[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3672 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3672

   To provide assistance to families affected by Hurricane Katrina, 
through the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance 
                          for needy families.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 7, 2005

Mr. McCrery (for himself, Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Baker, Mr. Jindal, and Mr. 
  Pickering) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on the 
 Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide assistance to families affected by Hurricane Katrina, 
through the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance 
                          for needy families.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``TANF Emergency Response and Recovery 
Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCE PAYMENT OF TANF BLOCK GRANTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 
              FISCAL YEAR 2006.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 405 of the Social Security 
Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall pay each grant 
payable under section 403 of such Act for the first quarter of fiscal 
year 2006, as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.
    (b) Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block 
Grant Program Through December 31, 2005.--
            (1) In general.--Activities authorized by part A of title 
        IV of the Social Security Act, and by section 1108(b) of such 
        Act, shall continue through December 31, 2005, in the manner 
        authorized for fiscal year 2005, and out of any money in the 
        Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there 
        are hereby appropriated such sums as may be necessary for such 
        purpose. Grants and payments may be made pursuant to this 
        authority through the first quarter of fiscal year 2006 at the 
        level provided for such activities through the first quarter of 
        fiscal year 2005.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Supplemental grants for population increases in 
                certain states.--Section 403(a)(3)(H)(ii) of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(3)(H)(ii)) is amended by 
                striking ``September 30'' and inserting ``December 
                31''.
                    (B) Contingency fund.--Section 403(b)(3)(C)(ii) of 
                such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(3)(C)(ii)) is amended by 
                striking ``2005'' and inserting ``2006''.
                    (C) Maintenance of effort.--Section 409(a)(7) of 
                such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)(7)) is amended--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or 
                        2006'' and inserting ``2006, or 2007''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 
                        ``2005'' and inserting ``2006''.
    (c) Extension of the National Random Sample Study of Child Welfare 
and Child Welfare Waiver Authority Through December 31, 2005.--
Activities authorized by sections 429A and 1130(a) of the Social 
Security Act shall continue through December 31, 2005, in the manner 
authorized for fiscal year 2005, and out of any money in the Treasury 
of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are hereby 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for such purpose. Grants and 
payments may be made pursuant to this authority through the first 
quarter of fiscal year 2006 at the level provided for such activities 
through the first quarter of fiscal year 2005.

SEC. 3. REIMBURSEMENT OF STATES FOR TANF BENEFITS PROVIDED TO ASSIST 
              FAMILIES FROM OTHER STATES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA.

    (a) Eligibility for Payments From the Contingency Fund.--Beginning 
with the date of the enactment of this Act and ending with August 31, 
2006, a State shall be considered a needy State for purposes of section 
403(b) of the Social Security Act if--
            (1) cash benefits under the State program funded under part 
        A of title IV of the Social Security Act have been provided on 
        a short-term, nonrecurring basis, to a family which--
                    (A) has resided in another State that includes an 
                area for which a major disaster has been declared under 
                the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
                Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) as a result of 
                Hurricane Katrina; and
                    (B) has travelled (not necessarily directly) to the 
                State from such other State as a result of the 
                hurricane; and
            (2) the State has determined that the family is not 
        receiving cash benefits from any program funded under such part 
        of any other State.
    (b) Limitation on Funding.--Subject to section 403(b)(3)(C)(i) of 
the Social Security Act, the total amount paid under section 
403(b)(3)(A) of such Act to a State which is a needy State for purposes 
of section 403(b) of such Act by reason of subsection (a) of this 
section shall not exceed the total amount of cash benefits provided as 
described in subsection (a)(1) of this section, to the extent that the 
condition of subsection (a)(2) of this section has been met with 
respect to the families involved.
    (c) No State Match Required.--Section 403(b)(6) of the Social 
Security Act shall not apply with respect to a payment made to a State 
by reason of this section.

SEC. 4. AVAILABILITY OF ADDITIONAL TANF FUNDS FOR HURRICANE-DAMAGED 
              STATES.

    (a) Certain States Made Eligible for Loans.--Beginning with the 
date of the enactment of this Act and ending with the end of fiscal 
year 2006:
            (1) The States of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama shall 
        be considered loan-eligible States for purposes of section 406 
        of the Social Security Act.
            (2) Notwithstanding section 406(d) of the Social Security 
        Act, the cumulative dollar amount of all loans made to such a 
        State under such section by reason of this section shall not 
        exceed 20 percent of the State family assistance grant payable 
        to the State under section 403 of such Act for fiscal year 
        2006.
    (b) Forgiveness of Loans.--Notwithstanding section 406 of the 
Social Security Act, a penalty may not be imposed against any of the 
States of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama for failure to--
            (1) repay a loan made to the State under such section on or 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act and before October 
        1, 2007; or
            (2) make any interest payment on such a loan.

SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF UNSPENT TANF FUNDS TO PROVIDE BENEFITS AND 
              SERVICES TO SUPPORT NEEDY FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE 
              KATRINA.

    A State or tribe may use a grant made to the State or tribe under 
part A of title IV of the Social Security Act for any fiscal year to 
provide, without fiscal year limitation, any benefit or service that 
may be provided under the State or tribal program funded under such 
part to support needy families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

SEC. 6. WORK REQUIREMENTS AND TIME LIMITS UNDER TANF PROGRAM NOT 
              TRIGGERED BY RECEIPT OF TEMPORARY TANF BENEFITS BY 
              FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA.

    Benefits provided on a short-term, nonrecurring basis under a State 
program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act, 
during the period that begins with the date of the enactment of this 
Act and ends with the end of fiscal year 2006, to meet a subsistence 
need of a family resulting from Hurricane Katrina shall not be 
considered assistance for purposes of sections 407 and 408(a)(7) of the 
Social Security Act.

SEC. 7. WAIVER OF TANF PENALTIES IN HURRICANE-DAMAGED STATES.

    The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall not impose a 
penalty on any of the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama 
under any of paragraphs (2) through (6), or (8) through (14) of section 
409(a) of the Social Security Act with respect to a failure to comply 
with a provision of part A of title IV of such Act during the period 
that begins with the date of the enactment of this Act and ends with 
the end of fiscal year 2006, if the Secretary determines that the 
failure resulted from Hurricane Katrina or reasonable conduct of the 
State in addressing needs of victims of Hurricane Katrina.

SEC. 8. EMERGENCY DESIGNATION.

    Each amount provided in this Act is designated as an emergency 
requirement pursuant to section 402 of H. Con. Res. 95 (109th 
Congress).
                                 <all>