House Bill 1320

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-17-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE WHENEVER APPROPRIATED TANF FUNDS IN EXCESS OF FIVE MILLION DOLLARS ARE NOT UTILIZED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR FOR WHICH THOSE FUNDS WERE APPROPRIATED; TO REQUIRE THE REPORT TO DETAIL THE REASONS THE TANF FUNDS WERE NOT UTILIZED AND THE DEPARTMENT'S FUTURE PLANS REGARDING THOSE FUNDS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 43-17-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

43-17-1. (1) The State of Mississippi hereby accepts all of the mandatory provisions and benefits, with the exception of those provisions under which the state may exercise its options, of Title I of an act passed by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, entitled: "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193)," and known as the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.

(2) The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall have all necessary authority to cooperate with the federal government in the administration of Public Law 104-193 and all subsequent federal amendments thereto, to administer any legislation pursuant thereto enacted by the State of Mississippi, and to administer the funds provided by the federal government and the State of Mississippi under the provisions of Section 43-17-1 et seq., for providing temporary assistance for needy families with minor children. The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall have full authority to formulate state plans consistent with state law as necessary to administer and operate federal grant funds which provide temporary assistance for needy families with minor children under Title IV-A of the federal Social Security Act. The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall identify in any state plan submitted to implement the TANF program those requirements or restrictions, including persons excluded from program participation which are required under federal law, and those program requirements or restrictions which the federal law authorizes but does not require.

(3) Any funds received by the State of Mississippi under the provisions of Public Law 104-193 shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature and consistent with the terms and conditions required under such appropriation. If the Mississippi Department of Human Services fails to obligate more than Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) of TANF funds appropriated by the Legislature during the fiscal year for which those funds were appropriated, the department shall submit to the Legislature a written report providing a detailed explanation of the reason or reasons that those funds were not utilized along with the department's intended plans or recommendations for the use of those funds during the next succeeding five (5) years. The report required under this subsection must be provided to the Legislature before August 1 immediately following the fiscal year in which the appropriated TANF funds were not utilized.

(4) The purpose of the Mississippi Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program shall be to:

(a) Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives when such care is beneficial and may be monitored on a random basis by the Mississippi Department of Human Services or the State Department of Health;

(b) End the dependence of needy families on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage through, among other things, job placement, job training and job retention;

(c) Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies;

(d) Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families; and

(e) Prevent program fraud and abuse.

(5) The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall develop outcome and output indicators for each program established under the authority of this section. These measures shall provide legislators and administrators with information which measures the success or failure of the department in implementing the programs implemented under the authority of this section. The department shall annually report to the Legislature the outputs and outcomes of these programs, with the first report due by December 15, 1997. Such reports shall include recommendations for making programs more effective or efficient which can be effected in accordance with federal law.

(6) Assistance may be granted under this chapter to any dependent child and a caretaker relative who are living in a suitable family home meeting the standards of care and health and work requirements fixed by the laws of this state, and the rules and regulations of the * * * ~~State~~ Mississippi Department of Human Services.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2020.