WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15) and Max Miller (R-Ohio-07), both members of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced legislation to expedite the disbursement of payments to families in need through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). The bill, titled the Improve Transparency and Stability for Families and Children Act, would require states to allocate and distribute federal funding they receive for TANF within three years.
“Delays in TANF fund distributions can threaten critical assistance to low-income families trying to make ends meet for their children,” Rep. Carey said. “My bill, the Improve Transparency and Stability for Families and Children Act, would streamline the process to make sure these resources reach their intended target without getting held up by delays in the states and would create concrete deadlines and standards that need to be upheld. I encourage my colleagues to join me in passing it.”
“The Improve Transparency and Stability for Families and Children Act will ensure vital resources are targeted to struggling families in a timely manner while bringing needed accountability and transparency to the system,” Rep. Miller said. “I applaud Congressman Carey and the work of the Ways and Means Committee that will create more efficiencies for both American families and taxpayers.”
“The TANF program provides a lifeline to families all across our nation that have fallen on hard times, yet the current system allows states to sit on those benefits instead of providing support to folks in need. I applaud Congressman Carey’s work on the Improve Transparency and Stability for Families and Children Act as a much-needed step toward better efficiency and accountability to bring TANF in line with other federal grant programs by requiring the support quickly flow to those in need, providing basic financial safeguards for taxpayer dollars,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.-08) said.
BACKGROUND:
Unlike other grant programs, there is no current obligation or liquidation deadline for states to spend TANF funds. This has resulted in multiple states failing to properly use their TANF funds to create programs to help lift individuals out of poverty.
The Improve Transparency and Stability for Families and Children Act sets a two-year period by which TANF funds must be designated for use, with an additional year before the money must be spent.
The bill also allows states to allocate 15% of their TANF funding toward a “rainy day fund,” which is to be used in case of crisis.
Rep. Carey previously introduced this bill in the 118th Congress.
Full text of the bill can be found here.
# # #