Preparing More Welfare Recipients for Work Act

To encourage States to engage more TANF recipients in activities leading to employment and self-sufficiency, and to simplify State administration of TANF work requirements. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Preparing More Welfare Recipients for Work Act 2. Improving counting of required hours of participation in work activities (a) Elimination of Distinction Between Core and Non-Core Work Activities Section 407(c)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(c)(1)(A) , not fewer than 20 hours per week of which are attributable to an activity described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), or (12) of subsection (d) (b) Allowing States To Receive Partial Credit for Partial Engagement Section 407(c)(1)(B) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(c)(1)(B) (B) Partial credit for families participating for less than the minimum hours required If a family receiving assistance under the State program funded under this part includes an adult or minor child head of household receiving the assistance who has participated in work activities for an average of 15 hours (or 10 hours, in the case of a single parent specified in paragraph (2)(B)) per week during a month, the family shall count as 0.5 of a family for purposes of calculating the number described in subsection (b)(1)(B)(i) for the month. . (c) State Option To Request Alternate Work Participation Rate Calculation Section 407(a) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(a) (3) State option to request alternate work participation rate calculation (A) Application A State may apply to the Secretary to apply subparagraph (C) with respect to the State. (B) Approval of application The Secretary may approve the application if the State demonstrates to the Secretary (in accordance with such guidelines as the Secretary shall establish) that the State has systems and mechanisms in place to accurately record individual hours of participation in work activities that accurately reflects the number of hours of participation of the individuals required to participate in the activities. (C) Alternative calculation A State whose application under this paragraph is approved by the Secretary shall be considered to be in compliance with this subsection for a month in a fiscal year if the sum of the total number of hours during which the recipients of assistance under the State program funded under this part who are required to be participating in work activities during the month have participated in the activities is not less than the percentage equal to the minimum participation rate in effect under paragraph (1) for the fiscal year, multiplied by the sum of— (i) 30 times the number of the recipients who are so required to participate for an average of at least 30 hours per week in the month (as determined by the State); and (ii) 20 times the number of the recipients who are so required to participate for an average of at least 20 hours per week in the month (as so determined). . (d) Modifications to counting job search as work Section 407(c)(2)(A) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(A) (A) Counting of job search as work After the participation of an individual in an activity described in subsection (d)(6) of this section of a State program funded under this part or any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)) has been counted for 3 months as participation in a work activity, participation by the individual in such an activity shall count towards not more than half of the hours of participation in work activities by the individual. . (e) Modification of rule providing for participation by reason of secondary school attendance Section 407(c)(2)(C) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)(C) (1) in the subparagraph heading, by striking Single teen head of household or married teen Individual (2) by striking is married or a head of household and (3) by striking 20 years 26 years (f) Requirement that State meet with individual involved in job readiness activities for more than 3 Section 407(c)(2) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2) (E) Periodic meeting with individuals participating in job readiness assistance After an individual has participated for 3 months in an activity described in subsection (d)(12) of this section of a State program funded under this part or any other State program funded with qualified State expenditures (as defined in section 409(a)(7)(B)(i)), the individual shall not be considered to be engaged in work by reason of participation in such an activity until the State has met with the individual, and certified that continued participation in such an activity is necessary to help prepare the individual for, or support the individual in, employment. . (g) Providing child care assistance to community service participant replaced by job readiness assistance as separate work activity (1) In general Section 407(d)(12) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(d) (12) job readiness assistance. . (2) Conforming amendment Section 407(d)(6) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(d) and job readiness assistance (h) Doubling of limit on counting vocation educational training as work Section 407(d)(8) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 607(d)(8) 12 24 3. Effective date The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2015.

Summary: Preparing More Welfare Recipients for Work Act This bill amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act with respect to mandatory work requirements to: eliminate the requirement that recipients participate in certain core work activities not fewer than 20 hours per week, as well as separate requirements for two-parent families; allow states to receive partial credit for certain families participating for less than the minimum hours required for purposes of calculating the monthly participation rate; give states the option to apply an alternative work participation rate calculation; revise requirements for counting job search as work; modify the rule deeming an individual to meet work participation requirements by attending secondary school; require a state to meet individuals participating for three months in job readiness assistance and certify whether continued participation is necessary to prepare them for employment; replace with job readiness assistance as a separate work activity the currently recognized work activity of providing child care services to a participant in a community service program; and increase from 12 to 24 months the maximum period that vocational educational training counts as a work activity.