TITLE I—PROMOTING RESPON-
SIBLE 
FATHERHOOD 
AND 
STRENGTHENING 
LOW-IN-
COME FAMILIES 
SEC. 101. HEALTHY MARRIAGE PROMOTION AND RESPON-
SIBLE FATHERHOOD PROGRAMS. 
(a) VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.— 
(1) ASSURANCE.—Section 403(a)(2)(A)(ii)(II) 
of 
the 
Social 
Security 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
603(a)(2)(A)(ii)(II)) is amended— 
(A) in item (aa), by striking ‘‘and’’; 
(B) in item (bb), by striking the period 
and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(cc) if the entity is a State 
or an Indian tribe or tribal orga-
nization, to not condition the re-
ceipt of assistance under the pro-
gram funded under this part, 
under a program funded with 
qualified State expenditures (as 
defined 
in 
section 
409(a)(7)(B)(i)), or under any 
other program funded under this 
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title, on enrollment in any such 
programs or activities; and 
‘‘(dd) to permit any partici-
pant in a program or activity 
funded under this paragraph, in-
cluding an individual whose par-
ticipation is specified in the indi-
vidual responsibility plan devel-
oped for the individual in accord-
ance with section 408(b), to 
transfer to another such program 
or activity upon notification to 
the entity and the State agency 
responsible for administering the 
State program funded under this 
part.’’. 
(2) PROHIBITION.—Section 408(a) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(13) BAN
ON
CONDITIONING
RECEIPT
OF 
TANF OR CERTAIN OTHER BENEFITS ON PARTICIPA-
TION IN A HEALTHY MARRIAGE OR RESPONSIBLE 
FATHERHOOD PROGRAM.—A State to which a grant 
is made under section 403 shall not condition the re-
ceipt of assistance under the State program funded 
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under this part, under a program funded with quali-
fied State expenditures (as defined in section 
409(a)(7)(B)(i)), or under any other program fund-
ed under this title, on participation in a healthy 
marriage promotion activity (as defined in section 
403(a)(2)(A)(iii)) or in an activity promoting re-
sponsible 
fatherhood 
(as 
defined 
in 
section 
403(a)(2)(C)(ii)).’’. 
(3) PENALTY.—Section 409(a) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(17) PENALTY
FOR
CONDITIONING
RECEIPT 
OF TANF OR CERTAIN OTHER BENEFITS ON PARTICI-
PATION IN A HEALTHY MARRIAGE OR RESPONSIBLE 
FATHERHOOD
PROGRAM.—If the Secretary deter-
mines that a State has violated section 408(a)(13) 
during a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the 
grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) 
for the immediately succeeding fiscal year by an 
amount equal to 5 percent of the State family assist-
ance grant.’’. 
(b) ACTIVITIES PROMOTING RESPONSIBLE FATHER-
HOOD.—Section 403(a)(2)(C)(ii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
603(a)(2)(C)(ii)) is amended— 
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(1) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘marriage or 
sustain marriage’’ and inserting ‘‘healthy relation-
ships and marriages or to sustain healthy relation-
ships or marriages’’; 
(2) in subclause (II), by inserting ‘‘educating 
youth who are not yet parents about the economic, 
social, and family consequences of early parenting, 
helping participants in fatherhood programs work 
with their own children to break the cycle of early 
parenthood,’’ after ‘‘child support payments,’’; and 
(3) in subclause (III), by striking ‘‘fathers’’ and 
inserting ‘‘low-income fathers and other low-income 
noncustodial parents who are not eligible for assist-
ance under the State program funded under this 
part’’. 
(c) REAUTHORIZATION.—Section 403(a)(2)(D) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)(D)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2017 and 2018’’ 
and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2017 or 2018’’ and 
inserting ‘‘any of fiscal years 2017 through 2023’’. 
(d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1, 2017. 
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SEC. 102. GRANTS SUPPORTING HEALTHY FAMILY PART-
NERSHIPS FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INTER-
VENTION AND PREVENTIONS. 
Section 403(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
603(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) GRANTS
SUPPORTING
HEALTHY
FAMILY 
PARTNERSHIPS
FOR
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
INTER-
VENTION AND PREVENTION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
award grants on a competitive basis to healthy 
family partnerships to develop and implement 
promising practices for— 
‘‘(i) assessing and providing services 
to individuals and families affected by do-
mestic violence, including through case-
worker training, the provision of technical 
assistance to community partners, and the 
implementation of safe visitation and ex-
change programs; or 
‘‘(ii) preventing domestic violence, 
particularly as a barrier to economic secu-
rity, and fostering healthy relationships. 
‘‘(B) EDUCATION SERVICES.—In awarding 
grants under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
shall ensure that 10 percent of the funds made 
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available under such grants are used for high 
schools and other secondary educational institu-
tions and institutions of higher education to 
provide education services on the value of 
healthy relationships, responsible parenting, 
and healthy marriages characterized by mutual 
respect and nonviolence, and the importance of 
building relationship skills such as communica-
tion, conflict resolution, and budgeting. 
‘‘(C) APPLICATION.—The respective entity 
and organization of a healthy family partner-
ship entered into for purposes of receiving a 
grant under this paragraph shall submit a joint 
application to the Secretary, at such time and 
in such manner as the Secretary shall specify, 
containing— 
‘‘(i) a description of how the partner-
ship intends to carry out the activities de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); 
‘‘(ii) an assurance that funds made 
available under the grant shall be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other funds 
used by the entity or organization to carry 
out programs, activities, or services de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) or (B); and 
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‘‘(iii) such other information as the 
Secretary may require. 
‘‘(D) GENERAL RULES GOVERNING USE OF 
FUNDS.—The rules of section 404, other than 
subsection (b) of that section, shall not apply to 
a grant made under this paragraph. 
‘‘(E) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—The term 
‘domestic violence’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 402(a)(7)(B). 
‘‘(ii) HEALTHY
FAMILY
PARTNER-
SHIP.—The term ‘healthy family partner-
ship’ means a partnership between— 
‘‘(I) an entity receiving funds 
under a grant made under paragraph 
(2) to promote healthy marriage or re-
sponsible fatherhood; and 
‘‘(II) an organization with dem-
onstrated expertise working with sur-
vivors of domestic violence. 
‘‘(F) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money 
in the Treasury of the United States not other-
wise appropriated, there are appropriated for 
each of fiscal years 2017 through 2023, 
$25,000,000 to carry out this paragraph.’’. 
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SEC. 103. PROCEDURES TO ADDRESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(a)(2) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and 
(E) as subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(D) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
RECEIPT
OF 
FUNDS.—An entity may not be awarded a grant 
under this paragraph unless the entity, as a 
condition of receiving funds under such a 
grant— 
‘‘(i) identifies in its application for the 
grant the domestic violence experts at the 
local, State, or national level with whom 
the entity will consult in the development 
and implementation of the programs and 
activities of the entity; 
‘‘(ii) on award of the grant, and in 
consultation with such domestic violence 
experts, develops a written protocol which 
describes— 
‘‘(I) how the entity will identify 
instances or risks of domestic violence; 
‘‘(II) the procedures for respond-
ing to such instances or risks, includ-
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ing making service referrals and pro-
viding protections and appropriate as-
sistance for identified individuals and 
families; 
‘‘(III) how confidentiality issues 
will be addressed; and 
‘‘(IV) the domestic violence train-
ing that will be provided to ensure ef-
fective and consistent implementation 
of the protocol; and 
‘‘(iii) in an annual report to the Sec-
retary, includes a description of the domes-
tic violence protocols, and a description of 
any implementation issues identified with 
respect to domestic violence and how the 
issues were addressed. 
‘‘(E) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFINED.—In 
this paragraph, the term ‘domestic violence’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 
402(a)(7)(B).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 403(a)(2) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(2)), as amended by sub-
section (a)(1) of this section, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)(i)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘and (E)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(D), and (G)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘(D)’’ and inserting ‘‘(F)’’; 
and 
(2) in subparagraphs (B)(i) and (C)(i), by 
striking ‘‘(D)’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘(F)’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to fiscal years begin-
ning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 104. GRANTS TO STATES FOR FAMILY STRENGTH-
ENING COMMISSIONS. 
Part D of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 651 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 469C. GRANTS TO STATES FOR FAMILY STRENGTH-
ENING COMMISSIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall make grants to States under this 
section to enable States to establish and support commis-
sions to identify methods of expanding access to family 
strengthening services. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—In this section, the term 
‘State’ means any State, Indian tribe, or tribal organiza-
tion (as defined in subsections (e) and (l) of section 4 of 
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the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), having in effect a plan approved 
under this part. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—In order to be eligible for a 
grant under this section, a State shall submit an applica-
tion to the Secretary at such time and in such manner 
as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(d) FAMILY
STRENGTHENING
SERVICES.—The 
commissions described in subsection (a) shall focus on pro-
viding family strengthening services that include— 
‘‘(1) family and relationship counseling; 
‘‘(2) relationship and parenting education; and 
‘‘(3) assistance with developing and imple-
menting parenting time arrangements. 
‘‘(e) FAMILIES SERVED.—The commissions described 
in subsection (a) shall focus on serving varying types of 
families, including— 
‘‘(1) families seeking to preserve a marriage or 
other adult relationship; 
‘‘(2) families seeking a divorce or separation 
and working to maintain coparenting and parent- 
child relationships; 
‘‘(3) families seeking to maintain or rebuild 
family relationships affected by incarceration; 
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‘‘(4) families seeking to build a support system 
around a child who has experienced trauma, includ-
ing— 
‘‘(A) witnessing violence; 
‘‘(B) experiencing sexual or physical abuse; 
or 
‘‘(C) having a parent who is experiencing 
challenges with mental health or substance 
abuse; and 
‘‘(5) families below 250 percent of poverty 
guidelines applicable to a family of the size involved. 
‘‘(f) MEMBERSHIP.—A State seeking a grant under 
this section shall demonstrate that a family strengthening 
commission funded by such grant will consist of relevant 
government and private actors, including— 
‘‘(1) State government agency officials from de-
partments of health, human services, child support, 
education, youth services, or corrections; 
‘‘(2) local government agency officials from de-
partments of health, human services, child support, 
education, youth services, or corrections; 
‘‘(3) access to Justice Commissions, bar asso-
ciations, judicial associations, courts, or other rep-
resentatives of the legal system; 
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‘‘(4) associations of social workers, counselors, 
psychologists, and other mental health professionals; 
‘‘(5) associations of mediators and others who 
deliver alternative dispute resolution services; 
‘‘(6) healthy marriage and responsible father-
hood programs; 
‘‘(7) youth-serving programs; and 
‘‘(8) academics and researchers. 
‘‘(g) DUTIES.—A commission funded by a grant 
under this section shall— 
‘‘(1) identify the need for potential policy 
changes; 
‘‘(2) determine methods of leveraging existing 
resources and growing new resources; and 
‘‘(3) explore methods of improving service deliv-
ery, including the training of service providers. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to carry out this section 
$3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2020.’’. 
TITLE II—TEMPORARY ASSIST-
ANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES 
SEC. 201. TANF WORK PARTICIPATION IMPROVEMENTS. 
(a) ELIMINATION OF SEPARATE WORK REQUIRE-
MENTS FOR 2-PARENT FAMILIES.— 
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(1) WORK PARTICIPATION RATE.—Section 407 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 607) is amend-
ed— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) beginning in the heading, by strik-
ing 
‘‘PARTICIPATION
RATE
REQUIRE-
MENTS’’ and all that follows through ‘‘A 
State’’ in paragraph (1) and inserting 
‘‘PARTICIPATION RATE REQUIREMENTS.— 
A State’’; and 
(ii) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking 
‘‘subsection (a)(1)’’ and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (a)’’; 
(ii) by striking paragraph (2) and re-
designating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as 
paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively; 
(iii) in paragraph (3) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘paragraphs (1)(B) and 
(2)(B)’’ and inserting ‘‘determining month-
ly participation rates under paragraph 
(1)(B)’’; and 
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(iv) in paragraph (4) (as so redesig-
nated), by striking ‘‘rates’’ and inserting 
‘‘rate’’. 
(2) 
MINIMUM
WEEKLY
HOURS
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Section 407(c)(1) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 607(c)(1)) is amended— 
(A) by striking ‘‘GENERAL RULES’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘For purposes of’’ in sub-
paragraph 
(A) 
and 
inserting 
‘‘GENERAL 
RULES.—For purposes of’’; and 
(B) by striking subparagraph (B). 
(3) LIMITATION ON PENALTY IMPOSITION.—In 
applying section 409(a)(3) of the Social Security Act 
for each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year 2007 
and ending with the fiscal year in which occurs the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services shall disregard the 
requirement imposed by section 407(a)(2) of the So-
cial Security Act. 
(b) ELIMINATION OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN CORE 
AND OTHER WORK ACTIVITIES.—Section 407(c)(1) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(1)), as amended by subsection 
(a)(2) of this section, is further amended by striking ‘‘not 
fewer than’’ and all that follows through ‘‘subsection (d),’’. 
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(c) ELIMINATION OF SPECIAL WORK PARTICIPATION 
RULE FOR TEENS ATTENDING SECONDARY SCHOOL.— 
Section 407(c)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)) is 
amended by striking subparagraph (C). 
(d) ELIMINATION OF CAP ON TREATING VOCATIONAL 
EDUCATIONAL TRAINING
AS WORK PARTICIPATION.— 
Section 407(c)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 607(c)(2)), as 
amended by subsection (c) of this section, is further 
amended by striking subparagraph (D). 
(e) INCREASE IN MONTHS OF EDUCATIONAL VOCA-
TIONAL TRAINING THAT MAY BE COUNTED AS WORK 
PARTICIPATION.—Section 407(d)(8) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 607(d)(8)) is amended by striking ‘‘12 months’’ 
and inserting ‘‘24 months’’. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1 of the first fiscal 
year beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act 
and shall apply to the determination of minimum partici-
pation rates for months beginning on or after that date. 
SEC. 202. TANF EMPLOYMENT FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(b) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 603(b)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) EMPLOYMENT FUND.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a fund 
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tity to have been unsuccessful at 
obtaining paid employment after 
participating in a job search pro-
gram; and— 
‘‘(AA) is a member of a 
family that receives cash as-
sistance under the State 
program funded under this 
part or any other State pro-
gram funded with qualified 
State expenditures (as de-
fined 
in 
section 
409(a)(7)(B)(i)); or 
‘‘(BB) is a noncustodial 
parent of a minor child re-
siding with a family de-
scribed in subitem (AA), in 
a case in which the parent is 
not considered by the State 
to be a member of the fam-
ily. 
‘‘(III) 
TANF-ELIGIBLE
INDI-
VIDUAL WHO IS NOT A RECIPIENT OF 
CASH ASSISTANCE.—In this subpara-
graph, the term ‘TANF-eligible indi-
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