I 

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. 

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 ‘‘Fostering Family Co5 hesion Nationwide Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1101(a)(1) of the Social 

8 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301(a)(1)) is amended in the 

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1 final sentence by inserting ‘‘and the Commonwealth of the 

2 Northern Mariana Islands’’ before the period at the end. 

3 (b) ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM OF TEMPORARY

4 ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Part A of title IV of such 

6 Act (42 U.S.C. 401–419) is amended by inserting 

7 after section 413 the following: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 414. APPLICABILITY TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF 

9 THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. 

10 ‘‘(a) FAMILY ASSISTANCE GRANT.—The Common11 wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (in this section 

12 referred to as the ‘Commonwealth’) shall be entitled to 

13 receive from the Secretary a family assistance grant in an 

14 amount equal to $1,631,000 for each fiscal year covered 

15 by a family assistance plan approved under subsection (b). 

16 ‘‘(b) 3-YEAR FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN.—The Sec17 retary shall approve a 3-year family assistance plan sub18 mitted by the Commonwealth if the plan— 

19 ‘‘(1) outlines the approach of the Common20 wealth to providing benefits and services for needy 

21 families for the 3-year period, consistent with this 

22 section; 

23 ‘‘(2) specifies whether the benefits and services 

24 provided under the plan will be provided by the 

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1 Commonwealth or through agreements or contracts 

2 with other entities; 

3 ‘‘(3) provides that a family receiving assistance 

4 under the plan may not receive duplicative assist5 ance from other State programs funded under this 

6 part; and 

7 ‘‘(4) identifies the employment opportunities in 

8 the Commonwealth and the manner in which the 

9 Commonwealth will cooperate and participate in en10 hancing such opportunities for recipients of assist11 ance under the plan. 

12 ‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS ON APPLICABILITY OF OTHER

13 SECTIONS OF THIS PART.— 

14 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in this 

15 subsection, the other sections of this part, other 

16 than section 418, shall not apply to the Common17 wealth. 

18 ‘‘(2) MINIMUM WORK PARTICIPATION REQUIRE19 MENTS; TIME LIMITS; EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE; AC20 COUNTABILITY.—Subsections (c), (d), and (e)(1) of 

21 section 412 shall apply to the Commonwealth in the 

22 same manner in which such subsections apply to an 

23 Indian tribe. 

24 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL LOANS.—Sec25 tion 406 shall apply to the Commonwealth, if the 

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1 Commonwealth has a family assistance plan ap2 proved under this section, in the same manner as 

3 such section applies to any other State, except that 

4 section 406(c) shall be applied by substituting ‘sec5 tion 414(a)’ for ‘section 403(a)’. 

6 ‘‘(4) PENALTIES.— 

7 ‘‘(A) Subsections (a)(1), (a)(6), (b), and 

8 (c) of section 409 shall apply to the Common9 wealth in the same manner as such subsections 

10 apply to any other State. 

11 ‘‘(B) Section 409(a)(3) shall apply to the 

12 Commonwealth by substituting ‘meet minimum 

13 work participation requirements established 

14 under section 414(c)(2)’ for ‘comply with sec15 tion 407(a)’. 

16 ‘‘(5) DATA COLLECTION AND REPORTING.— 

17 Section 411 shall apply to the Commonwealth if the 

18 Commonwealth has a family assistance plan ap19 proved under this section. 

20 ‘‘(d) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money in the 

21 Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, 

22 there are appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as 

23 are necessary for grants under this section.’’. 

24 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

25 419(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 619(5)) is amended 

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1 by striking ‘‘and American Samoa’’ and inserting 

2 ‘‘American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 

3 Northern Mariana Islands’’. 

4 (c) MATCHING GRANTS; LIMITATION ON TOTAL PAY5 MENTS.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1108(c) of such Act 

7 (42 U.S.C. 1308(c)) is amended— 

8 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and 

9 American Samoa’’ and inserting ‘‘American 

10 Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 

11 Mariana Islands’’; and 

12 (B) in paragraph (4)— 

13 (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 

14 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

15 (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 

16 the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 

17 and’’; and 

18 (iii) by inserting after subparagraph 

19 (D) the following: 

20 ‘‘(E) $2,131,000 with respect to the Com21 monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.’’. 

22 (2) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 

23 1108(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(1)) is 

24 amended by inserting ‘‘(as in effect before the 

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1 amendment made by section 301 of the Social Secu2 rity Amendments of 1972)’’ after ‘‘XVI’’. 

3 (d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

4 (1) SHARING OF COLLECTED CHILD SUPPORT

5 WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.—Section 

6 457(c)(3)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 657(c)(3)(A)) 

7 is amended by striking ‘‘and American Samoa’’ and 

8 inserting ‘‘American Samoa, and the Commonwealth 

9 of the Northern Mariana Islands’’. 

10 (2) EXEMPTION FROM AFDC-RELATED ELIGI11 BILITY REQUIREMENT IN MAKING FOSTER CARE

12 MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS.—Section 472(a)(1)(B) of 

13 such Act (42 U.S.C. 672(a)(1)(B)) is amended by 

14 inserting ‘‘in the case of a State other than the 

15 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ 

16 before ‘‘the child’’. 

17 (3) EXEMPTION FROM ELECTRONIC INTER18 STATE DATA EXCHANGE REQUIREMENTS WITH RE19 SPECT TO CASES INVOLVING THE INTERSTATE

20 PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN.—Section 471(a)(25) of 

21 such Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(25)) is amended by 

22 striking ‘‘or American Samoa’’ and inserting ‘‘Amer23 ican Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 

24 Mariana Islands’’. 

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1 (e) START-UP FUNDING FOR CHILD SUPPORT EN2 FORCEMENT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 

3 Human Services shall make a grant of $5,000,000 to the 

4 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the 

5 costs of developing a program pursuant to part D of title 

6 IV of the Social Security Act that are reasonable, nec7 essary, and allocable to the program, including the fol8 lowing: 

9 (1) Planning for the initial development and im10 plementation of the program. 

11 (2) Developing laws, codes, guidelines, systems, 

12 and procedures necessary for the program. 

13 (3) Recruiting, hiring, and training program 

14 staff. 

15 (4) Any other reasonable, necessary, and allo16 cable costs with a direct correlation to the initial de17 velopment of the program, consistent with the cost 

18 principles in subpart E of part 75 of title 45, Code 

19 of Federal Regulations, and approved by the Sec20 retary. 

21 (f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

22 this section shall apply with respect to fiscal years begin23 ning after the date of enactment of this Act. 

24 (g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Not later than Octo25 ber 1 of the 1st fiscal year that begins after the date of 

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

2 Human Services shall provide the Commonwealth of the 

3 Northern Mariana Islands with technical assistance in de4 veloping plans to meet the requirements of sections 402, 

5 454, and 471(a) of the Social Security Act. 

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