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Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program Extended through March 31, 2005

Eighth Extension of TANF Enacted

On September 30, the President signed H.R. 5149 into law as P.L. 108-308.  The bill is a six month TANF extension that marks the eight extension since authorization for the TANF program was originally set to expire on September 30, 2002.  The law extends TANF and related programs—including TANF supplemental grants, the Child Care and Development Fund, transitional medical assistance under Medicaid, abstinence education, and the contingency fund—through March 31, 2005. This is “clean” extension; it does not contain policy changes and maintains current levels of funding.  It does continue the authority for states that currently have child welfare waivers to continue their waiver activity. 

Previous Action in the Senate

Before H.R. 5149 was enacted and the programs were extended, Senators Santorum (R-Pennsylvania) and Bayh (D-Indiana) attempted to move legislation to extend TANF that included policy changes.  S. 2380 would provide a six month extension of TANF through March 31, 2005 and two years of funding for the President’s Marriage Initiative ($200 million) and for fatherhood programs ($100 million).  To pay for the marriage and fatherhood programs, the bill would eliminate the out-of-wedlock reduction bonuses and the TANF high performance bonuses, which reward states for moving recipients to employment and for other outcomes.  This bill was not considered after procedural measures to move it by unanimous consent on the Senate floor failed.  Click here to read a summary of the bill.

The procedural maneuvering began when Senator Santorum went to the Senate floor on September 28 to request a unanimous consent (u.c.) agreement for S. 2380.  The  u.c. request, if agreed to, would have allowed for speedy consideration of the bill.   A u.c. request can set rules for debate—such as amendments and time limits for each side—or it can spur immediate consideration of the bill.  However, any Senator can object to the restrictions on debate and object to the u.c. 

In response to Senator Santorum’s request, Senator Reid (D-Nevada) asked if Senator Santorum would be willing to amend his request to include Senators Snowe and Dodd’s amendment, passed by the Senate in March by a vote of 78-20.  This amendment would increase federal child care funding by $6 billion.  Senator Santorum offered instead to propose a u.c. request to take the Senate Finance Committee version of H.R. 4, which remains on the Senate calendar, and go to conference with the House.  Senator Reid then noted that when H.R. 4 was pulled from the floor, an amendment raising the minimum wage was under consideration, and asked if Senator Santorum would modify this second u.c. request to allow the Senate to proceed with H.R. 4 on the floor with that amendment pending.  Senator Santorum declined to make this modification.

Finally, Senator Reid objected to both of Senator Santorum’s u.c. requests, and made a final request that Senator Santorum move a six month clean extension.  Responding to Senator Reid, Senator Santorum said that he would object “for the moment,” but noted that the House was working on such an extension, H.R. 5149.  As Senator Santorum’s request for a unanimous consent agreement on the bill did not succeed, S. 2830 did not move forward on the Senate floor and the way was clear for the passage of H.R. 5149, which became P.L. 108-308.

For more information, contact Sheri Steisel or Lee Posey at fedhumserv-info@ncsl.org or call NCSL’s Washington D.C. office at (202) 624-5400.