Help our Neediest Families Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-6458
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Veasey, Marc A. [D-TX-33]
Introduced: 2016-12-07
Policy area: Social Welfare
Latest action: action_date: 2016-12-07
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-12-07
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Help Our Neediest Families Act of 2016</b></p> <p>This bill amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to prohibit a state to which a TANF grant is made from using any part of such grant for drug testing of TANF applicants or recipients.</p> <p>If the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) determines that a state has violated such prohibition, it shall reduce the family assistance grant amount payable to the state for the immediately succeeding fiscal year by not more than 1%.</p> <p>This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit drug testing of aid recipients under the housing choice voucher program.</p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6458 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 7, 2016 Mr. Veasey introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means , and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to prohibit a State from requiring individuals to submit to drug testing as a condition of assistance under the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance to needy families, to amend the United States Housing Act of 1937 to prohibit a public housing agency from requiring individuals to submit to drug testing as a condition of assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher Program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Help our Neediest Families Act of 2016 . 2. Prohibition on drug testing for the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance to needy families (a) In general Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 608(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (13) Prohibition on drug testing as a condition on the receipt of assistance A State to which a grant is made under section 403 shall not— (A) use any part of the grant to conduct drug testing on any applicant for assistance under the State program funded under this part or any recipient of such assistance; or (B) require any individual to submit to drug testing as a condition for such assistance. . (b) Penalty for noncompliance Section 409(a) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 609(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (17) Penalty for noncompliance with prohibition on drug testing If the Secretary determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 for a fiscal year has violated section 408(a)(13) during the 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 not more than 1 percent of the State family assistance grant. . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the first day of the first calendar quarter that begins on or after the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Prohibition on drug testing for Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 USC 1437f) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (20) Prohibition on drug testing A public housing agency assisted under this subsection may not require any individual receiving assistance under this subsection to submit to drug testing as a condition for receipt of assistance under this subsection. .