[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3522 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3522
To extend and expand the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)
program and related programs to respond to the COVID-19 public health
emergency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 18, 2020
Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To extend and expand the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)
program and related programs to respond to the COVID-19 public health
emergency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Coronavirus TANF Expansion Act''.
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES
PROGRAM AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
Activities authorized by part A of title IV and section 1108(b) of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq., 1308(b)) shall continue
through December 31, 2020, in the manner authorized for fiscal year
2019, and out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not
otherwise appropriated, there are hereby appropriated such sums as may
be necessary for such purpose.
SEC. 3. EXPANDED TANF ELIGIBILITY AND WAIVER OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS
DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
(a) In General.--For each month that occurs on or after the date of
enactment of this Act during the COVID-19 public health emergency
period, a State may--
(1) expand eligibility for basic assistance provided under
a State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) or under any other State
program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in
section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i))
to eligible families described in subsection (b); and
(2) provide all families eligible for basic and other
assistance under such State programs (including eligible
families described in subsection (b)) with a one-time cash
payment that is not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 per
each dependent in the family.
(b) Eligible Families.--For purposes of subsection (a), an eligible
family is a family--
(1) with children under 18 years of age;
(2) whose income during the COVID-19 public health
emergency period has been reduced as a result of Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including due to a family member's
exposure to, or illness from, COVID-19, a quarantine imposed
with respect to COVID-19, or the closure of a family member's
place of employment, school, or childcare facility due to
COVID-19; and
(3) whose annual income does not exceed 400 percent of the
income official poverty line (as defined by the Office of
Management and Budget, and revised annually in accordance with
section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of
1981) applicable to a family of the size involved.
(c) Increased State Family Assistance Grants.--
(1) In general.--From the amounts appropriated under
subsection (g), with respect to a State, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services shall increase the amount of the
State family assistance grant payable under part A of title IV
and section 1108(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601
et seq., 1308(b)) for the 2d, 3rd, and 4th quarters of fiscal
year 2020 and the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2021 by such
amount as the Secretary determines is necessary to offset the
increased expenditures of the State resulting from the
enactment of this section.
(2) Disregard from limitation on total payments to
territories.--Section 1108(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1308(a)(1)) shall be applied without regard to amounts
paid to a territory under this section.
(d) Suspension of Work Requirements and Rules With Respect to Time
Limits and Child Support.--For each month that occurs on or after the
date of enactment of this Act during the COVID-19 public health
emergency period, the following requirements shall be suspended for
families receiving basic or other assistance (including eligible
families described in subsection (b)) under a State program funded
under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et
seq.) or under any other State program funded with qualified State
expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 609(a)(7)(B)(i))):
(1) Time limits for receipt of assistance under section
408(a)(7) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(7)).
(2) Work requirements and determination of monthly
participation rates under section 407 of such Act (42 U.S.C.
607).
(3) Imposition of individual and State penalties under
sections 407, 408, and 409 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 607, 608,
609).
(4) Orders to participate in work activities issued under
section 466(a)(15) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 666(a)(15)).
(e) Application to Tribal Plans.--This section shall apply to an
Indian tribe with an approved tribal family assistance plan under
section 412 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 612) in the same manner as this
section applies to a State.
(f) COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Period Defined.--In this
section, the term ``COVID-19 public health emergency period'' means any
period beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this section
and before January 1, 2021, that occurs during--
(1) an emergency period defined in paragraph (1)(B) of
section 1135(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-
5(g));
(2) the emergency involving Federal primary responsibility
determined to exist by the President under section 501(b) of
the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. 5191(b)) with respect to the Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19);
(3) the national emergency declared by the President under
the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) with
respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); or
(4) a declaration of a state of emergency on the part of a
State or Indian tribe with respect to the Coronavirus Disease
2019 (COVID-19).
(g) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the United
States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for the
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on
December 31, 2020, such sums as are necessary to carry out this
section. Amounts appropriated under this subsection are designated by
the Congress as being for an emergency requirement pursuant to section
251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control
Act of 1985.
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