Sponsors (5)
The bill clarifies and narrows TANF eligibility—making administration easier for states and preserving benefits for some refugee/Cuban groups—while removing cash assistance for many qualified immigrants, shifting hardship to families and local services and raising implementation costs.
State governments will have clearer, narrower TANF eligibility rules, making program administration and determinations more straightforward.
Certain refugees and Cuban nationals will retain access to TANF benefits, avoiding coverage gaps for those specific immigrant groups.
Low-income 'qualified' immigrants will lose eligibility for TANF cash benefits, reducing income support for affected families and children.
Non-exempt immigrant families who lose TANF eligibility may face increased hardship, shifting demand onto local governments, charities, and other social services.
State governments may incur higher administrative and legal costs to implement the new eligibility rules and to defend or contest benefit denials.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Most persons defined as "qualified aliens" under 8 U.S.C. §1431 are made ineligible for federal TANF benefits, with a few narrow statutory exceptions.
Introduced March 12, 2026 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress March 12, 2026
Changes federal rules so that most people classified as “qualified aliens” under federal immigration law are not eligible for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, with a few narrow exceptions. It also includes a short-title provision for the Act and repeals an existing clause in current law to implement this eligibility change. The change narrows who can receive TANF cash assistance at the federal level, affecting immigrant families, children in those families, and the agencies that administer TANF benefits.