I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3459
To reform the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance
for needy families.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
DECEMBER 11, 2001
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ (for herself, Ms. LEE, Mr. FILNER, Mr. OWENS, Mr. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, and Mr.
SERRANO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To reform the program of block grants to States for
temporary assistance for needy families.
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 ‘‘TANF Recipients’
Lifeline Act’’.
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF 5-YEAR LIMIT ON BENEFITS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 408(a) of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by striking para-
graph (7).
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 409(a) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by striking para-
graph (9).
SEC. 3. EXCEPTION FOR TANF TO 5-YEAR BAN ON BENEFITS
FOR QUALIFIED ALIENS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 403(c)(2) of the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act
of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1613(c)(2)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
‘‘(L) Benefits under the Temporary Assist-
ance for Needy Families program described in
section 402(b)(3)(A).’’.
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 402(b)(2)
of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Rec-
onciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(b)(2)) is
amended—
(1) in subparagraph (A)(ii) by striking ‘‘sub-
paragraph (C))’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraphs (A)
and (C))’’; and
(2) by striking subparagraph (B).
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE TRANSLATION SERV-
ICES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS.
(a) REQUIREMENT.—Section 408(a) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
‘‘(12) USE
OF
BILINGUAL
PERSONNEL
AND
PRINTED MATERIAL.—A State to which a grant is
made under section 403 shall use appropriate bilin-
gual personnel and printed material in the adminis-
tration of the State program funded under this part
in those portions of the political subdivisions in the
State in which a substantial number of recipients of
assistance under the State program speak a lan-
guage other than English.’’.
(b) PENALTY.—Section 409(a) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(15) FAILURE TO USE BILINGUAL PERSONNEL
AND PRINTED MATERIAL.—If the Secretary deter-
mines that a State to which a grant is made under
section 403 for a fiscal year has violated section
408(a)(12) during the fiscal year, the Secretary
shall reduce the grant payable to the State under
section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fis-
cal year by an amount equal to 2 percent of the
State family assistance grant.’’.
SEC. 5. INFLATION ADJUSTMENT OF BLOCK GRANT.
(a) 
EXTENSION
OF
BLOCK
GRANT.—Section
403(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
603(a)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘1996’’ and all that
follows through ‘‘2002’’ and inserting ‘‘2002 through
2005’’.
(b) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 403(a)(1) of
such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)) is amended—
(1) in subparagraph (B)—
(A) by striking ‘‘means the greatest of—’’
and inserting ‘‘means, with respect to a fiscal
year specified in subparagraph (A)—
‘‘(i) the greatest of—’’;
(B) by redesignating each of clauses (i),
(ii)(I), (ii)(II), and (iii) as subclauses (I),
(II)(aa), (II)(bb), and (III), respectively;
(C) by indenting each of the provisions
specified in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph
2 additional ems to the right;
(D) by striking the period and inserting ‘‘;
mulitplied by’’; and
(E) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(ii) if the fiscal year specified in sub-
paragraph (A) is—
‘‘(I) fiscal year 2002 or 2003,
1.00; or
‘‘(II) fiscal year 2004 or 2005,
1.00 plus the inflation percentage (as
defined in subparagraph (F) of this
paragraph) in effect for the fiscal year
specified in subparagraph (A).’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(F) INFLATION PERCENTAGE.—For pur-
poses of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph,
the inflation percentage applicable to a fiscal
year is the percentage (if any) by which—
‘‘(i) the average of the Consumer
Price Index (as defined in section 1(f)(5)
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) for
the 12-month period ending on September
30 of the immediately preceding fiscal
year; exceeds
‘‘(ii) the average of the Consumer
Price Index (as so defined) for the 12-
month period ending on September 30,
2002.’’.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect
on October 1, 2002.
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