I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4067 
To reform the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance 
for needy families. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 17, 2005 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ (for herself, Mr. SERRANO, Ms. LEE, Mr. KUCINICH, and Mr. 
FILNER) 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: 
‘‘(M) Benefits under the Temporary As-
sistance 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 amend-
ed— 
(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 ‘‘2006 through 
2011’’. 
(b) INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—Section 403(a)(1) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) by striking subparagraphs (B) and (C) and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(B) 
STATE
FAMILY
ASSISTANCE 
GRANT.—The State family assistance grant 
payable to a State for a fiscal year specified in 
subparagraph (A) shall be— 
‘‘(i) the amount that bears the same 
ratio to the amount specified in subpara-
graph (C) of this paragraph (as in effect 
before the date of the enactment of this 
subparagraph) as the amount required to 
be paid to the State under this paragraph 
for fiscal year 2002 (determined without 
regard to any reduction pursuant to sec-
tion 409 or 412(a)(1)) bears to the total 
amount required to be paid under this 
paragraph for fiscal year 2002 (as so de-
termined); multiplied by 
‘‘(ii) if the fiscal year specified in sub-
paragraph (A) is fiscal year 2007 or a suc-
ceeding fiscal year, 1.00 plus the inflation
percentage (as defined in subparagraph 
(D) of this paragraph) in effect for the fis-
cal year specified in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) APPROPRIATION.—Out of any money 
in the Treasury of the United States not other-
wise appropriated, there are apropriated for 
each fiscal year specified in subparagraph (A) 
such sums as may be necessary for grants 
under this paragraph for the fiscal year. 
‘‘(D) 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, 
2005.’’.