HB 1247 -- TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES

SPONSOR:  Sater

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Healthcare
Transformation by a vote of 6 to 4 with 1 present.

By October 28, 2010, this bill requires the Department of Social
Services to apply for a federal waiver from the United States
Department of Health and Human Services to modify the eligibility
requirements for the Missouri Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) Program to:

(1)  Reduce the lifetime eligibility limits for recipients from
five years to two years and require beneficiaries subject to any
work requirements to be employed at the time of receiving any
TANF benefits;

(2)  Establish a cash diversion program for unemployed applicants
whose TANF benefits are subject to work requirements.  The
department must offer job assistance services for up to three
months to unemployed applicants; and if the applicant is using
the services, he or she will be eligible to receive up to three
monthly payments equal to the amount the applicant would be
eligible to receive if he or she was a TANF recipient; and

(3)  Establish a cap on TANF cash benefits for a recipient that
is based on the number of children in the recipient's family.
Additional cash benefits will not be awarded to a recipient in
the event of a child's birth after an initial award has been
granted, except if a child is born as a result of rape or incest.
The department must offer family planning services to all TANF
cash benefit recipients.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $376,376
to Unknown in FY 2011, Unknown in FY 2012, and Unknown in
FY 2013.  No impact on Other State Funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill stipulates a work
requirement in order for a person to be eligible to receive TANF
benefits, and the benefit caps encourage work participation for
eligible mothers.  The bill is similar to proposals in other
states and is a step in reforming a program that is in need of
changes.

Testifying for the bill was Representative Sater.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that although there are
areas of the program that could be more efficient, cutting
benefits is not in the best interest of the persons who need the
support of the TANF Program.  There are a lot of ways to reward
individuals who work, but threatening to cut benefits because a
person is not working is very detrimental to families who are
already struggling.  The family cap should not be used to
motivate individuals to find work.  Adding a work requirement in
a poor economy will result in a program that will never give help
to those that need it most.  TANF recipients are not trying to
work the system.  The intent of the bill goes against the goal of
the program and proposes a reform measure that will hurt instead
of help recipients become financially stable.

Testifying against the bill were Missouri Catholic Conference;
and Catholic Charities Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:10 pm