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 Mar-
iana Islands, 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 ‘‘Fostering Family Co-
hesion Nationwide Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF ELIGIBILITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1101(a)(1) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1301(a)(1)) is amended in the 
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final sentence by inserting ‘‘and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands’’ before the period at the end. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM OF TEMPORARY 
ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Part A of title IV of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 401–419) is amended by inserting 
after section 413 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 414. APPLICABILITY TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF 
THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS. 
‘‘(a) FAMILY ASSISTANCE GRANT.—The Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (in this section 
referred to as the ‘Commonwealth’) shall be entitled to 
receive from the Secretary a family assistance grant in an 
amount equal to $1,631,000 for each fiscal year covered 
by a family assistance plan approved under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) 3-YEAR FAMILY ASSISTANCE PLAN.—The Sec-
retary shall approve a 3-year family assistance plan sub-
mitted by the Commonwealth if the plan— 
‘‘(1) outlines the approach of the Common-
wealth to providing benefits and services for needy 
families for the 3-year period, consistent with this 
section; 
‘‘(2) specifies whether the benefits and services 
provided under the plan will be provided by the 
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Commonwealth or through agreements or contracts 
with other entities; 
‘‘(3) provides that a family receiving assistance 
under the plan may not receive duplicative assist-
ance from other State programs funded under this 
part; and 
‘‘(4) identifies the employment opportunities in 
the Commonwealth and the manner in which the 
Commonwealth will cooperate and participate in en-
hancing such opportunities for recipients of assist-
ance under the plan. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS
ON APPLICABILITY
OF OTHER 
SECTIONS OF THIS PART.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in this 
subsection, the other sections of this part, other 
than section 418, shall not apply to the Common-
wealth. 
‘‘(2) MINIMUM WORK PARTICIPATION REQUIRE-
MENTS; TIME LIMITS; EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE; AC-
COUNTABILITY.—Subsections (c), (d), and (e)(1) of 
section 412 shall apply to the Commonwealth in the 
same manner in which such subsections apply to an 
Indian tribe. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL LOANS.—Sec-
tion 406 shall apply to the Commonwealth, if the 
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Commonwealth has a family assistance plan ap-
proved under this section, in the same manner as 
such section applies to any other State, except that 
section 406(c) shall be applied by substituting ‘sec-
tion 414(a)’ for ‘section 403(a)’. 
‘‘(4) PENALTIES.— 
‘‘(A) Subsections (a)(1), (a)(6), (b), and 
(c) of section 409 shall apply to the Common-
wealth in the same manner as such subsections 
apply to any other State. 
‘‘(B) Section 409(a)(3) shall apply to the 
Commonwealth by substituting ‘meet minimum 
work participation requirements established 
under section 414(c)(2)’ for ‘comply with sec-
tion 407(a)’. 
‘‘(5) DATA
COLLECTION
AND
REPORTING.— 
Section 411 shall apply to the Commonwealth if the 
Commonwealth has a family assistance plan ap-
proved under this section. 
‘‘(d) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money in the 
Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, 
there are appropriated for each fiscal year such sums as 
are necessary for grants under this section.’’. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
419(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 619(5)) is amended 
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by striking ‘‘and American Samoa’’ and inserting 
‘‘American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands’’. 
(c) MATCHING GRANTS; LIMITATION ON TOTAL PAY-
MENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1108(c) of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1308(c)) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and 
American Samoa’’ and inserting ‘‘American 
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(D) the following: 
‘‘(E) $2,131,000 with respect to the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.’’. 
(2) 
TECHNICAL
AMENDMENT.—Section 
1108(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(a)(1)) is 
amended by inserting ‘‘(as in effect before the 
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amendment made by section 301 of the Social Secu-
rity Amendments of 1972)’’ after ‘‘XVI’’. 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) SHARING OF COLLECTED CHILD SUPPORT 
WITH
THE
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.—Section 
457(c)(3)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 657(c)(3)(A)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘and American Samoa’’ and 
inserting ‘‘American Samoa, and the Commonwealth 
of the Northern Mariana Islands’’. 
(2) EXEMPTION
FROM
AFDC-RELATED
ELIGI-
BILITY
REQUIREMENT
IN
MAKING
FOSTER
CARE 
MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS.—Section 472(a)(1)(B) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 672(a)(1)(B)) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘in the case of a State other than the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,’’ 
before ‘‘the child’’. 
(3) EXEMPTION
FROM
ELECTRONIC
INTER-
STATE DATA EXCHANGE REQUIREMENTS WITH RE-
SPECT
TO
CASES
INVOLVING
THE
INTERSTATE 
PLACEMENT OF CHILDREN.—Section 471(a)(25) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(25)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘or American Samoa’’ and inserting ‘‘Amer-
ican Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands’’. 
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(e) START-UP FUNDING FOR CHILD SUPPORT EN-
FORCEMENT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services shall make a grant of $5,000,000 to the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands for the 
costs of developing a program pursuant to part D of title 
IV of the Social Security Act that are reasonable, nec-
essary, and allocable to the program, including the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Planning for the initial development and im-
plementation of the program. 
(2) Developing laws, codes, guidelines, systems, 
and procedures necessary for the program. 
(3) Recruiting, hiring, and training program 
staff. 
(4) Any other reasonable, necessary, and allo-
cable costs with a direct correlation to the initial de-
velopment of the program, consistent with the cost 
principles in subpart E of part 75 of title 45, Code 
of Federal Regulations, and approved by the Sec-
retary. 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to fiscal years begin-
ning after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(g) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Not later than Octo-
ber 1 of the 1st fiscal year that begins after the date of 
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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 plans to meet the requirements of sections 402, 
454, and 471(a) of the Social Security Act. 
Æ 
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