient Authorization for Release of Information" form is being revised.

As set forth in paragraph (E) of Section 5101.27 of the Revised Code, the County Department of Job and Family Services (CDJFS) shall provide, at no cost, a copy of each written authorization to the individual who signed it.

The JFS 07341 is used to gather information to determine eligibility for cash assistance, medical and/or food stamp benefits. It will also be used to allow the CDJFS to release information to the designated entity of the applicant/recipient. This authorization is not for the release or use of protected health information (PHI); instead, counties should use the appropriate county generated medical authorization for release form.

The JFS 07341, "Applicant/Recipient Authorization for Release of Information" form, is revised. Changes to the form are as follows:

• The "Office Use Only" box was condensed to provide more room on the form for other changes.
• New box was added with the following information to be entered:

• Enter the name of the individual who is authorizing the release
• Enter who is authorized to release the information - the covered entity such as the CDJFS or an employer
• Enter who will receive the information
• Enter the purpose the information is being released - if other than to allow the CDJFS to determine eligibility for the listed programs, e.g., verification for HEAP
• Enter a description of the information to be released

• The applicant/recipient's declaration of understanding section was expanded to conform to the ORC requirements.

• Enter the date the authorization should expire as mutually determined by the CDJFS and the individual
• Enter the "Event" - the reason the signed authorization is needed
• Enter the CDJFS address the individual may send written notice to revoke or cancel the authorization
• A statement to the effect that information used or disclosed as per this specific authorization may be re-disclosed by whoever received the information and that protections by federal or state law may no longer be applicable
• The applicant/recipient or the authorized representative must sign and date the form
• If someone different from the applicant/recipient signs the form, then they must enter their legal authority to act on the part of the applicant/recipient. Legal authority includes but is not limited to a parent who signs the form for a minor child, an individual who has power of attorney over the affairs of the applicant/recipient, a guardian of the children, or an authorized representative for the assistance group.

• Space is provided for the person supplying the information to enter their "reply" and to enter their signature, title, telephone number and the date.

Instructions for Completion of the "Document Verification Request," G-845S (No Clearance)

A name change has occurred within this document from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Instructions