(1)(a) For the purposes of community and technical college students' eligibility for the Washington basic food program, the department shall, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges, identify educational programs at the community and technical colleges that would meet the requirements of state-approved employment and training programs.

(b) In identifying educational programs, the department must consider science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs and must be as inclusive as possible of other programs.

(c) The department shall maintain and regularly update a list of identified programs in accordance with 7 C.F.R. Sec. 273.5(b)(11), which provides that a student is eligible for an exemption from eligibility rules if the student's attendance can be described as part of a program to increase the student's employability.

(d) For the purposes of this section, and to the extent allowed by federal law, a student shall be anticipating participation through a work-study program if he or she can reasonably expect or foresee being assigned work-study employment. For the purposes of this subsection: "Anticipation [Anticipating] participation" means a student has received approval of work-study as part of a financial aid package and has yet to receive notice from the institution of higher education that he or she has been denied participation in work-study; and "work-study" means the program created in chapter 28B.12 RCW.

(e) The department shall coordinate with the state board of [for] community and technical colleges and the Washington state student achievement council to identify options that could confer categorical eligibility for students who receive state need grants that are funded through temporary assistance for needy families federal or state maintenance of effort dollars. By January 1, 2020, the department must provide a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature that identifies federal assistance options for state need grant recipients.

(2) If the United States department of agriculture requires federal approval of what constitutes state-approved employment and training programs for the purposes of basic food eligibility, the department shall seek federal approval.

Findings—Intent—Conflict with federal requirements—2019 c 407: See notes following RCW 28B.50.295.