This bill proposes significant updates to the current statutes regarding cash assistance for needy families under Arizona law. It modifies the eligibility criteria by changing the time limit for cash assistance from twelve months to sixty months for various categories of recipients, including heads of households and parents of eligible dependent children. Additionally, it introduces a provision that allows for the total number of months of assistance to align with federal law, thereby providing more flexibility in the duration of assistance. The bill also extends the termination date for cash assistance from 2016 to 2025 for families that have received sixty months of assistance.

Furthermore, the bill removes the previous provisions that allowed for an additional twelve months of cash assistance under specific conditions related to work program compliance and school attendance. It also explicitly states that the Department of Economic Security cannot require drug testing for recipients of temporary assistance for needy families, thereby eliminating any existing requirements for such testing. The changes proposed in this bill would apply retroactively from June 30, 2026, ensuring that the new regulations are effective for all relevant cases.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 46-294, 46-300.08, 15-803, 15-802