FAQ: TANF Pilots (Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023)
ACF is committed to supporting the critical work you do each day in your Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs and to guiding you through the implementation of the new TANF provisions in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA).
TANF Provisions in FRA of 2023 FAQ
- Who can apply for the pilot opportunity?
- Can states that are currently under a corrective compliance plan (CCP) for not meeting their Work Participation Rate (WPR) target(s) apply for the pilot?
- Will pilot states receive additional funding?
- Does the TANF five-year time limit on families with an adult receiving federally funded assistance still apply in pilot states?
- Will pilot states need to report work participation data as they do currently?
- If a state is selected for a pilot, does the state need to include pilot projects in its state plan?
- Can you clarify whether or not case management with child-only cases can be included in the pilot application?
Q1: Who can apply for the pilot opportunity?
A1: All states and territories can apply, including those which have county-administered TANF programs. Counties are only eligible to participate as part of a statewide pilot. While we encourage states to work with their tribal partners, Tribal TANF programs are not eligible for pilots under the FRA.
Q3: Will pilot states receive additional funding?
A3: No, the FRA does not provide additional funding for the pilots. However, the costs for the development of the proposal may be reported as TANF administrative costs. ACF will assist pilot states with robust programmatic and research-related technical assistance including: access to subject matter experts; ongoing site-specific coaching; peer-based learning cohorts; supports for establishing and measuring benchmarks; and support for participating in a national evaluation.
Q5: Will pilot states need to report work participation data as they do currently?
A5: Pilot states will still be required to submit the ACF-199 TANF data report but they will not be required to report hours of work participation by activity as they do currently, nor will they be required to verify hours in work activities in accordance with their current Work Verification Plans.
ACF will work with pilot states to determine the best way to track the work engagement of individuals in the pilots for purposes of evaluating their pilot design and for complying with the FRA requirement regarding a system for reducing the amount of assistance if an individual does not engage in required activities without good cause.
Q6: If a state is selected for a pilot, does the state need to include pilot projects in its state plan?
A6: If a state makes a substantive change to the way it operates TANF, then it would need to amend its state plan. However, we think it is unlikely that a state would need to make any plan amendments before FY 2026. OFA is committed to working with selected states to ensure appropriate compliance state plan submission and/or amendments.