LCO 3905 \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-R01-
HB.docx
1 of 10
General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6629
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 3905
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT CONCERNING TEMPORARY FAMILY ASSISTANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-112 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
(a) The Department of Social Services shall administer a temporary 3
family assistance program under which cash assistance shall be 4
provided to eligible families in accordance with the temporary 5
assistance for needy families program, established pursuant to the 6
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 7
1996. The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the 8
temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded 9
program, separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy 10
families program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will 11
enable the state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary 12
assistance for needy families program. Families receiving assistance 13
under the solely state-funded portion of the temporary family 14
assistance program shall be subject to the same conditions of eligibility 15
as those receiving assistance under the federal temporary assistance for 16 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
2 of 10
needy families program. Under the temporary family assistance 17
program, benefits shall be provided to a family for not longer than 18
[twenty-one] sixty months, except as provided in [subsections (b) and 19
(c)] subsection (b) of this section. [For the purpose of calculating said 20
twenty-one-month time limit, months of assistance received on and 21
after January 1, 1996, pursuant to time limits under the aid to families 22
with dependent children program, shall be included.] For purposes of 23
this section, "family" means one or more individuals who apply for or 24
receive assistance together under the temporary family assistance 25
program. If the commissioner determines that federal law allows 26
individuals not otherwise in an eligible covered group for the 27
temporary family assistance program to become covered, such family 28
may also, at the discretion of the commissioner, be composed of (1) a 29
pregnant woman, or (2) a parent, both parents or other caretaker 30
relative and at least one child who is under the age of eighteen, or who 31
is under the age of nineteen and a full-time student in a secondary 32
school or its equivalent. A caretaker relative shall be related to the 33
child or children by blood, marriage or adoption or shall be the legal 34
guardian of such a child or pursuing legal proceedings necessary to 35
achieve guardianship. If the commissioner elects to allow state 36
eligibility consistent with any change in federal law, the commissioner 37
may administratively transfer any qualifying family cases under the 38
cash assistance portion of the state-administered general assistance 39
program to the temporary family assistance program without regard 40
to usual eligibility and enrollment procedures. If such families become 41
an ineligible coverage group under the federal law, the commissioner 42
shall administratively transfer such families back to the cash assistance 43
portion of the state-administered general assistance program without 44
regard to usual eligibility and enrollment procedures to the degree that 45
such families are eligible for the state program. For the purpose of 46
calculating said sixty-month time limit: 47
(A) Months of assistance received on and after January 1, 1996, 48
pursuant to time limits under the aid to families with dependent 49
children program, shall be included; 50 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
3 of 10
(B) A month shall count toward the limit if the family receives 51
assistance for any day of the month, provided any months of 52
temporary family assistance received during the public health 53
emergency declared by Governor Ned Lamont related to the COVID-54
19 pandemic shall not be included; and 55
(C) A month in which a family receives temporary assistance for 56
needy families benefits that are issued from a jurisdiction other than 57
Connecticut shall count toward the limit. 58
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall exempt a family from 59
such time-limited benefits for circumstances including, but not limited 60
to: (1) A family with a needy caretaker relative who is incapacitated or 61
of an advanced age, as defined by the commissioner, if there is no 62
other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (2) a family with 63
a needy caretaker relative who is needed in the home because of the 64
incapacity of another member of the household, if there is no other 65
nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (3) a family with a 66
caretaker relative who is not legally responsible for the dependent 67
children in the household if such relative's needs are not considered in 68
calculating the amount of the benefit and there is no other nonexempt 69
caretaker relative in the household; (4) a family with a caretaker 70
relative caring for a child who is under one year of age if there is no 71
other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (5) a family with 72
a pregnant or postpartum caretaker relative if a physician has 73
indicated that such relative is unable to work and there is no other 74
nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (6) a family with a 75
caretaker relative determined by the commissioner to be unemployable 76
and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; 77
[and] (7) minor parents attending and satisfactorily completing high 78
school or high school equivalency programs; and (8) a family that has 79
encountered circumstances preventing employment, including, but not 80
limited to, (A) domestic violence, as defined in Section 402(a)(7)(B), 81
P.L. 104-193, or physical harm to such family's children; or (B) other 82
circumstances beyond such family's control. 83 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
4 of 10
[(c) A family who is subject to time-limited benefits may petition the 84
Commissioner of Social Services for six-month extensions of such 85
benefits. The commissioner shall grant not more than two extensions to 86
such family who has made a good faith effort to comply with the 87
requirements of the program and despite such effort has a total family 88
income at a level below the payment standard, or has encountered 89
circumstances preventing employment including, but not limited to: 90
(1) Domestic violence or physical harm to such family's children; or (2) 91
other circumstances beyond such family's control. The commissioner 92
shall disregard ninety dollars of earned income in determining 93
applicable family income. The commissioner may grant a subsequent 94
six-month extension if each adult in the family meets one or more of 95
the following criteria: (A) The adult is precluded from engaging in 96
employment activities due to domestic violence or another reason 97
beyond the adult's control; (B) the adult has two or more substantiated 98
barriers to employment including, but not limited to, the lack of 99
available child care, substance abuse or addiction, severe mental or 100
physical health problems, one or more severe learning disabilities, 101
domestic violence or a child who has a serious physical or behavioral 102
health problem; (C) the adult is working thirty-five or more hours per 103
week, is earning at least the minimum wage and continues to earn less 104
than the family's temporary family assistance payment standard; or 105
(D) the adult is employed and works less than thirty-five hours per 106
week due to (i) a documented medical impairment that limits the 107
adult's hours of employment, provided the adult works the maximum 108
number of hours that the medical condition permits, or (ii) the need to 109
care for a disabled member of the adult's household, provided the 110
adult works the maximum number of hours the adult's caregiving 111
responsibilities permit. Families receiving temporary family assistance 112
shall be notified by the department of the right to petition for such 113
extensions. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the 114
commissioner shall not provide benefits under the state's temporary 115
family assistance program to a family that is subject to the twenty-one 116
month benefit limit and has received benefits beginning on or after 117
October 1, 1996, if such benefits result in that family's receiving more 118 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
5 of 10
than sixty months of time-limited benefits unless that family 119
experiences domestic violence, as defined in Section 402(a)(7)(B), P.L. 120
104-193. For the purpose of calculating said sixty-month limit: (I) A 121
month shall count toward the limit if the family receives assistance for 122
any day of the month, provided any months of temporary family 123
assistance received during the public health emergency declared by 124
Governor Ned Lamont related to the COVID-19 pandemic shall not be 125
included, and (II) a month in which a family receives temporary 126
assistance for needy families benefits that are issued from a jurisdiction 127
other than Connecticut shall count toward the limit.] 128
[(d)] (c) Under said program, no family shall be eligible that has 129
total gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in 130
the calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and 131
previously eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because 132
of receipt of workers' compensation benefits by a family member who 133
subsequently returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of 134
such benefits, earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal 135
poverty level. [Except when determining eligibility for a six-month 136
extension of benefits pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, the] For 137
a family that would lose eligibility due to new employment with 138
earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, the commissioner shall 139
gradually reduce benefits over a period of ninety days prior to the date 140
on which the family is no longer eligible for benefits under the 141
program. The commissioner shall disregard ninety dollars of earned 142
income in determining applicable family income. The commissioner 143
shall disregard the first fifty dollars per month of income attributable 144
to current child support that a family receives in determining 145
eligibility and benefit levels for temporary family assistance. Any 146
current child support in excess of fifty dollars per month collected by 147
the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be considered in 148
determining eligibility but shall not be considered when calculating 149
benefits and shall be taken as reimbursement for assistance paid under 150
this section, except that when the current child support collected 151
exceeds the family's monthly award of temporary family assistance 152 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
6 of 10
benefits plus fifty dollars, the current child support shall be paid to the 153
family and shall be considered when calculating benefits. 154
[(e)] (d) A family receiving assistance under said program shall 155
cooperate with child support enforcement, under title IV-D of the 156
Social Security Act. A family shall be ineligible for benefits for failure 157
to cooperate with child support enforcement. 158
[(f)] (e) A family leaving assistance at the end of [(1) said twenty-159
one- month time limit, including a family with income above the 160
payment standard, or (2)] the sixty-month limit, including a family 161
with income above the payment standard, shall have an interview for 162
the purpose of being informed of services that may continue to be 163
available to such family, including employment services available 164
through the Labor Department. Such interview shall include (A) a 165
determination of benefits available to the family provided by the 166
Department of Social Services; and (B) a determination of whether 167
such family is eligible for supplemental nutrition assistance or 168
Medicaid. Information and referrals shall be made to such a family for 169
services and benefits including, but not limited to, the earned income 170
tax credit, rental subsidies emergency housing, employment services 171
and energy assistance. 172
[(g)] (f) Notwithstanding section 17b-104, commencing on July 1, 173
2023, the Commissioner of Social Services shall provide an annual cost-174
of-living adjustment in temporary family assistance benefits equal to 175
the most recent percentage increase in the consumer price index for 176
urban consumers whenever funds appropriated for temporary family 177
assistance lapse at the close of any fiscal year and such adjustment has 178
not otherwise been included in the budget for the assistance program, 179
provided the increase would not create a budget deficiency in 180
succeeding years. The commissioner shall provide a prorated benefit 181
increase from such available lapsed funds in any fiscal year when such 182
funds are not sufficient to cover a cost-of-living adjustment in 183
accordance with this subsection. 184 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
7 of 10
[(h)] (g) An applicant or recipient of temporary family assistance 185
who is adversely affected by a decision of the Commissioner of Social 186
Services may request and shall be provided a hearing in accordance 187
with section 17b-60. 188
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-112b of the general statutes is 189
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 190
1, 2023): 191
(a) An applicant or recipient who is a past or present victim of 192
domestic violence or at risk of further domestic violence, pursuant to 193
subsection (c) of section 17b-112a, shall, for good cause: (1) Be excused 194
from failing to participate in a work activity; or (2) be exempted from 195
child support enforcement requirements pursuant to subsection [(e)] 196
(d) of section 17b-112, as amended by this act. Such an applicant or 197
recipient may, for good cause, be granted an [extension of cash 198
assistance beyond twenty-one months] exemption from the sixty-199
month time limit for temporary family assistance, pursuant to section 200
17b-112, as amended by this act, provided the domestic violence 201
experienced is of sufficient magnitude to reasonably render the 202
individual unable to obtain or maintain employment. 203
Sec. 3. Section 17b-112e of the general statutes is repealed and the 204
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 205
(a) The Department of Social Services shall provide safety net 206
services for certain families identified as having significant barriers to 207
employment and families who are at risk of losing benefits under the 208
temporary family assistance program or no longer receiving program 209
benefits. To be eligible for safety net services, such families shall: (1) 210
Have been identified as having significant barriers to employment 211
during the initial assessment by the department's eligibility worker or 212
during the first twelve months of employment services by an 213
employment services case manager; (2) have made a good faith effort 214
to seek and maintain employment but have not been able to do so or 215
be at risk of failing to complete the employment services program; or 216 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
8 of 10
(3) have exhausted their eligibility for temporary family assistance 217
program benefits. [; or (4) not be eligible for six-month extensions of 218
temporary family assistance benefits due to: (A) The receipt of two 219
sanctions from the department during the first twenty months of the 220
twenty-one-month time limit of said temporary family assistance 221
program; or (B) the determination by the department that such a 222
family has not made a good faith effort to seek and maintain 223
employment.] 224
(b) Said safety net shall consist of services provided through the 225
existing community service delivery network with additional 226
resources provided by the Department of Social Services. Services shall 227
be provided in-kind or through vendor or voucher payment. Services 228
may include the following: (1) Food, shelter, clothing and employment 229
assistance; (2) eviction prevention; (3) an in-depth family needs 230
assessment; (4) intensive case management that includes visits to the 231
family's home; (5) continuous monitoring for child abuse or neglect; 232
and (6) for families at risk of losing benefits under the temporary 233
family assistance program, individual performance contracts 234
administered by the Labor Department that require job training, job 235
searching, volunteer work, participation in parenting programs or 236
counseling or any other requirements deemed necessary by the Labor 237
Commissioner. 238
[(c) Families successfully meeting the program requirements 239
established by the individual performance contracts in subdivision (6) 240
of subsection (b) of this section prior to the end of the twenty-one-241
month time limit shall be considered to have made a good faith effort 242
to comply with the requirements of the program for the purposes of 243
qualifying for a six-month extension, provided they have made a good 244
faith effort to comply with the individual performance contract or have 245
not incurred a sanction subsequent to completing the individual 246
performance contract.] 247
[(d)] (c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall implement 248
policies and procedures necessary for the purposes of this section 249 Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
9 of 10
while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures in 250
regulation form, provided the commissioner [prints] posts notice of 251
intention to adopt the regulations [in the Connecticut Law Journal 252
within twenty days of] on the eRegulations System and the 253
department's Internet web site not later than twenty days after 254
implementing such policies and procedures. Policies and procedures 255
implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be valid until the time 256
final regulations are effective. 257
Sec. 4. Subsection (d) of section 17b-112g of the general statutes is 258
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 259
1, 2023): 260
(d) A family receiving diversion assistance shall be ineligible to 261
receive monthly temporary family assistance payments for a period of 262
three months from the date of application for temporary family 263
assistance, except that such family shall be eligible to receive 264
temporary family assistance payments within such period if the 265
Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee, in 266
the commissioner's sole discretion, determines that the family has 267
experienced undue hardship. A family that is subject to the [twenty-268
one-month] sixty-month benefit limit under temporary family 269
assistance shall have diversion assistance count as three months 270
toward such limit. [Nothing in this section shall prohibit a family 271
receiving diversion assistance that later qualifies for temporary family 272
assistance from qualifying for a six-month extension available to 273
recipients of temporary family assistance who did not receive 274
diversion assistance.] 275
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2023 17b-112
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 17b-112b(a)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 17b-112e
Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 17b-112g(d)
Bill No. 6629
LCO 3905 {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06629-
R01-HB.docx }
10 of 10
HS Joint Favorable C/R APP