[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6437 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6437

    To extend eligibility for programs under title IV of the Social 
 Security Act to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 15, 2023

Mr. Sablan (for himself, Mr. Moylan, Mrs. Radewagen, Ms. Plaskett, and 
  Mr. Case) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To extend eligibility for programs under title IV of the Social 
 Security Act to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and 
                          for other purposes.

    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 ``Fostering Family Cohesion Nationwide 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 1101(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1301(a)(1)) is amended in the final sentence by inserting ``and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands'' before the period at 
the end.
    (b) Eligibility for the Program of Temporary Assistance for Needy 
Families.--
            (1) In general.--Part A of title IV of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        401-419) is amended by inserting after section 413 the 
        following:

``SEC. 414. APPLICABILITY TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA 
              ISLANDS.

    ``(a) Family Assistance Grant.--The Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands (in this section referred to as the `Commonwealth') 
shall be entitled to receive from the Secretary a family assistance 
grant in an amount equal to $1,631,000 for each fiscal year covered by 
a family assistance plan approved under subsection (b).
    ``(b) 3-Year Family Assistance Plan.--The Secretary shall approve a 
3-year family assistance plan submitted by the Commonwealth if the 
plan--
            ``(1) outlines the approach of the Commonwealth to 
        providing benefits and services for needy families for the 3-
        year period, consistent with this section;
            ``(2) specifies whether the benefits and services provided 
        under the plan will be provided by the Commonwealth or through 
        agreements or contracts with other entities;
            ``(3) provides that a family receiving assistance under the 
        plan may not receive duplicative assistance from other State 
        programs funded under this part; and
            ``(4) identifies the employment opportunities in the 
        Commonwealth and the manner in which the Commonwealth will 
        cooperate and participate in enhancing such opportunities for 
        recipients of assistance under the plan.
    ``(c) Limitations on Applicability of Other Sections of This 
Part.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in this subsection, 
        the other sections of this part, other than section 418, shall 
        not apply to the Commonwealth.
            ``(2) Minimum work participation requirements; time limits; 
        emergency assistance; accountability.--Subsections (c), (d), 
        and (e)(1) of section 412 shall apply to the Commonwealth in 
        the same manner in which such subsections apply to an Indian 
        tribe.
            ``(3) Eligibility for federal loans.--Section 406 shall 
        apply to the Commonwealth, if the Commonwealth has a family 
        assistance plan approved under this section, in the same manner 
        as such section applies to any other State, except that section 
        406(c) shall be applied by substituting `section 414(a)' for 
        `section 403(a)'.
            ``(4) Penalties.--
                    ``(A) Subsections (a)(1), (a)(6), (b), and (c) of 
                section 409 shall apply to the Commonwealth in the same 
                manner as such subsections apply to any other State.
                    ``(B) Section 409(a)(3) shall apply to the 
                Commonwealth by substituting `meet minimum work 
                participation requirements established under section 
                414(c)(2)' for `comply with section 407(a)'.
            ``(5) Data collection and reporting.--Section 411 shall 
        apply to the Commonwealth if the Commonwealth has a family 
        assistance plan approved under this section.
    ``(d) Appropriation.--Out of any money in the Treasury of the 
United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated for 
each fiscal year such sums as are necessary for grants under this 
section.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 419(5) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 619(5)) is amended by striking ``and American Samoa'' 
        and inserting ``American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands''.
    (c) Matching Grants; Limitation on Total Payments.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1108(c) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1308(c)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and American 
                Samoa'' and inserting ``American Samoa, and the 
                Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
                        the following:
                    ``(E) $2,131,000 with respect to the Commonwealth 
                of the Northern Mariana Islands.''.
            (2) Technical amendment.--Section 1108(a)(1) of such Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(1)) is amended by inserting ``(as in effect 
        before the amendment made by section 301 of the Social Security 
        Amendments of 1972)'' after ``XVI''.
    (d) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Sharing of collected child support with the federal 
        government.--Section 457(c)(3)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        657(c)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ``and American Samoa'' and 
        inserting ``American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands''.
            (2) Exemption from afdc-related eligibility requirement in 
        making foster care maintenance payments.--Section 472(a)(1)(B) 
        of such Act (42 U.S.C. 672(a)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting 
        ``in the case of a State other than the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands,'' before ``the child''.
            (3) Exemption from electronic interstate data exchange 
        requirements with respect to cases involving the interstate 
        placement of children.--Section 471(a)(25) of such Act (42 
        U.S.C. 671(a)(25)) is amended by striking ``or American Samoa'' 
        and inserting ``American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the 
        Northern Mariana Islands''.
    (e) Start-Up Funding for Child Support Enforcement Program.--The 
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make a grant of $5,000,000 
to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the costs of 
developing a program pursuant to part D of title IV of the Social 
Security Act that are reasonable, necessary, and allocable to the 
program, including the following:
            (1) Planning for the initial development and implementation 
        of the program.
            (2) Developing laws, codes, guidelines, systems, and 
        procedures necessary for the program.
            (3) Recruiting, hiring, and training program staff.
            (4) Any other reasonable, necessary, and allocable costs 
        with a direct correlation to the initial development of the 
        program, consistent with the cost principles in subpart E of 
        part 75 of title 45, Code of Federal Regulations, and approved 
        by the Secretary.
    (f) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to fiscal years beginning after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
    (g) Technical Assistance.--Not later than October 1 of the 1st 
fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands with technical assistance 
in developing plans to meet the requirements of sections 402, 454, and 
471(a) of the Social Security Act.
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