I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1773 

To make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for 

the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for 

needy families, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 10, 2021 

Mr. SABLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To make the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands eligible for the program of block grants to States 

for temporary assistance for needy families, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Marianas 

5 Family Assistance Act’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 1773 IH

1 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE 

2 NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS FOR THE 

3 TANF PROGRAM. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 419(5) of the Social Secu5 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 619(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘and 

6 American Samoa’’ and inserting ‘‘American Samoa, and 

7 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’’. 

8 (b) FAMILY ASSISTANCE GRANT.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a)(1)(B) of 

10 such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(B)) is amended— 

11 (A) by striking ‘‘specified in’’ and inserting 

12 ‘‘in effect for purposes of’’; and 

13 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the 

15 State family assistance grant for the Common16 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for 

17 each fiscal year shall be the lesser of the 

18 amount that equals 80 percent of the total ex19 penditures of the Commonwealth under the 

20 Commonwealth program funded under this part 

21 in the fiscal year, or the mandatory ceiling 

22 amount (as defined in section 1108) with re23 spect to Guam.’’. 

24 (2) APPROPRIATION.—Section 403(a)(1)(C) of 

25 such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(C)) is amended by 

26 adding at the end the following: ‘‘The dollar amount 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 1773 IH

1 in effect under this subparagraph for a fiscal year 

2 shall be the amount specified in the preceding sen3 tence increased by the mandatory ceiling amount (as 

4 defined in section 1108) with respect to Guam, and 

5 an amount equal to that increase shall be reserved 

6 for a grant under this paragraph to the Common7 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.’’. 

8 (c) ELIGIBILITY FOR THE CONTINGENCY FUND.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Effective on October 1 of 

10 the 5th fiscal year immediately following the 1st fis11 cal year referred to in subsection (g): 

12 (A) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 403(b)(7) of 

13 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(7)) is 

14 amended by striking ‘‘States and the District of 

15 Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘States, the District 

16 of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the 

17 Northern Mariana Islands’’. 

18 (B) EXCLUSION FROM LIMITATION ON

19 PAYMENTS TO THE TERRITORIES.—Section 

20 1108(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)) 

21 is amended by inserting ‘‘, or any payment 

22 made to the Commonwealth of the Northern 

23 Mariana Islands under section 403(b)’’ before 

24 the period. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 1773 IH

1 (2) DEVELOPMENT OF NEEDY STATE CRI2 TERIA.—As soon as is practicable but not later than 

3 the date paragraph (1) of this subsection takes ef4 fect, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

5 shall work with the Government of the Common6 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to develop 

7 the criteria to be used in determining whether, on or 

8 after such date, the Commonwealth is a needy State 

9 for purposes of section 403(b) of the Social Security 

10 Act, which shall not include the criteria used by the 

11 Bureau of Labor Statistics in determining unem12 ployment or the caseload criteria used in the Supple13 mental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

14 (d) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS

15 AND PROHIBITION.— 

16 (1) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO

17 OPERATION OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND

18 FOSTER CARE AND ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PRO19 GRAMS.—Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended in each of para21 graphs (2) and (3) by adding at the end the fol22 lowing: ‘‘The preceding sentence shall not apply with 

23 respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar24 iana Islands.’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 1773 IH

1 (2) MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS.—Sec2 tions 407 and 409(a)(3) of such Act shall not apply 

3 to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is4 lands. 

5 (3) BAN ON ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES NOT

6 ASSIGNING CERTAIN SUPPORT RIGHTS TO THE

7 STATE.—Section 408(a)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 608(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: ‘‘The preceding sentence shall not apply with 

10 respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar11 iana Islands.’’. 

12 (4) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT REQUIRE13 MENT.—Section 409(a)(7) of such Act shall not 

14 apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar15 iana Islands. 

16 (e) ASSESSMENT OF WORK, EMPLOYMENT, AND

17 TRAINING PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 

18 Human Services shall seek to negotiate an agreement with 

19 the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

20 under which the performance of the work, employment, 

21 and training program of the Commonwealth will be as22 sessed. 

23 (f) TRANSITION PROVISIONS.—With respect to each 

24 of the 4 fiscal years immediately following the 1st fiscal 

25 year referred to in subsection (g) of this section: 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 1773 IH

1 (1) EXEMPTION FROM LIMITATION ON USE OF

2 GRANT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES.—Sec3 tion 404(b) of the Social Security Act shall not 

4 apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar5 iana Islands. 

6 (2) INAPPLICABILITY OF PENALTY FOR FAIL7 URE OF STATE RECEIVING AMOUNTS FROM CONTIN8 GENCY FUND TO MAINTAIN 100 PERCENT OF HIS9 TORIC EFFORT.—Section 409(a)(10) of such Act 

10 shall not apply to the Commonwealth of the North11 ern Mariana Islands. 

12 (g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Not later than Octo13 ber 1 of the 1st fiscal year that begins after the date of 

14 the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 

15 Human Services shall provide the Commonwealth of the 

16 Northern Mariana Islands with technical assistance in de17 veloping a plan to meet the requirements of section 402 

18 of the Social Security Act. 

19 (h) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub20 section (c), the amendments made by this section shall 

21 take effect on October 1 of the 2nd fiscal year that begins 

22 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS