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Adds a federal "supplement, not supplant" requirement for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds and requires the state chief executive to certify compliance; that rule takes effect October 1, 2025. Also continues authorization and funding for most TANF activities through September 30, 2026 and creates a permanent indefinite appropriation to fund those activities for that period, while excluding two specified TANF activities from the continuation. The bill otherwise contains a short-title provision and does not change other program rules. The changes will directly affect how states may use TANF federal funds, how they must document use, and the federal funding process for TANF in FY2026.
The bill preserves near-term TANF benefits and strengthens rules to keep federal child-welfare dollars additive, but does so with open-ended federal cost, added state compliance burdens and only a temporary fix that delays longer-term policy choices.
Low-income families and parents keep TANF cash assistance and related services through Sept 30, 2026, and state/local agencies administering TANF gain short-term funding certainty (including continuation of programs under section 1108(b)).
States must certify that Title IV‑A federal funds will supplement—not supplant—existing State/local child welfare spending, which raises accountability and helps preserve or expand services for children and youth.
The bill provides clearer federal oversight through gubernatorial certification and funding assurances, reducing immediate risk that federal dollars will be diverted away from eligible assistance.
Taxpayers may face materially higher federal outlays because the extension uses an open‑ended appropriation language ('such sums as may be necessary'), increasing federal fiscal exposure.
The bill only temporarily extends authorizations through FY2026 and does not address some program authorizations (sections 403(c) and 418) beyond FY2023, so participants and programs face uncertainty or potential loss unless Congress acts again.
Requiring non‑supplanting certifications can reduce State and local budget flexibility and force tradeoffs—states may need to cut other programs or shift administrative resources to compliance and monitoring.
Introduced April 1, 2025 by Claudia Tenney · Last progress April 1, 2025