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 Is-
lands eligible for the program of block grants to States 
for temporary assistance for needy families, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Northern Marianas 
Family Assistance Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE 
NORTHERN 
MARIANA 
ISLANDS 
FOR 
THE 
TANF PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 419(5) of the Social Secu-
rity 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’’. 
(b) FAMILY ASSISTANCE GRANT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 403(a)(1)(B) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(B)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘specified in’’ and inserting 
‘‘in effect for purposes of’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the 
State family assistance grant for the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for 
each fiscal year shall be the lesser of the 
amount that equals 80 percent of the total ex-
penditures of the Commonwealth under the 
Commonwealth program funded under this part 
in the fiscal year, or the mandatory ceiling 
amount (as defined in section 1108) with re-
spect to Guam.’’. 
(2) APPROPRIATION.—Section 403(a)(1)(C) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(C)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: ‘‘The dollar amount 
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in effect under this subparagraph for a fiscal year 
shall be the amount specified in the preceding sen-
tence increased by the mandatory ceiling amount (as 
defined in section 1108) with respect to Guam, and 
an amount equal to that increase shall be reserved 
for a grant under this paragraph to the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.’’. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY FOR THE CONTINGENCY FUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Effective on October 1 of 
the 5th fiscal year immediately following the 1st fis-
cal year referred to in subsection (g): 
(A) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 403(b)(7) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)(7)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘States and the District of 
Columbia’’ and inserting ‘‘States, the District 
of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands’’. 
(B) EXCLUSION
FROM
LIMITATION
ON 
PAYMENTS
TO
THE
TERRITORIES.—Section 
1108(a)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(2)) 
is amended by inserting ‘‘, or any payment 
made to the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands under section 403(b)’’ before 
the period. 
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(2) DEVELOPMENT
OF
NEEDY
STATE
CRI-
TERIA.—As soon as is practicable but not later than 
the date paragraph (1) of this subsection takes ef-
fect, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
shall work with the Government of the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to develop 
the criteria to be used in determining whether, on or 
after such date, the Commonwealth is a needy State 
for purposes of section 403(b) of the Social Security 
Act, which shall not include the criteria used by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics in determining unem-
ployment or the caseload criteria used in the Supple-
mental Nutrition Assistance Program. 
(d) INAPPLICABILITY OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS 
AND PROHIBITION.— 
(1) STATE PLAN REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO 
OPERATION OF CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT AND 
FOSTER
CARE
AND
ADOPTION
ASSISTANCE
PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended in each of para-
graphs (2) and (3) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘The preceding sentence shall not apply with 
respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands.’’. 
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(2) MANDATORY WORK REQUIREMENTS.—Sec-
tions 407 and 409(a)(3) of such Act shall not apply 
to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is-
lands. 
(3) BAN ON ASSISTANCE FOR FAMILIES NOT 
ASSIGNING
CERTAIN
SUPPORT
RIGHTS
TO
THE 
STATE.—Section 408(a)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
608(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: ‘‘The preceding sentence shall not apply with 
respect to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands.’’. 
(4) 
MAINTENANCE
OF
EFFORT
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Section 409(a)(7) of such Act shall not 
apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands. 
(e) ASSESSMENT
OF WORK, EMPLOYMENT, AND 
TRAINING
PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall seek to negotiate an agreement with 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
under which the performance of the work, employment, 
and training program of the Commonwealth will be as-
sessed. 
(f) TRANSITION PROVISIONS.—With respect to each 
of the 4 fiscal years immediately following the 1st fiscal 
year referred to in subsection (g) of this section: 
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(1) EXEMPTION FROM LIMITATION ON USE OF 
GRANT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURES.—Sec-
tion 404(b) of the Social Security Act shall not 
apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mar-
iana Islands. 
(2) INAPPLICABILITY OF PENALTY FOR FAIL-
URE OF STATE RECEIVING AMOUNTS FROM CONTIN-
GENCY FUND TO MAINTAIN 100 PERCENT OF HIS-
TORIC
EFFORT.—Section 409(a)(10) of such Act 
shall not apply to the Commonwealth of the North-
ern Mariana Islands. 
(g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Not later than Octo-
ber 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 de-
veloping a plan to meet the requirements of section 402 
of the Social Security Act. 
(h) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), the amendments made by this section shall 
take effect on October 1 of the 2nd fiscal year that begins 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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