Library / Laws / 113th / hr / H.R. 814 / Introduced in House
I
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 814
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 25, 2013
Ms. Moore (for
herself, Ms. Brown of Florida,
Mr. Conyers,
Ms. DeLauro,
Ms. Norton,
Mr. Grijalva,
Mr. Brady of Pennsylvania, and
Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in
addition to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To reauthorize and amend the program of block grants to
States for temporary assistance for needy families and related
programs.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Rewriting to Improve and Secure an
Exit Out of Poverty Act or the RISE Out of Poverty Act.
2.
Table of
contents
The table of contents
of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. References.
Sec. 4. State plans required to address whether and how States
will provide assistance to neediest geographic areas.
Sec. 5. Funding of the TANF program.
Sec. 6. Work requirements.
Sec. 7. Work rules.
Sec. 8. Prohibition on imposing limit of less than 60 months on
duration of assistance.
Sec. 9. Response of TANF program to economic
recessions.
Sec. 10. Requirement that States use merit-based system in
administration of TANF programs.
Sec. 11. Ban on using Federal TANF funds to replace State and
local spending that does not meet the definition of qualified State
expenditures.
Sec. 12. TANF assistance to meet basic family economic
needs.
Sec. 13. State plans and reports on child poverty.
Sec. 14. Requirement that States adopt standards and procedures
to address domestic and sexual violence among TANF recipients.
Sec. 15. Child care entitlement.
Sec. 16. Child support enforcement.
Sec. 17. State option to extend eligibility for assistance to
children through age 21; prohibition on considering financial aid tied to
education of child in determining eligibility for, or amount of assistance;
prohibition on imposing additional requirements based on educational enrollment
of child.
Sec. 18. Elimination of certain other bars to TANF
assistance.
Sec. 19. Effective date.
3.
References
Except as otherwise expressly provided in
this Act, wherever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed in terms of
an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other provision, the amendment or
repeal shall be considered to be made to a section or other provision of the
Social Security Act.
4.
State plans
required to address whether and how States will provide assistance to neediest
geographic areas
Section
402(a)(1)(A)(i) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)(i)) is amended by inserting ,
including whether and how the State will give priority to providing benefits
and services in areas of the State with the greatest need (such as areas with
the greatest unemployment rates, the greatest poverty rates, and the least job
opportunity to population ratios) before the period.
5.
Funding of the
TANF program
(a)
State family
assistance grant
(1)
In
general
Section 403(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)) is
amended—
(A) in subparagraph
(A), by striking fiscal years 1996, and all that follows through
2003, and inserting fiscal year 2013 and each succeeding
fiscal year; and
(B) by striking
subparagraphs (B) and (C) and inserting the following:
(B)
State family
assistance grant
(i)
In
general
The State family
assistance grant payable to a State for a fiscal year shall be the greater
of—
(I) the adjusted basic
block grant, plus the amount required to be paid to the State under paragraph
(3) (as in effect on September 30, 2010) for fiscal year 2010; or
(II) the amount required to be paid to the State
under this paragraph for the preceding fiscal year.
(ii)
Adjusted basic
block grant
In clause (i), the term adjusted block
grant means, with respect to a State, the product of—
(I) the amount required to be paid to the State
under this paragraph for fiscal year 2010 (determined without regard to any
reduction pursuant to section 409 or 412(a)(1));
(II) 1.00, plus the percentage (if any) by which
the average of the CPI for the 12-month period ending with June of the
preceding fiscal year exceeds the average of the CPI for the 12-month period
ending with June 1996, expressed as a decimal; and
(III) 1.00, plus the percentage (if any) by which
the most recent estimate by the Bureau of the Census of the population of the
State that has not attained 18 years of age exceeds the most recent estimate by
the Bureau of the Census of that population as of July 1, 1996, expressed as a
decimal.
(iii)
CPI
defined
In clause (ii), the term CPI means the last
Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Department of
Labor for the period involved.
(C)
Appropriation
Out of any money in the Treasury of the
United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated such sums as
are necessary for grants under this paragraph for each fiscal
year.
.
(2)
Conforming
amendment to eliminate supplemental grants for population increases in certain
States
Section 403(a) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)) is amended by striking
paragraph (3).
(b)
Penalty for
failure To maintain effort adjusted for inflation
Section 409(a)(7) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph
(A), by inserting the inflation-adjusted before historic
State expenditures; and
(2) in subparagraph
(B), by redesignating clauses (iii) through (v) as clauses (iv) through (vi),
respectively, and inserting after clause (ii) the following:
(iii)
Inflation-adjusted
historic State expenditures
The term inflation-adjusted historic
State expenditures means, with respect to a fiscal year—
(I) historic State
expenditures; multiplied by
(II) 1.00, plus (in the case of fiscal year 2014
or any succeeding fiscal year) the percentage (if any) by which the average of
the CPI (as defined in section 403(a)(1)(B)(iii)) for the 12-month period
ending with June of the preceding fiscal year exceeds the average of the CPI
(as so defined) for the 12-month period ending with June 2012, expressed as a
decimal.
.
(c)
Modification of
contingency fund
(1)
In
general
Section 403(b) (42 U.S.C. 603(b)) is amended by striking
all that follows paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
(2)
Grants
(A)
In
general
The Secretary shall make a grant to each eligible State
and each Indian tribe that is an economically needy entity for a calendar
quarter, in an amount equal to 80 percent of the amount (if any) by which the
total amount of relevant expenditures of the entity for the quarter exceeds the
total amount of the relevant expenditures of the entity for the corresponding
quarter in the base year of the entity, subject to paragraph (2).
(B)
Limitation
The
total amount payable to an entity under this subsection for a fiscal year shall
not exceed an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount payable to the
entity—
(i) if
the entity is a State, under section 403(a)(1) for the fiscal year; or
(ii) if the entity is
an Indian tribe, under section 412(a)(1) for the fiscal year.
(3)
Definitions
In paragraph (2):
(A)
Economically
needy entity
The term
economically needy entity means an entity with respect to a
calendar quarter—
(i) if
the seasonally adjusted average unemployment rate with respect to entity for
the quarter or any of the preceding 4 calendar quarters exceeds 6.5 percent;
or
(ii) in the case that the unemployment rate
information described in clause (i) is not available with respect to the
entity, if the entity meets such qualifications as the Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall, by regulation,
prescribe.
(B)
Base
year
The term base year means, with respect to an
entity, and a calendar quarter in a fiscal year—
(i) except as provided
in clause (ii), whichever of the 2 fiscal years most recently preceding the 1st
fiscal year of the most recent contingency fund eligibility period for the
entity, is the fiscal year in which the relevant expenditures of the entity
were the lesser; or
(ii) if the 1st year
of the period referred to in clause (i) is fiscal year 2013, whichever of
fiscal year 2007 or 2008 is the fiscal year in which the relevant expenditures
of the entity were the lesser.
(C)
Contingency fund
eligibility period
The term
contingency fund eligibility period means, with respect to an
entity, a period of 1 or more consecutive calendar quarters for which the
entity is an economically needy entity.
(D)
Relevant
expenditures
(i)
In
general
The term relevant expenditures means
expenditures—
(I) for assistance under the program funded
under this part of the entity (including, in the case of a State, any qualified
State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) and any expenditures
under any other State program funded by such expenditures);
(II) for child
care;
(III) for subsidized employment under the program
funded under this part of the entity (including, in the case of a State, such
expenditures under any other State program funded by qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))), other than expenditures
made using Federal funds or with respect to which the entity received a grant
made under paragraph (3) of this subsection; and
(IV) for
administrative costs associated with making the expenditures referred to in the
preceding subclauses of this clause.
(ii)
Child care
expenditures
For purposes of
clause (i), expenditures for child care consist of the following:
(I) Amounts
transferred under section 404(d)(1)(B).
(II) Expenditures for
child care assistance from Federal funds provided under this part.
(III) In the case of
an entity that is a State, expenditures for child care assistance that are
qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), but only
to the extent exceeding the total expenditures of the State (other than from
Federal funds) for child care in fiscal year 1994 or 1995 (whichever is the
greater).
(iii)
Authority to
collect and adjust data
In
determining the amount of the expenditures of a State for basic assistance,
child care, and subsidized employment, during any period for which the State
requests funds under this subsection, and during the base year of the State,
the Secretary may make appropriate adjustments to the data, on a State-by-State
basis, to ensure that the data are comparable with respect to the groups of
families served and the types of aid provided. The Secretary may develop a
mechanism for collecting expenditure data, including procedures which allow
States to make reasonable estimates, and may set deadlines for making revisions
to the data.
(4)
Use of
grant
Each State to which a
grant is made under this subsection shall use the grant to serve areas of the
State with the greatest need (as referred to in section 402(a)(1)(A)).
(5)
Appropriation
(A)
In
general
Out of any funds in the Treasury of the United States not
otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for payment to the Fund—
(i) $2,500,000,000 for
fiscal year 2013; and
(ii) for each
succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the
then preceding fiscal year, increased by the percentage (if any) by which the
amount appropriated under section 403(a)(1) for the fiscal year involved
exceeds the amount appropriated under such section for the then preceding
fiscal year.
(B)
Availability
Amounts
made available under this paragraph for a fiscal year shall remain available
until expended.
(6)
Actions to be
taken in anticipation of exhaustion of fund
The Secretary shall
monitor the amount in, and the rate at which amounts are paid from, the Fund,
and if the Secretary determines that the Fund will be exhausted within 6
months, the Secretary shall—
(A) notify the
Congress of the determination; and
(B) develop and communicate to each State and
Indian tribe that is an economically needy entity as of the date of the
determination, the procedure for allocating amounts in the Fund among such
entities.
.
(2)
Elimination of
penalty for failure of state receiving amounts from contingency fund to
maintain 100 percent of historic effort
(A)
In
general
Section 409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by striking
paragraph (10) and redesignating paragraphs (11) through (16) as paragraphs
(10) through (15), respectively.
(B)
Conforming
amendments
Section 409 (42 U.S.C. 609) is amended in each of
subsections (b)(2) and (c)(4), by striking (10), (12), or (13)
and inserting (11), or (12).
(3)
Conforming
amendment
Section 409(a)(3)(C) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(3)(C)) is
amended by striking needy State (as defined in section
403(b)(6)) and inserting economically needy entity (as defined
in section 403(b)(3)(A)).
(4)
Amounts provided
to territories from the Contingency Fund to be disregarded for purposes of
limitation on payments to the territories
Section 1108(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2))
is amended by inserting 403(b), before
406,.
(d)
Matching grants
for subsidized employment
(1)
In
general
Section 403(a) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)), as amended by
subsection (a)(2) of this section, is further amended by inserting after
paragraph (2) the following:
(3)
Matching grants
for subsidized employment
(A)
In
general
The Secretary shall
make a grant—
(i) to
each eligible State that is 1 of the 50 States or the District of Columbia, for
each fiscal year for which the State is an MOE State; and
(ii) to each State
that is not 1 of the 50 States or the District of Columbia, and to each Indian
tribe, for each fiscal year for which the State or tribe, as the case may be,
meets such terms and conditions as the Secretary shall, by regulation,
establish, which shall be comparable to the terms and conditions under which
grants are made under clause (i).
(B)
MOE
State
In subparagraph (A), the term MOE State means
a State if the qualified expenditures of the State (as defined in section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)) for the fiscal year exceeds the applicable percentage (as
defined in clause (ii) of such section) of inflation-adjusted historic State
expenditures (as defined in clause (iii) of such section) of the State with
respect to the fiscal year.
(C)
Amount of
grant
(i)
States
(I)
In
general
The grant to be made to a State under subparagraph (A)(i)
for a fiscal year shall be in an amount equal to 50 percent of the excess
expenditures of the State for subsidized employment during the fiscal
year.
(II)
Excess
expenditures of the State for subsidized employment
The term
excess expenditures of the State for subsidized employment means,
with respect to a fiscal year, the lesser of—
(aa) the
excess described in subparagraph (B) with respect to the State for the fiscal
year; or
(bb) an amount equal to the total expenditures
of the State for subsidized employment funded under this part or under any
other State program funded by qualified State expenditures (as defined in
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), excluding those with respect to which a grant is made
to the State under subsection (b) of this section, during the fiscal
year.
(ii)
Indian
tribes
The grant to be made to an Indian tribe under this
paragraph shall be in such amount as the Secretary deems appropriate.
(D)
Use of
grant
Notwithstanding section
404, a State or Indian tribe to which a grant is made under this paragraph
shall use the grant solely to finance subsidized employment activities, and to
serve areas of the State with the greatest need (as referred to in section
402(a)(1)(A)).
(E)
Appropriation
Out
of any funds in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated,
there are appropriated such sums as are necessary for grants under this
paragraph for each fiscal
year.
.
(2)
Amounts provided
to territories from the matching grant to be disregarded for purposes of
limitation on payments to the territories
Section 1108(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2))
is amended by inserting 403(a)(3), after
403(a)(2),.
(3)
Data reports
required with respect to families that include an individual participating in
subsidized employment programs
Section 411(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C.
611(a)(1)(A)) is amended, in the matter before clause (i), by inserting
, and families that include an individual participating in subsidized
employment funded with Federal funds or qualified State expenditures (as so
defined) before the colon.
(e)
Tribal family
assistance grants
Section 412(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 612(a)(1)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph
(A), by striking fiscal year 2012 and inserting each
fiscal year; and
(2) in subparagraph
(B)—
(A) by redesignating
clause (ii) as clause (iii); and
(B) by striking clause
(i) and inserting the following:
(i)
In
general
The amount determined
under this subparagraph for a fiscal year is an amount equal to the sum of the
adjusted historic expenditures for the fiscal year with respect to each State
in which there lies a service area of the Indian tribe is located.
(ii)
Adjusted
historic expenditures defined
In clause (i), the term adjusted
historic expenditures means, with respect to a fiscal year, a State, and
an Indian tribe, the total amount of the Federal payments to the State under
section 403 (as then in effect) for fiscal year 1994 attributable to
expenditures (other than child care expenditures) by the State under parts A
and F (as so in effect) for fiscal year 1994 for Indian families residing in
the service areas identified by the tribe pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(C) of
this section that are in the State, increased by the percentage (if any) by
which the amount of the grant payable under section 403(a)(1) for the fiscal
year to the State exceeds the amount of the grant so payable to the State for
fiscal year
2010.
.
(f)
Census bureau
study
Section 414 (42 U.S.C. 614) is amended—
(1) by striking
subsection (a) and inserting the following:
(a)
In
general
The Director of the
Bureau of the Census shall conduct a study to assess the effects of policies
and programs related to low-income families, including policies and programs
under State programs funded under this part or funded with qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), including changes and
policies in such programs made pursuant to the Rewriting to Improve and Secure
an Exit Out of Poverty Act. The Director shall design the study in consultation
with the Secretary. Every 5 years, the Director shall, in consultation with the
Secretary, revise the content and nature of the study to reflect emerging
policy issues related to low-income
families.
;
and
(2) in subsection (b),
by striking fiscal year 2012 and inserting each fiscal
year.
(g)
Funding of
studies and evaluations
Section 413(h)(1) (42 U.S.C. 613(h)(1)) is
amended by striking fiscal year 2012 and inserting each
fiscal year.
(h)
Matching grants
to certain territories
Section 1108 (42 U.S.C. 1308) is
amended—
(1) in subsection
(a)(2), by inserting section 403(a)(1) (to the extent exceeding the
amount required to be so paid to the territory for fiscal year 2011),
before 403(a)(2); and
(2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking
fiscal year 2012 and inserting each fiscal
year.
6.
Work
requirements
(a)
Participation
rate requirement
Section 407
(42 U.S.C. 607) is amended by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting
the following:
(a)
Participation
rate requirement
(1)
In
general
A State to which a grant is made under section 403 for a
fiscal year shall achieve a minimum participation rate of 50 percent with
respect to all families residing in the State that include a work-eligible
individual.
(2)
Work-eligible
individual defined
(A)
In
general
In subsection (a), the term work-eligible
individual, subject to subparagraphs (B) and (C), means—
(i) an adult recipient of assistance under the
State program funded under this part or under any other State program funded by
qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i));
(ii) a former recipient of such assistance who
is—
(I) a parent of a
dependent child who is such a recipient; and
(II) no longer
eligible for assistance under the State program funded under this part by
reason of section 408(a)(7); and
(iii) a participant in a subsidized employment
program funded under this part or under any other State program funded by
qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
(B)
Exclusion of
individuals sanctioned or undergoing pre-sanction review
The term
work-eligible individual does not include any individual with
respect to whom—
(i) there is in effect
a penalty imposed by the State under subsection (e) of this section; or
(ii) the State has
initiated (but not completed) the pre-sanction review process pursuant to
section 408(a)(14)(A).
(C)
State option to
exclude certain individuals
A
State may exclude from the term work-eligible individual any
resident of the State who is—
(i) a
single parent caring for a child who has not attained 1 year of age;
(ii) a
recipient of supplemental security income benefits under title XVI, disability
insurance benefits under title II, or other Federal or State benefits based on
disability;
(iii) an applicant for supplemental security
income benefits under title XVI;
(iv) an individual who
is needed in the home of the individual to care for a disabled member of the
family of the individual; or
(v) an individual who (but for the exercise of
the State option under this clause) would be a work-eligible individual under a
tribal family assistance plan approved under section 412 or under a tribal work
program to which funds are provided under this part.
(b)
Calculation of
participation rates
(1)
Average monthly
rate
For purposes of subsection (a), the participation rate of a
State for a fiscal year is the average of the participation rates of the State
for each month in the fiscal year.
(2)
Monthly
participation rate
For purposes of paragraph (1), the
participation rate of a State for a month, expressed as a percentage,
is—
(A) the number of families residing in the
State that include a work-eligible individual who is engaged in work for the
month; divided by
(B) the number of families residing in the
State that include a work-eligible
individual.
.
(b)
Participation
requirements
Section 407(c) (42 U.S.C. 607(c)) is amended to read
as follows:
(c)
Engaged in
work
For purposes of
subsection (b):
(1)
General
rule
An individual is engaged
in work for a month in a fiscal year if the recipient is participating in work
activities for an average of at least 20 hours per week during the
month.
(2)
Individuals complying with a modified
employability plan deemed to be engaged in work
An individual is deemed to be engaged in
work for a month if the State determines that the individual is in substantial
compliance with the activities and hourly participation requirements of a
modified employability plan developed for the individual in accordance with
section 408(h).
(3)
Single teen head
of household or married teen who maintains satisfactory school attendance
deemed to be engaged in work
An individual who is married or a
head of household and has not attained 20 years of age is deemed to be engaged
in work for a month if the recipient maintains satisfactory attendance at
secondary school or the equivalent during the
month.
.
(c)
Elimination of
12-Month limit on counting vocational educational training as a work
activity
Section 407(d)(8)
(42 U.S.C. 607(d)(8)) is amended by striking (not to exceed 12 months
with respect to any individual).
7.
Work
rules
(a)
Option of
recipient To have trained personnel assess certain barriers to employment;
additional matters required To be assessed
Section 408(b)(1) (42 U.S.C. 608(b)(1)) is
amended—
(1) by inserting
(which, at the option of the recipient, shall be conducted by trained
personnel with respect to barriers to employment specified by the
recipient) after assessment; and
(2) by striking
and employability and inserting employability, physical
and mental impairments, English proficiency, child care needs, and whether the
recipient is a victim of domestic or sexual violence,.
(b)
Individual
responsibility plans
(1)
Plans required;
plans to include well-being plans for children
Section 408(b)(2)(A) (42 U.S.C.
608(b)(2)(A)) is amended—
(A) in the matter
preceding clause (i), by striking may and inserting
shall;
(B) in clause (iv)—
(i) by
inserting , supports, after counseling;
and
(ii) by
striking and at the end;
(C) in clause (v), by
striking the period and inserting ; and; and
(D) by adding at the
end the following:
(vi) describe a well-being plan for each child
in the
family.
.
(2)
Deadline for
completion of plan
Section
408(b)(2)(B) (42 U.S.C. 608(b)(2)(B)) is amended by striking
individual— and all that follows and inserting individual
within 90 days after the individual is determined eligible for the
assistance..
(3)
Sanction for
failure of State to develop plan
Section 409(a) (42 U.S.C.
609(a)), as amended by section 5(c)(2)(A) of this Act, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
(16)
Penalty for
failure of State to develop required individual responsibility plan
(A)
In
general
If the Secretary
determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal
year has violated section 408(b)(2) during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall
reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to not more than 5
percent of the State family assistance grant.
(B)
Penalty based on
severity of failure
The Secretary shall impose reductions under
subparagraph (A) with respect to a fiscal year based on the degree of
noncompliance.
.
(4)
Conforming
amendment
Section 408(b) (42 U.S.C. 608(b)) is amended by
striking paragraph (4).
(c)
Modified
employability plans for certain individuals with disabilities
Section 408 (42 U.S.C. 608) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
(h)
Authority To develop modified employability
plan for a recipient of assistance with, or caring for a family member with, a
disability
(1)
In general
A State may develop a modified
employability plan for a recipient of assistance under the State program funded
under this part—
(A) who—
(i) is
a work-eligible individual (as defined in section 407(a)(2)); and
(ii) has been
determined by a qualified medical, mental health, addiction, or social services
professional (as determined by the State) to have a disability; or
(B) who is caring for
a family member with a disability (as so determined).
(2)
Contents of
plan
The modified employability plan shall—
(A) include a determination that, because of
the disability of the recipient or the individual for whom the recipient is
caring, reasonable modification of work activities, hourly participation
requirements, or both, is needed in order for the recipient to participate in
the activities;
(B) describe the modified work activities in
which the recipient is required to participate;
(C) specify the number of hours per week for
which the recipient is required to participate in the modified work activities,
based on an evaluation by the State of the circumstances of the family;
(D) describe the services, supports, and
modifications that the State will provide to the recipient or the family of the
recipient;
(E) be developed in cooperation with the
recipient; and
(F) be reviewed not less often than every 6
months.
(3)
Definitions
In this subsection:
(A)
Disability
The term disability means a
mental or physical impairment, including substance abuse or addiction,
that—
(i) constitutes or results in a substantial
impediment to employment; or
(ii) substantially limits 1 or more major life
activities.
(B)
Modified work activities
The term modified work
activities means activities which the State has determined will help the
recipient become
employable.
.
(d)
Sanctions
(1)
General sanction
provisions
(A)
Prohibition on
imposing lifetime or full family sanction
(i)
Prohibition
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
(13)
Prohibition on
imposing lifetime or full family sanction
A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 shall not impose a lifetime prohibition on the provision of
assistance to any individual or family under the State program funded under
this part or under a program funded with qualified State expenditures (as
defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) on the basis of the failure of a member of
the family to comply with a program
requirement.
.
(ii)
Penalty
Section
409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609), as amended by section 5(c)(2)(A) of this Act and
subsection (b)(3) of this section, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(17)
Penalty for
imposing lifetime or full family sanction
If the Secretary determines that a State to
which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal year has violated section
408(a)(13) during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant payable
to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fiscal year
by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State family assistance
grant.
.
(B)
Due process
protections
(i)
In
general
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by
subparagraph (A)(i) of this paragraph, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(14)
Sanction
procedures
(A)
Pre-sanction
review process
Before imposing a sanction against an individual
or family receiving assistance under the State program funded under this part
or under a program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) for failure to comply with program requirements, the
State shall take the following steps:
(i) Provide or send
notice to the individual or family, and, if the recipient’s native language is
not English, through a culturally competent written or verbal translation, of
the following information:
(I) The specific
reason for the proposed sanction.
(II) The amount of the
proposed sanction.
(III) The length of
time during which the proposed sanction would be in effect.
(IV) The steps
required to come into compliance or to show good cause for
noncompliance.
(V) That the agency
will provide assistance to help the individual demonstrate good cause for
noncompliance, or come into compliance with program requirements.
(VI) That the
individual may appeal the determination to impose a sanction, and the steps
that the individual must take to pursue such an appeal.
(ii)
(I) Ensure that, subject to
clause (iii)—
(aa) an individual, other than the
individual who determined that a sanction be imposed, will review the
determination and have the authority to take the actions described in subclause
(II); and
(bb) the individual or family against whom
the sanction is to be imposed shall be afforded the opportunity to meet with
the individual who is reviewing the determination to impose the
sanction.
(II) The action described in this subclause
are the following:
(aa) Modify the determination to impose a
sanction.
(bb) Determine that there was good cause
for the failure to comply.
(cc) Recommend modifications to the
individual responsibility or employment plan of an individual.
(dd) Make such other determinations and
take such other actions as may be appropriate.
(iii) The review
required under clause (ii) shall include consideration of the following:
(I) To the extent
applicable, whether barriers to compliance exist, such as a physical or mental
impairment (including mental illness, substance abuse, mental retardation, or a
learning disability), domestic or sexual violence, limited proficiency in
English, limited literacy, homelessness, or the need to care for a child with a
disability or health condition, that contributed to the noncompliance.
(II) Whether the
noncompliance resulted from failure to receive or have access to services
identified as necessary in an individual responsibility or employment
plan.
(III) Whether changes
to the individual responsibility or employment plan of an individual should be
made in order for the individual to come into compliance.
(IV) Whether there is
good cause for any noncompliance.
(V) Whether the
sanction policies of the State have been applied properly.
(B)
Sanction
follow-up requirements
If a State imposes a sanction on a family
or individual for failing to comply with program requirements, the State
shall—
(i) provide or send
notice to the individual or family, in language calculated to be understood by
the individual or family, and, if the individual’s or family’s native language
is not English, through a culturally competent translation, of the reason for
the sanction and the steps the individual or family must take to end the
sanction;
(ii) resume full
assistance, services, or benefits to the individual or family under the program
(if the individual or family is otherwise eligible for the assistance,
services, or benefits) once the individual who was not in compliance with
program requirements that led to the sanction complies with the requirements
for a reasonable period of time, as determined by the State and subject to
State discretion to reduce the period; and
(iii) if the State has
not resumed providing the assistance, services, or benefits as of the end of
the 120-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days after the date on
which the sanction was imposed, provide notice to the individual or family, in
language calculated to be understood by the individual or family, of the steps
the individual or family must take to end the sanction, and of the availability
of assistance to come into compliance or demonstrate good cause for
noncompliance.
(C)
Notice to
evicted persons
The State
shall make a reasonable effort to provide to an individual or family that has
been evicted from a residence for failure to pay rent or as a result of another
problem related to poverty, any notice required by this paragraph to be
provided to the individual or
family.
.
(ii)
Penalty
Section 409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)), as
amended by section 5(c)(2)(A) of this Act, subsection (b)(3) of this section,
and subparagraph (A)(ii) of this paragraph, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(18)
Penalty for
failure to follow sanction procedures
(A)
In
general
If the Secretary determines that a State to which a grant
is made under section 403 in a fiscal year has violated section 408(a)(14)
during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant payable to the
State under section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fiscal year by an
amount equal to not more than 5 percent of the State family assistance
grant.
(B)
Penalty based on
severity of failure
The Secretary shall impose reductions under
subparagraph (A) with respect to a fiscal year based on the degree of
noncompliance.
.
(iii)
State plan
requirement to describe how states will notify applicants and recipients of
their rights under the program and of potential benefits and services available
under the program
Section 402(a)(1)(B)(iii) (42 U.S.C.
602(a)(1)(B)(iii)) is amended by inserting , and will notify applicants
and recipients of assistance under the program of the rights of individuals
under all laws applicable to program activities and of all potential benefits
and services available under the program before the period.
(2)
Modifications to
work sanction
(A)
Elimination of
full family sanction; State required to establish certain good cause
exceptions
Section 407(e)(1) (42 U.S.C. 607(e)(1)) is
amended—
(i) by
striking shall— and all that follows through subparagraph (B)
and inserting shall reduce the amount of assistance otherwise payable to
the family pro rata with respect to any period during a month in which the
individual so refuses,; and
(ii) by
striking may establish and inserting the following shall
establish, which shall include the decline of an offer of employment at a wage
less than the greater of the applicable Federal or State minimum wage, or 80
percent of the wage that would have governed had the minimum hourly rate under
the Fair Labor Standards Act been applicable to the offer of employment, at a
site subject to a strike or lockout at the time of refusal, or for medical
reasons or a lack of sufficient physical strength or stamina.
(B)
Prohibition on
sanctioning individual for failure to engage in work if individual has a child
under age 6 months or if failure results from inability to secure child care or
after-school arrangements for a child under age 13
Section
407(e)(2) (42 U.S.C. 607(e)(2)) is amended by striking refusal
and all that follows and inserting
failure of
an individual to engage in work required in accordance with this section
if—
(A) the individual is a single custodial parent
caring for a child who has not attained 6 months of age; or
(B) the individual is
the single custodial parent caring for a child who has not attained 13 years of
age, and the failure resulted from the inability of the individual to secure
child care or after-school arrangements for the
child
.
(3)
Modifications to
child support sanction
Section 408(a)(2) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(2)) is
amended by striking State— and all that follows and inserting
State shall deduct from the assistance that would otherwise be provided
to the family of the individual under the State program funded under this part
an amount equal to 25 percent of the amount of the assistance..
(e)
Related state
plan requirement
Section 402(a) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
(8)
Certification
that employment assessments and sanction reviews will be conducted by competent
personnel
A certification by
the chief executive officer of the State that the employment assessments
conducted pursuant to section 408(b)(1) and the sanction reviews conducted
pursuant to section 408(a)(14)(A) will be conducted by personnel who have
sufficient education, training, and professional competence to do so, which
shall include information on the education, training, and professional
competence that State will require of the
personnel.
.
8.
Prohibition on
imposing limit of less than 60 months on duration of assistance
(a)
Prohibition
(1)
In
general
Section 408(a)(7) (42
U.S.C. 608(a)(7)) is amended—
(A) in the paragraph
heading, by striking No
assistance for more than 5 years and inserting
Durational limits on
assistance;
(B) in the heading for
subparagraph (A), by striking In general and
inserting No assistance
for more than 5 years; and
(C) by adding at the
end the following:
(H)
Prohibition on
limiting duration of assistance to less than 60 months
A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 shall not impose a limit of less than 60 months on the duration for
which a family may be provided assistance from Federal or State funds under the
State program funded under this part or under a program funded with qualified
State expenditures (as defined in section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
.
(2)
Conforming
amendment
The heading of section 409(a)(9) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(9))
is amended by striking 5-year limit and inserting
rules governing durational
limits.
(b)
Requirement To
conduct outreach To inform potentially eligible families of elimination of
durational limit on assistance of less than 60 months
(1)
In
general
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by section
7(d)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(15)
Requirement to
conduct outreach to inform potentially eligible recipients of assistance of
elimination of durational limit on assistance of less than 60
months
A State to which a
grant is made under section 403 for a fiscal year that, before the effective
date of this paragraph, denied assistance under the State program funded under
this part or any other State program funded by qualified State expenditures (as
defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) to an individual or family on the basis of
a durational limit on the assistance that was imposed other than under section
408(a)(7) shall conduct outreach to inform individuals and families who were so
denied that they may be eligible for additional months of the
assistance.
.
(2)
Penalty
Section 409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)), as
amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A) and 7(d)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at
the end the following:
(19)
Failure to
conduct outreach to inform potentially eligible recipients of assistance of
elimination of durational limit on assistance of less than 60
months
If the Secretary
determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal
year has violated section 408(a)(15) during the fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State
family assistance
grant.
.
(c)
State plan
required To include description of how potentially eligible recipients will be
informed of elimination of durational limit on assistance of less than 60
months
Section 402(a)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(B)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
(vi) In the case of a State that, before the
date this clause takes effect, denied assistance under the program to an
individual or family on the basis of a durational limit on the assistance that
was imposed other than under section 408(a)(7), the document shall describe how
the State intends to inform the individuals and families who were so denied
that they may be eligible for additional months of the
assistance.
.
9.
Response of TANF
program to economic recessions
(a)
Inapplicability
of durational limit on assistance
Section 408(a)(7) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(7)), as
amended by section 8(a)(1)(C) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(I)
Inapplicability
of durational limit during recession
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply in a State
during any month which is in a high unemployment period with respect to the
State.
(J)
Disregard of
assistance provided during recession
In determining the number of months for
which an adult has received assistance under a State or tribal program funded
under this part or any other State program funded by qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), the State or tribe shall
disregard any month which is in a high unemployment period with respect to the
State.
(K)
6-month grace
period required after recession
Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to a
recipient of assistance under the State program funded under this part or any
other State program funded by qualified State expenditures (as defined in
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) during the 6-month period that begins with the month
immediately following a high unemployment period with respect to the State if
the recipient received the assistance for the last month of the
period.
.
(b)
Requirement To
conduct outreach To inform potentially eligible families of suspension of
durational limit on assistance
(1)
In
general
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by sections
7(d)(1) and 8(b)(1) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(16)
Requirement to
conduct outreach to inform potentially eligible recipients of assistance of
suspension of durational limit on assistance
In each month which is a high unemployment
period with respect to a State to which a grant is made under section 403 for a
fiscal year, the State shall conduct outreach to inform individuals and
families who are potentially eligible for assistance under the State program
funded under this part or any other State program funded by qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) of the suspension of any
durational limit on assistance under the
program.
.
(2)
Penalty
Section 409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)), as
amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), and 8(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by
adding at the end the following:
(20)
Failure to
conduct outreach to inform potentially eligible recipients of assistance of
suspension of durational limit on assistance
If the Secretary determines that a State to
which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal year has violated section
408(a)(16) during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant payable
to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fiscal year
by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State family assistance
grant.
.
(c)
State plan
required To include description of how potentially eligible recipients will be
informed of suspension of time limits during recession
Section
402(a)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(B)), as amended by section 8(c) of this Act,
is amended by adding at the end the following:
(vii) The document shall describe how the State
intends to inform potentially eligible recipients of assistance under the
program of the suspension of durational limits on the assistance during a high
unemployment period with respect to the
State.
.
(d)
High
unemployment period defined
Section 419 (42 U.S.C. 619) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
(6)
High
unemployment period defined
The term high unemployment
period means, with respect to a State, a period of 1 or more consecutive
months if the average rate of total unemployment in the State (seasonally
adjusted) for the period consisting of the then most recent 3 months for which
data for all States are published equals or exceeds 6.5
percent.
.
10.
Requirement that
States use merit-based system in administration of TANF programs
(a)
Program
requirement
Section 408(a)
(42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by sections 7(d)(1), 8(b)(1), and 9(b)(1) of
this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(17)
Requirement to
use merit-based system in administering program
A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 shall establish and maintain personnel standards through a
merit-based system, in administering the State program funded under this part
and any other State program funded by qualified State expenditures (as defined
in section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
.
(b)
Penalty
Section
409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609), as amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), 8(b)(2),
and 9(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(21)
Penalty for
failure to use merit-based system in administering program
If the Secretary determines that a State to
which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal year has violated section
408(a)(17) during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant payable
to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fiscal year
by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State family assistance
grant.
.
11.
Ban on using
Federal TANF funds to replace State and local spending that does not meet the
definition of qualified State expenditures
(a)
Prohibition
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as
amended by sections 7(d)(1), 8(b)(1), 9(b)(1), and 10(a) of this Act, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
(18)
Ban on using
federal TANF funds to replace state or local spending that is not a qualified
state expenditure
A State to
which a grant is made under section 403, and a sub-State entity that receives
funds from such a grant, shall not expend any part of the grant funds to
supplant State or local spending for benefits or services which are not
qualified State expenditures (within the meaning of section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)).
.
(b)
Penalty
Section
409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609), as amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), 8(b)(2),
9(b)(2), and 10(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(22)
Use of federal
TANF funds to replace state or local spending that is not a qualified state
expenditure
If the Secretary
determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal
year has violated section 408(a)(18) during the fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State
family assistance
grant.
.
12.
TANF assistance
to meet basic family economic needs
(a)
State plan
requirement
Section 402(a)(1)(B) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(B)), as
amended by sections 8(c) and 9(d) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
(viii)
Family budget
provisions
The document shall
set forth a family budget of a dollar amount sufficient to meet the basic
economic needs (including food, clothing, shelter, utilities, household goods,
personal care items, and general incidental expenses) of a family, how the
family budget is adjusted for family size, the method used to estimate the
family budget (including a statement of the relationship between shelter and
utility costs and the fair market rents in localities in the State), and the
relationship between the amount of assistance provided to each family under the
program and the amount of the family budget for the
family.
.
(b)
Program
requirement
Section 408(a)
(42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by sections 7(d)(1), 8(b)(1), 9(b)(1), 10(a),
and 11(a) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:
(19)
Requirement
that amount of assistance meet basic economic needs
A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 shall ensure that the total amount of assistance provided to a
family under the State program funded under this part and all programs funded
with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) for
which the family is eligible is sufficient to meet the basic economic needs of
the family, taking into account all earned and unearned income of the family
and an amount not to exceed the value of the supplemental nutrition assistance
benefits provided to the family under the Food and Nutrition Act of
2008.
.
(c)
Penalty
Section
409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609), as amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), 8(b)(2),
9(b)(2), 10(b), and 11(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(23)
Penalty for
failure of State tanf assistance to meet basic economic needs of a recipient
family
If the Secretary
determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal
year has violated section 408(a)(19) during the fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State
family assistance
grant.
.
13.
State plans and
reports on child poverty
(a)
Child poverty
reduction as a purpose of the TANF program
Section 401(a)(1) (42 U.S.C. 601(a)(1)) is
amended by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as paragraphs (2) through
(5), respectively, and by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following:
(1) reduce poverty among
children;
.
(b)
State plan
provisions
(1)
Matters required
to be addressed
Section
402(a)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(ix)
Goals and
methods for reducing child poverty
Reduce child poverty using Federal funds
provided under this part and State funds, including establishing numerical
goals for reducing child poverty.
(x)
Goals and
tracking of work outcomes
Track work-related outcomes for recipients
of assistance under the program, such as employment entries, wages, and job
retention, including establishing numerical goals for work-related outcomes for
recipients.
(xi)
Provide
preventative services to families at-risk of abuse or neglect
Provide benefits and services to families
at-risk of having their children removed from the home because of abuse and
neglect, using Federal funds provided under this part and State funds.
(xii)
How
noncustodial parents will be served
Serve noncustodial parents, using Federal
funds provided under this part and State
funds.
.
(2)
Public
availability
Section 402(c) (42 U.S.C. 602(c)) is amended to read
as follows:
(c)
Public
availability
(1)
In
general
The State shall make
available to the public, including by posting on a public website of the State
or another appropriate website—
(A) each draft of any
plan or plan amendment to be submitted by the State under this section, for at
least 45 days before the submission; and
(B) any such plan or amendment certified by the
Secretary to be complete.
(2)
Procedures
The State shall establish procedures to
receive and respond to comments from the public, private sector organizations,
and local governments on any draft referred to in paragraph
(1).
.
(c)
Annual
performance report
Section 411 (42 U.S.C. 611) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
(e)
Annual
performance report by States
Not later than December 31 of each year,
each eligible State shall submit to the Secretary (in accordance with such form
and content rules as the Secretary, in consultation with the National
Governor’s Association, National Association of State Legislatures, and the
American Public Human Services Association, develops) a report on the following
aspects of the State program funded under this part in the preceding fiscal
year:
(1) Whether the State met the child poverty
reduction goals set forth in the State plan. This part of the report shall
include a discussion of the factors, including benefits, services, and
activities funded with Federal funds provided under this part or State funds,
which contributed to the meeting of, or the failure to meet, the goals.
(2) Whether the work programs of the State were
effective in meeting the objectives and numerical goals of the State plan. This
part of the report shall include a discussion of data derived from the tracking
of recipients, including—
(A) the number of
families that left the State program funded under this part;
(B) the employment
rate for those who left the program in each calendar quarter;
(C) the wage rates of
those who left the program, including the percentage of leavers who, in each
calendar quarter, earned an amount equal to at least 50 percent of the average
wage then paid in the State; and
(D) the employment outcomes of those who left
the program because of a durational limit on assistance, reported at 6 months,
12 months, 24 months, and 36 months after leaving the program.
The
Secretary shall provide States with technical assistance in preparing this part
of the report, including by providing States with data from the National
Directory of New Hires.
(3) Whether the State has been effective in
providing benefits and services under the program to persons with disabilities.
This part of the report shall include a report on recipients of assistance
under the State program funded under this part who participated in work
activities (as defined in section 407(d)) pursuant to a modified employability
plan due to disability, including the following:
(A) The aggregate number of recipients with
modified employability plans due to a disability.
(B) The percentage of all recipients with
modified employability plans who substantially complied with activities set
forth in the plans each month of the fiscal year.
(C) Information regarding the most prevalent
types of physical and mental impairments that provided the basis for the
disability determinations.
(D) The percentage of cases with a modified
employability plan in which the recipient had a disability, was caring for a
child with a disability, or was caring for another family member with a
disability.
(E) A description of the most prevalent types
of modification in work activities or hours of participation that were included
in the modified employability plans.
(F) A description of the qualifications of the
staff who determined whether individuals had a disability, of the staff who
determined that individuals needed modifications to their work requirements,
and of the staff who developed the modified employability plans.
(4) The effectiveness
of the benefits and services provided under the State program in reducing the
number of children removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect. This
part of the report shall include an analysis which includes the
following:
(A) The number of
families provided the benefits or services that were at risk of having their
children removed from the home.
(B) The number of
families served by the program that had 1 or more children removed from the
home because of abuse or neglect.
(5) An analysis of the
extent to which the benefits and services under the State program were provided
to noncustodial parents.
(6) How funds provided to the State under this
part, with a separate accounting for funds provided under section 403(a)(3) and
funds provided under section 403(b), were used to serve areas of the State with
the greatest need (as referred to in section 402(a)(1)(A)(i)). This part of the
report shall include supporting
data.
.
(d)
Annual report to
Congress on the efforts of State programs To promote and support employment for
individuals with disabilities
Section 411 (42 U.S.C. 611), as
amended by subsection (c) of this section, is amended by adding at the end the
following:
(f)
Report by Secretary
Not later than July 31 of each fiscal year,
the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report, entitled Efforts in
State TANF Programs to Promote and Support Employment for Individuals with
Disabilities, that includes information on State efforts to engage
individuals with disabilities in work activities during the preceding fiscal
year. The report shall include the following information:
(1) For each State, the number of individuals
for whom the State has developed a modified employability plan.
(2) The types of physical and mental
impairments that provided the basis for the disability determination, and
whether the individual with the disability was an adult recipient or minor
child head of household, a child, or a non-recipient family member.
(3) The types of modifications that States have
included in modified employability plans.
(4) The extent to which individuals with a
modified employability plan are participating in work activities.
(5) For each State, an analysis of the extent
to which the option to establish modified employability plans was a factor in
the State achieving or not achieving the minimum participation rate required by
section
407(a).
.
(e)
Report to
Congress on legislative options To reward States with high employment rates and
high rates of employment at good wages
Within 4 years after the effective date of
this section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the
Congress a report that sets forth options for the enactment of legislation to
provide financial or other rewards to States that have high rates of employment
and high rates of employment at good wages.
14.
Requirement that
States adopt standards and procedures to address domestic and sexual violence
among TANF recipients
(a)
In
general
Section 402(a)(7) (42
U.S.C. 602(a)(7)) is amended—
(1) by striking the
paragraph heading and inserting Certification of standards and procedures regarding domestic and
sexual violence;
(2) by striking
subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
(A)
In
general
A certification by
the chief executive officer of the State that the State has established and is
enforcing standards and procedures to ensure the right and entitlement of
victims of domestic or sexual violence (notwithstanding section 401(b)) seeking
or receiving assistance under the State program funded under this part or any
other State program funded by qualified State expenditures (as defined in
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i))—
(i) to
be screened and identified while maintaining the confidentiality of the
victims;
(ii) to be referred to
counseling and supportive services;
(iii) to be granted a waiver, pursuant to a
determination of good cause, of program requirements such as time limits (for
so long as necessary), residency requirements, child support cooperation
requirements, and family cap provisions, in cases where compliance with the
requirements would make it more difficult for the victims to escape domestic or
sexual violence or unfairly penalize the victims or other individuals who are
at risk of further domestic or sexual violence;
(iv) to apply to participate in the program on
the same day the victim appears in person in a program office during office
hours;
(v) to
have an application that contains the name, address, and signature of the
victim considered to be filed on the date the application is submitted;
(vi) to receive at the
time of application a clear, written statement explaining what the victim must
do to cooperate in obtaining verification and otherwise completing the
application process; and
(vii) if the victim
has completed the application process, to have the eligibility of the victim
for assistance determined promptly, and to be provided assistance retroactive
to the application date if determined eligible within 30 days after the
application date.
;
and
(3) in subparagraph
(B)—
(A) in the
subparagraph heading, by inserting or sexual after Domestic; and
(B) in the text, by
inserting or sexual after domestic.
(b)
Report to the
Congress on best practices of States
Section 413 (42 U.S.C. 613)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
(k)
Report to
Congress on best practices of States in addressing domestic and sexual violence
suffered by TANF recipients
Every 4 years, the Secretary shall prepare
and submit to the Congress a report which examines the practices of States in
implementing section 402(a)(7), and identifies the best practices used to do
so.
.
(c)
Effective
date
The amendments made by this section shall take effect on
October 1, 2013.
15.
Child care
entitlement
(a)
Replacement of
requirement that portion of funds be used for certain populations with child
care guarantee
Section
418(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 618(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
(2)
Child care to be
guaranteed for certain populations
As a condition of receiving funds under
this section, a State shall guarantee the provision of child care services
to—
(A) each recipient of
assistance under the State program funded under this part or under a State
program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)) of this Act, and to each work-eligible individual (as defined
in section 407(a)(2) of this Act), for any period in which the recipient or
individual is—
(i) participating in a
work activity (as defined in section 407(d) of this Act);
(ii) employed, and in
a family the total income of which does not exceed 250 percent of the poverty
line (within the meaning of section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation
Act of 1981, including any revision required by such section applicable to a
family of the size involved); or
(iii) engaged in
employment subsidized by the State; or
(B) each individual who is a former recipient
of assistance under such a program or a former work-eligible individual, for
any portion of the 24-month period, beginning with the date the individual left
the program involved, in which the individual is employed and in a family that
meets the income requirement of subparagraph
(A)(ii).
.
(b)
Elimination of
State caps
Section 418(a) (42 U.S.C. 618(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph
(2)—
(A) by striking
subparagraphs (B) and (D) and redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph
(B); and
(B) in subparagraph
(B) (as so redesignated), by striking the lesser of the State's
allotment under subparagraph (B) or; and
(2) in paragraph (5),
by striking (2)(C) and inserting (2)(B).
(c)
Open-Ended
entitlement
Section 418(a) (42 U.S.C. 618(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1),
by striking Subject to the amount appropriated under paragraph (3),
each and inserting Each; and
(2) in paragraph (3),
by striking appropriated— and all that follows and inserting
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section for
each fiscal year..
(d)
Use of funds in
accordance with child care and development block grant act of 1990 except as
required by child care guarantee
Section 418(c) (42 U.S.C.
618(c)) is amended by inserting except to the extent that such a
requirement or limitation would interfere with the provision of child care
services required by subsection (b)(2) before the period.
16.
Child support
enforcement
(a)
Elimination of
ban on providing assistance to families not assigning certain support rights to
the State
(1)
In
general
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by striking
paragraph (3).
(2)
Conforming
amendments
The following
provisions are each amended by inserting after section 408(a)(3)
the following: (as in effect before the effective date of the amendments
made by section 10(a) of the Rewriting to Improve and Secure an Exit Out of
Poverty Act took effect):
(A) Section
452(a)(10)(C) (42 U.S.C. 652(a)(10)(C)).
(B) Section 452(h) (42
U.S.C. 652(h)).
(C) Section 454(5)(A)
(42 U.S.C. 654(5)(A)).
(D) Section 456(a)(1)
(42 U.S.C. 656(a)(1)).
(E) Section
457(a)(2)(B)(i) (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(2)(B)(i)).
(F) Section
457(a)(3)(A) (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(3)(A)).
(G) Section
457(a)(3)(B) (42 U.S.C. 657(a)(3)(B)).
(H) Section 464(a)(1)
(42 U.S.C. 664(a)(1)).
(I) Section
466(a)(3)(B) (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(3)(B)).
(b)
Requirement that
all child support collected on behalf of a child in a family receiving TANF be
distributed to the family
(1)
In
general
Section 457 (42 U.S.C. 657) is amended—
(A) in subsection
(c)(1), by striking means— and all that follows through
(B) foster and inserting means foster; and
(B) by adding at the
end the following:
(f) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of
this section, all amounts collected by a State as child support on behalf of a
child in a family that is receiving assistance under the State program funded
under part A or under the State plan approved under part A of this title (as in
effect on the day before the date of the enactment of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996) shall be
distributed to the
family.
.
(2)
Conforming
amendments
Section 458(b)(5)(C)(i)(I) (42 U.S.C.
658(b)(5)(C)(i)(I)) is amended—
(A) by inserting
is collected on behalf of a child described in section 457(f) or
after involved; and
(B) by striking
A or.
17.
State option to
extend eligibility for assistance to children through age 21; prohibition on
considering financial aid tied to education of child in determining eligibility
for, or amount of assistance; prohibition on imposing additional requirements
based on educational enrollment of child
(a)
State option To
extend TANF to children under age 22
Section 419(2) (42 U.S.C. 619(2)) is
amended—
(1) by striking
or at the end of subparagraph (A);
(2) by striking the
period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting ; or;
and
(3) by adding at the
end the following:
(C) at the option of the State, has not
attained 22 years of
age.
.
(b)
Ban on
considering financial aid tied to education of child in determining eligibility
for, or amount of assistance; ban on imposing additional requirements based on
educational enrollment of child
(1)
Prohibitions
Section
408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), 8(b)(1),
9(b)(1), 10(a), 11(a), and 12(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
(20)
Ban on
considering financial aid tied to education of child in determining eligibility
for, or amount of assistance; ban on imposing additional requirements based on
educational enrollment of child
A State to which a grant is made under
section 403 for a fiscal year shall not—
(A) consider financial aid tied to the
training, school attendance, or postsecondary school attendance of a minor
child in determining that the eligibility of the family of the child for, or
the amount of assistance to be provided to the family, under the State program
funded under this part or any other State program funded by qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)); or
(B) impose additional
requirements on a family solely because the family includes a minor child who
is enrolled in a training program, school, or post-secondary educational
institution.
.
(2)
Penalty
Section
409(a) (42 U.S.C. 609), as amended by sections 5(c)(2)(A), 7(d)(1), 8(b)(2),
9(b)(2), 10(b), 11(b), and 12(c) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end
the following:
(24)
Considering
educational enrollment of child or of financial aid tied to education of
child
If the Secretary
determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 in a fiscal
year has violated section 408(a)(20) during the fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the
immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to 5 percent of the State
family assistance
grant.
.
18.
Elimination of
certain other bars to TANF assistance
(a)
Bar on
assistance for persons convicted of drug felonies
Section 115 of the Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (21 U.S.C. 862a) is
amended—
(1) in the section
heading by striking assistance and and inserting
supplemental nutrition
assistance;
(2) in subsection (a),
by striking for— and all that follows through (2)
benefits and inserting for benefits;
(3) in subsection (b),
by striking all through The amount of benefits and inserting the
following:
(b)
Effects on
benefits for others
The
amount of
benefits
;
(4) in subsection (c),
by striking assistance or; and
(5) in subsection (e),
by striking it— and all that follows through in section
3(s) and inserting it in section 3(s).
(b)
Bar on
assistance for unwed teen parents not in school
Section 408(a)
(42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (4).
(c)
Bar on
assistance for teens not in an adult-Supervised living
arrangement
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by
striking paragraph (5).
(d)
Redesignation of
provisions
(1)
In
general
Section 408(a) (42 U.S.C. 608(a)), as amended by the
preceding provisions of this Act, is amended by redesignating paragraphs (6)
through (20) as paragraphs (3) through (17), respectively.
(2)
Conforming
amendments
(A) Section
402(a)(7)(B) (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(7)(B)) is amended by striking
408(a)(7)(C)(iii) and inserting
408(a)(4)(C)(iii).
(B) Section
403(a)(5)(C)(ii)(II) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(ii)(II)) is amended by striking
408(a)(7)(C) and inserting 408(a)(4)(C).
(C) Section
403(a)(5)(C)(v) (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(5)(C)(v)) is amended by striking
408(a)(7) and inserting 408(a)(4).
(D) Section
409(a)(7)(B)(i)(IV) (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i)(IV)) is amended by striking
408(a)(7) and inserting 408(a)(4).
(E) Section 409(a)(9)
(42 U.S.C. 609(a)(9)) is amended by striking 408(a)(7) and
inserting 408(a)(4).
(F) Section
409(a)(17), as added by section 7(d)(1)(A)(ii) of this Act, is amended by
striking 408(a)(13) and inserting
408(a)(10).
(G) Section
409(a)(18), as added by section 7(d)(1)(B)(ii) of this Act, is amended by
striking 408(a)(14) and inserting
408(a)(11).
(H) Section
409(a)(19), as added by section 8(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(15) and inserting 408(a)(12).
(I) Section
409(a)(20), as added by section 9(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(16) and inserting 408(a)(13).
(J) Section
409(a)(21), as added by section 10(b) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(17) and inserting 408(a)(14).
(K) Section
409(a)(22), as added by section 11(b) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(18) and inserting 408(a)(15).
(L) Section
409(a)(23), as added by section 12(c) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(19) and inserting 408(a)(16).
(M) Section
409(a)(24), as added by section 17(b)(2) of this Act, is amended by striking
408(a)(20) and inserting 408(a)(17).
(N) Section
411(a)(1)(A)(xvi) (42 U.S.C. 611(a)(1)(A)(xvi)) is amended by striking
408(a)(7) and inserting 408(a)(7)(A).
19.
Effective
date
(a)
In
general
Except as otherwise
provided in this Act, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take
effect on October 1, 2013, and shall apply to payments under title IV of the
Social Security Act for calendar quarters beginning on or after such date,
without regard to whether regulations to implement the amendments are
promulgated by such date.
(b)
Delay permitted
if state legislation required
If the Secretary of Health and
Human Services determines that State legislation (other than legislation
appropriating funds) is required in order for a State plan under part A or E of
title IV of the Social Security Act to meet the additional requirements imposed
by the amendments made by this Act, the plan shall not be regarded as failing
to meet any of the additional requirements before the 1st day of the 1st
calendar quarter beginning after the close of the first regular session of the
State legislature that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act. If
the State has a 2-year legislative session, each year of the session is deemed
to be a separate regular session of the State legislature.