[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8872 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8872
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to target funds
to low-income families, strengthen program integrity guardrails for
State expenditure of funds, require measurement of improper payments,
and establish goals for eliminating fraud and improper payments under
the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for
needy families, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2026
Mr. Carey (for himself, Mr. Arrington, Mr. Bean of Florida, Mr. Miller
of Ohio, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, and Ms. Tenney) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend part A of title IV of the Social Security Act to target funds
to low-income families, strengthen program integrity guardrails for
State expenditure of funds, require measurement of improper payments,
and establish goals for eliminating fraud and improper payments under
the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for
needy families, 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 ``Preventing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse
in TANF Act''.
SEC. 2. STRENGTHENING PROGRAM INTEGRITY THROUGH IMPROPER PAYMENTS
REVIEW.
(a) In General.--Section 404 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
604) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(l) Applicability of Payment Integrity Law.--The Payment
Integrity Information Act of 2019 shall apply to a State in respect of
the State program funded under this part in the same manner in which
such Act applies to a Federal agency.''.
(b) Report to Congress.--Within 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall
submit to the Congress a written report that contains a plan to reduce
or eliminate improper payments made by States under part A of title IV
of the Social Security Act within 10 years.
SEC. 3. TARGETING FUNDS TO FAMILIES IN NEED.
Section 404 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 604) is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(m) Establishing a Threshold for Families in Need.--A State to
which a grant is made under section 403(a)(1) shall use the grant only
to provide assistance or services to a family whose income is less than
twice the poverty guidelines updated periodically in the Federal
Register under section 673(2) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
of 1981 (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)).''.
SEC. 4. DEADLINES FOR THE OBLIGATION AND EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS.
Section 404(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 604(e)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(e) Deadlines for Obligation and Expenditure of Funds by
States.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
State to which funds are paid, after the effective date of this
subsection, under section 403(a)(1) for a fiscal year shall
obligate the funds not later than the end of the succeeding
fiscal year, and shall expend the funds not later than the end
of the 2nd succeeding fiscal year.
``(2) Exception for limited amount of funds set aside for
future use.--
``(A) In general.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of
this subsection, a State to which funds are paid under
section 403(a)(1), after the effective date of this
subsection, for a fiscal year may reserve not more than
15 percent of the funds for future use in the State
program funded under this part, subject to subparagraph
(B) of this paragraph.
``(B) Limitation.--The total amount held in reserve
by a State under subparagraph (A) of this paragraph
shall not exceed an amount equal to 50 percent of the
total amount paid to the State under section 403(a)(1)
for the then preceding fiscal year.
``(C) Notice of intent to reserve funds.--A State
that intends to reserve funds under subparagraph (A)
shall notify the Secretary of the intention not later
than the end of the period in which the funds are
available for obligation without regard to subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph.''.
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON STATE DIVERSION OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO REPLACE
STATE SPENDING.
(a) In General.--Section 404 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
604) is further amended by adding at the end the following:
``(n) Limitation on Use of Federal Funds to Replace State General
Revenue Funds.--A State shall use Federal funds received under this
part only to supplement funds that, in the absence of the Federal
funds, would be made available from State and local sources for
programs assisted under this part, and not to supplant the funds.''.
(b) State Certification.--Section 402(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
602(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(9) Certification of state supplementation.--A
certification by the chief executive officer of the State that
the funds provided to the State under this part will not be
used to supplant State or non-Federal funds for services and
activities that promote the purposes of this part.''.
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1,
2027.
<all>