The bill amends sections of the Rhode Island General Laws related to the Rhode Island Works Program, revising eligibility criteria and work requirements for cash assistance. It exempts Rhode Island residents with drug felony convictions from federal restrictions that would otherwise disqualify them from state and federal assistance. The bill mandates the creation of individual employment plans, sets a resource limit of $5,000 for eligibility, and outlines various exclusions from a family's countable resources. It increases the gross earnings disregard from $300 to $525 and specifies types of income that are not counted towards eligibility. A lifetime limit of 60 months for receiving cash assistance is established, with exceptions for minor children and provisions for hardship extensions. The bill also requires minor parents to live with an adult to be eligible for assistance and mandates cooperation with child support enforcement as a condition of eligibility. A new section, 40-5.2-11. Cash assistance., is suggested for insertion, indicating an addition to the legal text regarding cash assistance. The bill specifies that eligible families can receive cash assistance from the date of application, with updated payment standards. New work requirements are introduced, with single parents or caretaker relatives required to participate in work activities for 20 to 30 hours per week, depending on the age of the youngest child. Two-parent families must engage in work activities for 35 to 55 hours per week, with exemptions provided under certain conditions. Sanctions for non-compliance with work requirements are modified, removing the three-month benefit reduction and termination, and allowing a 10-day period to resolve issues. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2024. Additionally, the bill proposes to expand eligibility to pregnant persons from the onset of pregnancy, allow lawful permanent residents to receive benefits without a waiting period, increase monthly cash benefits to fifty percent of the federal poverty level, adjust benefits annually, remove the "full family sanction," and limit monetary sanctions. The act would become effective immediately upon passage.