Bill Summary
The Northern Marianas Family Assistance Act is a proposed bill that aims to make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This bill would amend the Social Security Act to include the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands as one of the territories eligible for TANF funding. It also outlines the criteria and conditions for the Commonwealth to receive TANF grants and be eligible for the TANF Contingency Fund. Additionally, this bill exempts the Commonwealth from certain requirements and penalties related to the TANF program. The bill also requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance to the Commonwealth in developing a plan to meet the requirements of the TANF program. If passed, this bill would take effect in the 2nd fiscal year after its enactment, except for certain provisions that would take effect sooner.
Possible Impacts
1. The people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may be eligible for a program of block grants for temporary assistance for needy families, providing them with financial support during times of need.
2. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may receive a family assistance grant, which will be equal to 80% of their total expenditures for their assistance program.
3. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands will be exempt from certain requirements and penalties, such as the maintenance of effort requirement and the ban on assistance for families who do not assign support rights to the state.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1773 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1773
To make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for
the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for
needy families, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2021
Mr. Sablan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for
the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for
needy families, 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 ``Northern Marianas Family Assistance
Act''.
SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
FOR THE TANF PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 419(5) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 619(5)) is amended by striking ``and American Samoa'' and
inserting ``American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands''.
(b) Family Assistance Grant.--
(1) In general.--Section 403(a)(1)(B) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(B)) is amended--
(A) by striking ``specified in'' and inserting ``in
effect for purposes of''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the State
family assistance grant for the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands for each fiscal year shall be
the lesser of the amount that equals 80 percent of the
total expenditures of the Commonwealth under the
Commonwealth program funded under this part in the
fiscal year, or the mandatory ceiling amount (as
defined in section 1108) with respect to Guam.''.
(2) Appropriation.--Section 403(a)(1)(C) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``The dollar amount in effect under this
subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be the amount specified in
the preceding sentence increased by the mandatory ceiling
amount (as defined in section 1108) with respect to Guam, and
an amount equal to that increase shall be reserved for a grant
under this paragraph to the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.''.
(c) Eligibility for the Contingency Fund.--
(1) In general.--Effective on October 1 of the 5th fiscal
year immediately following the 1st fiscal year referred to in
subsection (g):
(A) Eligibility.--Section 403(b)(7) of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(7)) is amended by
striking ``States and the District of Columbia'' and
inserting ``States, the District of Columbia, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands''.
(B) Exclusion from limitation on payments to the
territories.--Section 1108(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1308(a)(2)) is amended by inserting ``, or any payment
made to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands under section 403(b)'' before the period.
(2) Development of needy state criteria.--As soon as is
practicable but not later than the date paragraph (1) of this
subsection takes effect, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services shall work with the Government of the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands to develop the criteria to be used
in determining whether, on or after such date, the Commonwealth
is a needy State for purposes of section 403(b) of the Social
Security Act, which shall not include the criteria used by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics in determining unemployment or the
caseload criteria used in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program.
(d) Inapplicability of Certain Requirements and Prohibition.--
(1) State plan requirements relating to operation of child
support enforcement and foster care and adoption assistance
programs.--Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
602(a)) is amended in each of paragraphs (2) and (3) by adding
at the end the following: ``The preceding sentence shall not
apply with respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands.''.
(2) Mandatory work requirements.--Sections 407 and
409(a)(3) of such Act shall not apply to the Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands.
(3) Ban on assistance for families not assigning certain
support rights to the state.--Section 408(a)(3) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 608(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``The preceding sentence shall not apply with
respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.''.
(4) Maintenance of effort requirement.--Section 409(a)(7)
of such Act shall not apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands.
(e) Assessment of Work, Employment, and Training Program.--The
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall seek to negotiate an
agreement with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands under
which the performance of the work, employment, and training program of
the Commonwealth will be assessed.
(f) Transition Provisions.--With respect to each of the 4 fiscal
years immediately following the 1st fiscal year referred to in
subsection (g) of this section:
(1) Exemption from limitation on use of grant for
administrative expenditures.--Section 404(b) of the Social
Security Act shall not apply to the Commonwealth of the
Northern Mariana Islands.
(2) Inapplicability of penalty for failure of state
receiving amounts from contingency fund to maintain 100 percent
of historic effort.--Section 409(a)(10) of such Act shall not
apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
(g) Technical Assistance.--Not later than October 1 of the 1st
fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands with technical assistance
in developing a plan to meet the requirements of section 402 of the
Social Security Act.
(h) Effective Date.--Except as provided in subsection (c), the
amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1 of the
2nd fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
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