TANF Limits on Benefits for Additional Children Act Exposed

The TANF Limits on Benefits for Additional Children Act is listed under ALEC's Health and Human Services Task Force, but does not include approval information. ALEC has attempted to distance itself from this piece of legislation after the launch of ALECexposed.org in 2011, but it has done nothing to get it repealed in the states where it previously pushed for it to be made into law.

ALEC Bill Text

Summary

This act would eliminate the increment in benefits under the TANF program for which the family would otherwise be eligible as a result of the birth of a child during the period in which the family is eligible for TANF benefits.

Model Legislation

Section 1. {Title.}

Section 2. {Definitions.}

Section 3. {Determination of need.}

(A) In determining the amount of assistance payments to a recipient family for Aid to Families with Dependent Children, the {insert department} shall revise the schedule of benefits to be paid to the recipient family by eliminating the increment in benefits under the program for which that family would otherwise be eligible as a result of the birth of a child during the period in which the family is eligible for TANF benefits, or during a temporary period in which the family or adult recipient is ineligible for TANF benefits pursuant to a penalty imposed by the department for failure to comply with benefit eligibility requirements, subsequent to which the family or adult recipient is again eligible for benefits. The department shall provide instead that a recipient family in which the adult recipient parents an additional child during a temporary penalty period of ineligibility for benefits, may receive additional benefits only pursuant to Subsection (B), except in the case of a general increase in the amount of TANF benefits which is provided to all program recipients.

(B) In the case of a family that receives TANF in which the adult recipient parents an additional child during the period in which the family is eligible for TANF benefits subsequent to which the family of adult recipient again becomes eligible for benefits, the department, subject to federal approval, shall, in addition to eliminating the increase in the benefit as provided in Subsection (A), provide that in computing the amount of financial assistance that is available to the family that receives TANF, the monthly earned income disregard for each employed person in the family shall increase by an amount equal to that which the family would have otherwise received by parenting an additional child, adjusted for family size.

Section 4. {Severability clause}.

Section 5. {Repealer clause}.

Section 6. {Effective date}.