(b) General Assistance may consist of 2 separate programs. One program shall be for adults with no children and shall be known as Transitional Assistance. The other program may be for families with children and for pregnant women and shall be known as Family and Children Assistance.

(c) (1) To be eligible for Transitional Assistance on or after July 1, 1992, an individual must be ineligible for assistance under any other Article of this Code, must be determined chronically needy, and must be one of the following:

(A) age 18 or over or

(B) married and living with a spouse, regardless of age.

(2) The local governmental unit shall determine whether individuals are chronically needy as follows:

(A) Individuals who have applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and are awaiting a decision on eligibility for SSI who are determined to be a person with a disability by the Illinois Department using the SSI standard shall be considered chronically needy, except that individuals whose disability is based solely on substance use disorders and whose disability would cease were their addictions to end shall be eligible only for medical assistance and shall not be eligible for cash assistance under the Transitional Assistance program.

(B) (Blank).

(C) The unit of local government may specify other categories of individuals as chronically needy; nothing in this Section, however, shall be deemed to require the inclusion of any specific category other than as specified in paragraph (A).

(3) For individuals in Transitional Assistance, medical assistance may be provided by the unit of local government in an amount and nature determined by the unit of local government. Nothing in this paragraph (3) shall be construed to require the coverage of any particular medical service. In addition, the amount and nature of medical assistance provided may be different for different categories of individuals determined chronically needy.

(4) (Blank).

(5) (Blank).

(d) (1) To be eligible for Family and Children Assistance, a family unit must be ineligible for assistance under any other Article of this Code and must contain a child who is:

(A) under age 18 or

(B) age 18 and a full-time student in a secondary school or the equivalent level of vocational or technical training, and who may reasonably be expected to complete the program before reaching age 19. Those children shall be eligible for Family and Children Assistance.

(2) The natural or adoptive parents of the child living in the same household may be eligible for Family and Children Assistance.

(3) A pregnant woman whose pregnancy has been verified shall be eligible for income maintenance assistance under the Family and Children Assistance program.

(4) The amount and nature of medical assistance provided under the Family and Children Assistance program shall be determined by the unit of local government. The amount and nature of medical assistance provided need not be the same as that provided under paragraph (3) of subsection (c) of this Section, and nothing in this paragraph (4) shall be construed to require the coverage of any particular medical service.

(5) (Blank).

(e) A local governmental unit that chooses to participate in a General Assistance program under this Section shall provide funding in accordance with Section 12-21.13 of this Act. Local governmental funds used to qualify for State funding may only be expended for clients eligible for assistance under this Section 6-11 and related administrative expenses.

(f) (Blank).

(g) (Blank). (Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15; 100-759, eff. 1-1-19 .)