Substitute House Bill No. 7104 seeks to amend the eligibility criteria for the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program by allowing the Department of Social Services (DSS) to disregard specific income sources when assessing eligibility. The bill introduces provisions that enable DSS to exclude financial assistance from family members involved in approved pilot programs focused on direct cash transfers, as well as stipends from job training programs. The disregard for income from pilot programs can extend for up to 60 cumulative months, while job training stipends are disregarded for a maximum of 36 cumulative months. This change aims to support families by ensuring their participation in these beneficial programs does not adversely affect their TFA eligibility.

In addition to these new provisions, the bill repeals existing language in subsection (d) of section 17b-112 and replaces it with updated criteria that incorporate the new income disregards. It also requires DSS to approve only those pilot programs that can secure necessary waivers for federal and state benefits and mandates the maintenance of a publicly accessible list of these programs. Furthermore, approved programs must inform participants about the potential impacts on their benefit eligibility. The effective date for these changes is set for July 1, 2025, with the intention of enhancing support for families in need while ensuring they are aware of the implications of their participation in these programs.