Welfare Reform Reauthorization

New TANF Regulations Available: View a copy of the regulations published by HHS to implement the newly-revised TANF law. Comments to HHS are due by late August, 2006.

TANF Rules Tough on States, March 2006 - New federal changes in welfare rules put restrictions on state flexibility, but states have options to keep programs focused on their goals.

TANF Extension: Down to the Wire, but Six Month Extension Bill Signed Into Law-With no time to spare, the House cleared legislation (H.R. 3146) on the night of September 30, 2003, extending the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant.

Answers to Questions About the Status of Welfare Reform and Possible New Federal Requirements-The 107^th Congress did not complete welfare reform reauthorization last year and left the issue for the 108^th Congress. NCSL has received many questions from state legislators and staff about funding and potential policy changes concerning the TANF Block Grant, Child Care, TANF supplemental grants, and related programs.

House Passes Welfare Reform Bill-On February 13, 2003, the U.S. House passes a welfare reauthorization bill with increased work requirements.

Key Bills to Reauthorize Welfare Reform and TANF-Legislation to reauthorize PROWRA and the TANF program has moved forward in both the House and the Senate. Major bills are summarized.

Human Services Committee: Welfare Reform Reauthorization-Central compilation of NCSL's Welfare Reauthorization Information, including bill summaries, NCSL testimony, NCSL communications and NCSL policy.

Senate Committee Passes State-Friendly Welfare Reform Legislation-On June 26^th, by a vote of 13 to 8, the Senate Finance Committee passed the "Work, Opportunity, and Responsibility for Kids (WORK) Act of 2002," a welfare reform reauthorization bill that differs from and improves on the House-passed legislation, H.R. 4737.

States Welcome Senators Efforts on Welfare Reform-As a diverse group of U.S. Senators released a statement of principles on welfare reform that takes the President's proposal and would seek to add more state-friendly provisions.

NCSL Adopts Welfare Reauthorization Policy-State legislators unanimously adopt new NCSL policy on Welfare Reform Reauthorization.

NCSL Testifies at Ways & Means Hearing on TANF-Welfare Reform success threatened by proposed changes to work requirements.

NCSL News-Bush Administration to Restore Food Stamp Benefits-State legislators welcomed news reports that the Bush administration is considering a restoration of food stamp benefits to legal immigrants.

NCSL Comments on TANF Reauthorization-NCSL comments submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services on the reauthorization of the 1996 PRWORA, which established the TANF block grant.

For more information on welfare reform issues, please contact Jack Tweedie in the Denver office at 303.364.7700 or cyf-info@ncsl.org or either Sheri Steisel or Lee Posey in the D.C. office at 202.624.5400 or fedhumserv-info@ncsl.org.