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Last week, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources released a discussion draft for legislation that would reauthorize and update the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The draft bill combines eight smaller bills introduced earlier this month by committee Republicans, and would make a number of significant changes to the existing program, including substantial modifications to work requirements for TANF recipients and increased emphasis on access to education and training services. The subcommittee will hold a hearing on the draft bill on Wednesday, July 15th.
Key provisions of the discussion draft include:
National Skills Coalition, in partnership with the Center on Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, recently released a fact sheet outlining key areas of potential alignment between TANF and WIOA-funded programs, and we are encouraged to see that Congress is considering steps to better connect TANF recipients to meaningful employment and training opportunities, including through greater coordination with other federal skills investments. While we believe the discussion draft is a useful starting point, we will seek to work with policymakers to improve the existing draft legislation to ensure that it meets the needs of all TANF recipients.
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