Benefits to Employment Act
Bill: H.R.4538 | Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Jason (R-MO)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Benefits to Employment Act
This bill modifies the required content of, and renames, individual responsibility plans under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Generally, these plans document employment goals and work activities for certain recipients of TANF assistance; states may reduce TANF assistance to recipients who fail without good cause to comply with their plans.
Specifically, the bill requires the plans to contain more specific content, such as the number of hours a recipient must participate in work activities. It also changes the name from individual responsibility plans to individual opportunity plans.
In addition, states must develop plans for all recipients who are required to engage in work as a condition of receiving TANF assistance. (Under current law, states have the option of developing the plans for certain recipients.) States must also meet with TANF recipients periodically to review and update their plans.

To amend title IV-A of the Social Security Act, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Benefits to Employment Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPECTING UNIVERSAL ENGAGEMENT AND CASE MANAGEMENT.

    Section 408(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(b)) is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(b) Individual Opportunity Plans.--
            ``(1) Assessment.--The State agency responsible for 
        administering the State program funded under this part shall 
        make an initial assessment of the following for each recipient 
        of assistance who is required to be engaged in work pursuant to 
        section 407(c):
                    ``(A) The education obtained, skills, prior work 
                experience, work readiness, and barriers to work of the 
                individual.
                    ``(B) The well-being of the children in the family 
                of the individual and, where appropriate, activities or 
                services (such as services offered by a program funded 
                under section 511) to improve the well-being of the 
                children.
            ``(2) Contents of plans.--On the basis of the assessment 
        required by paragraph (1) of this subsection, the State agency, 
        in consultation with the individual, shall develop an 
        individual opportunity plan that--
                    ``(A) includes a personal responsibility agreement 
                in which the individual acknowledges receipt of 
                publicly-funded benefits and responsibility to comply 
                with program requirements in order to receive the 
                benefits;
                    ``(B) sets forth the obligations of the individual 
                to participate in work activities, and the number of 
                hours per month for which the individual will so 
                participate pursuant to section 407(c);
                    ``(C) sets forth an employment goal and planned 
                short-, intermediate-, and long-term actions to achieve 
                the goal, and, in the case of an individual who has not 
                attained 24 years of age and is in secondary school or 
                the equivalent, the intermediate action may be 
                completion of secondary school or the equivalent;
                    ``(D) describes the job counseling and other 
                services the State will provide to the individual to 
                enable the individual to obtain and keep employment in 
                the private sector;
                    ``(E) may include referral to appropriate substance 
                abuse or mental health treatment; and
                    ``(F) is signed by the individual.
            ``(3) Timing.--The State agency shall comply with paragraph 
        (1) and (2) with respect to a work-eligible individual--
                    ``(A) within 180 days after the effective date of 
                this subsection, in the case of an individual who, as 
                of such effective date, is a recipient of assistance 
                under the State program funded under this part (as in 
                effect immediately before such effective date); or
                    ``(B) within 60 days after the individual is 
                determined to be eligible for the assistance, in the 
                case of any other individual.
            ``(4) Penalty for noncompliance by individual.--In addition 
        to any other penalties required under the State program funded 
        under this part, the State may reduce, by such amount as the 
        State considers appropriate, the amount of assistance otherwise 
        payable under the State program to a family that includes an 
        individual who fails without good cause to comply with an 
        individual opportunity plan developed pursuant to this 
        subsection, that is signed by the individual.
            ``(5) Periodic review.--The State shall meet with each 
        work-eligible individual assessed by the State under paragraph 
        (1), not less frequently than every 90 days, to--
                    ``(A) review the individual opportunity plan 
                developed for the individual;
                    ``(B) discuss with the individual the progress made 
                by the individual in achieving the goals specified in 
                the plan; and
                    ``(C) update the plan, as necessary, to reflect any 
                changes in the circumstances of the individual since 
                the plan was last reviewed.
            ``(6) State discretion.--A State shall have sole 
        discretion, consistent with section 407, to define and design 
        activities for families for purposes of this subsection, to 
        develop methods for monitoring and reviewing progress pursuant 
        to this subsection, and to make modifications to the plans 
        developed pursuant to this subsection as the State deems 
        appropriate to assist families in increasing their degree of 
        self-sufficiency.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendment made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2022.
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