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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6635
AN ACT CONCERNING TEMPORARY FAMILY ASSISTANCE.
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes to Temporary Family Assistance
(TFA, see BACKGROUND), the state’s cash assistance program for
low-income families administered by the Department of Social
Services (DSS). Principally, it the extends the time limit for TFA
benefits from 21 months, with extensions given under certain
circumstances, to 60 months with most extensions eliminated.
The bill modifies existing time-limit exemptions by, among other
things, making them discretionary and excluding benefits received
during the declared COVID-19 public health emergency from the time
limit. It requires benefit increases to be provided whenever the
program lapses funds at the end of the fiscal year. In addition, it
eliminates penalties for families with children born after program
enrollment.
The bill repeals an inactive pilot program to provide case
management and additional supports to up to 100 TFA recipients
participating in its employment services program.
Lastly, the bill replaces a reference to the Connecticut Law Journal,
instead requiring DSS to post notices of its intent to adopt regulations
on its website and the eRegulations system. It also makes numerous
technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021, except the pilot program repeal is
effective upon passage.
TIME LIMITS
TFA is funded in part by the federal Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) block grant. Federal law generally applies a 2021HB-06635-R000507-BA.DOCX
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60-month lifetime limit for receiving TANF-funded cash assistance,
though states may establish shorter time limits. Under current law,
Connecticut generally applies a 21-month limit on receiving TFA
benefits; however, families are exempt from these time limits under
specified circumstances (e.g., a minor parent finishing high school).
Families not exempt may apply for up to two 6-month time-limit
extensions if they meet certain criteria. The bill:
1. extends the program time limit from 21 months to 60 months for
all recipients and
2. eliminates all but one criterion for receiving an extension under
current law: domestic violence that makes the individual unable
to obtain or maintain employment (CGS § 17b-112b).
Current law requires the DSS commissioner to exempt a family
from time-limited benefits for seven specified circumstances. The bill
retains these exemptions but gives the commissioner discretion in
granting them rather than requiring her to do so. It also adds an eighth
circumstance for a possible exemption if a family has encountered
circumstances preventing employment, including domestic violence.
In addition, the bill excludes from the time limit any months a
family received TFA cash benefits during the declared COVID-19
public health emergency (see BACKGROUND). (Benefits received
during this period still count toward the federal funding limit of 60
months, but nothing precludes the state from funding benefits beyond
the federal limit.)
COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS
Under the bill, beginning in FY 22, whenever TFA appropriated
funds lapse at the close of any fiscal year, the bill requires the DSS
commissioner to provide:
1. a cost of living adjustment (COLA) in TFA benefits equal to the
most recent percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for
Urban Consumers (CPI-U) if the lapsing funds are sufficient to
cover it, or 2021HB-06635-R000507-BA.DOCX
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2. a prorated benefit increase if the funds are insufficient to cover a
COLA.
CHILD CAP
Under current law, Connecticut penalizes families with children
born after their initial 10 months of TFA program participation by (1)
reducing by 50 percent the additional cash benefit they would
otherwise receive for a child and (2) prohibiting the family from
qualifying for a time-limit exemption on the basis of caring for such a
“capped child” under one year of age. The bill eliminates both of these
penalties.
BACKGROUND
TFA Eligibility and Benefits
To be eligible for TFA, a family must (1) have a dependent child (or
pregnancy) and (2) meet income and asset limits. The income limit for
TFA applicants is known as the Standard of Need (SON), a monthly
standard that represents the amount deemed necessary for the normal,
recurring, basic needs of a family. The SON depends on the (1)
applicant’s family size and (2) region of the state in which the family
resides. The asset limit is $3,000. DSS excludes certain types of income
and assets when determining eligibility (e.g., life insurance policies
and a car below a certain value).
The TFA benefit amount is based on a payment standard that also
depends on family size and region. The monthly payment standard
(the maximum benefit amount) for a family of three ranges from $589
to $698 (TANF State Plan, p. 52). DSS deducts certain types of income
from the payment standard to calculate the monthly benefit amount
(e.g., child support above $50).
Related Executive Order
Executive Order 7N, § 6, issued March 26, 2020, excludes TFA
benefits received during the declared emergencies from the statutory
21-month time limit.
COMMITTEE ACTION 2021HB-06635-R000507-BA.DOCX
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Human Services Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 13 Nay 6 (04/01/2021)