Children First Act of 2014 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) exclude child care assistance from the determination of the five-year limit on assistance under TANF, and (2) increase funding for child care.
Requires the plans submitted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) by eligible states to contain provisions for certification of procedures to ensure that child care providers comply with applicable state or local health and safety standards.
Increases from 6 to 13 the maximum age allowed of a child under the care of a single custodial parent or other individual with custody who will not be subject to a reduction or termination of TANF assistance as a result of a refusal of the individual to engage in work.
Subjects to the individual and case data reporting requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 any TANF funds expended for child care, whether or not transferred to that Act, and exempts such funds from SSA reporting requirements.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4294 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4294
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to exclude child
care from the determination of the 5-year limit on assistance under the
temporary assistance for needy families program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 25, 2014
Mr. Crowley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce, 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 part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to exclude child
care from the determination of the 5-year limit on assistance under the
temporary assistance for needy families program, 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 ``Children First Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. EXCLUSION OF CHILD CARE FROM THE DEFINITION OF TANF ASSISTANCE.
Section 408(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)(7))
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(H) Limitation on meaning of `assistance' for
families receiving child care.--For purposes of
subparagraph (A), any funds provided under this part
that are used to provide child care for a family during
a month under the State program funded under this part
shall not be considered assistance under the
program.''.
SEC. 3. INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR CHILD CARE.
Section 418(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 618(a)(3))
is amended to read as follows:
``(3) Appropriation.--For grants under this section, there
are appropriated--
``(A) $3,667,000,000 for fiscal year 2015;
``(B) $3,917,000,000 for fiscal year 2016;
``(C) $4,017,000,000 for fiscal year 2017;
``(D) $4,317,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;
``(E) $4,817,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
``(F) $5,017,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
``(G) $5,217,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
``(H) $5,417,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
``(I) $5,667,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
``(J) $5,917,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.''.
SEC. 4. APPLICABILITY OF STATE OR LOCAL HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS TO
OTHER TANF CHILD CARE SPENDING.
Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(8) Certification of procedures to ensure that child care
providers comply with applicable state or local health and
safety standards.--A certification by the chief executive
officer of the State that procedures are in effect to ensure
that any child care provider in the State that provides
services funded through expenditures under this part or with
qualified State expenditures complies with all applicable State
or local health and safety requirements as described in section
658E(c)(2)(F) of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 1990.''.
SEC. 5. AVAILABILITY OF CHILD CARE FOR PARENTS REQUIRED TO WORK.
Section 407(e)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 607(e)(2))
is amended--
(1) by inserting ``or other individual with custody'' after
``parent''; and
(2) by striking ``6'' and inserting ``13''.
SEC. 6. APPLICATION OF CHILD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ACT OF
1990 REPORTING RULES TO TANF FUNDS EXPENDED FOR CHILD
CARE.
(a) In General.--Section 411(a) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 611(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (8); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the following:
``(7) Application of child care and development block grant
act of 1990 reporting rules to funds expended for child care.--
Any funds provided under this part that are expended for child
care, whether or not transferred to the Child Care and
Development Block Grant Act of 1990, shall be subject to the
individual and case data reporting requirements imposed under
that Act and need not be included in the report required by
paragraph (1) for a fiscal quarter.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 411(a)(1)(A)(ix) of such Act (42
U.S.C. 611(a)(1)(A)(ix)) is amended by striking ``supplemental
nutrition assistance program benefits, or subsidized child care, and if
the latter 2,'' and inserting ``or supplemental nutrition assistance
program benefits, and if the latter,''.
SEC. 7. EFFECTIVE DATE.
(a) In General.--Subject to subsections (b) and (c), the amendments
made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2014, and shall apply
to payments under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act for
calendar quarters beginning on or after such date, without regard to
whether regulations to implement the amendments are promulgated by such
date.
(b) Application of Reporting Rules.--The amendments made by section
6 shall take effect on October 1, 2015.
(c) Delay Permitted if State Legislation Required.--In the case of
a State plan under section 402(a) of the Social Security Act which the
Secretary of Health and Human Services determines requires State
legislation (other than legislation appropriating funds) in order for
the plan to meet the additional requirements imposed by the amendments
made by this Act, the State plan shall not be regarded as failing to
comply with the requirements of such section 402(a) solely on the basis
of the failure of the plan to meet such additional requirements before
the 1st day of the 1st calendar quarter beginning after the close of
the 1st regular session of the State legislature that begins after the
date of the enactment of this Act. For purposes of the previous
sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2-year legislative session,
each year of such session shall be deemed to be a separate regular
session of the State legislature.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.
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