Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that reduces the lifetime limit for certain government benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Highlights:

• Reduces the lifetime limit for assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from 60 to 45 months (Sec. A).

• Requires an individual to be engaged in work activities before he or she is eligible for benefits under TANF or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including, but not limited to, the following activities (Sec. A):
• Engagement in subsidized private or public employment;
• Engagement in community service programs; or 
• Engagement in job search and readiness assistance.

• Requires a representative of the Department of Social Services to meet face-to-face with an individual who is not complying with the work activity requirement to explain potential sanctions (Sec.  A).

• Specifies that the department will apply a sanction terminating 50 percent of the individual’s benefits for up to 10 weeks, if the work activity requirement is not met 6 weeks after the meeting (Sec. A).

• Requires the individual to work a minimum average of 30 hours per week for 1 month in order to remove the sanction (Sec. A).

• Requires the department to set aside funds from the federal TANF block grant, including the following funds (Sec. A):
• 2 percent of the grant to fund the Alternatives to Abortion Services Program and the Alternatives to Abortion Public Awareness Program; and
• 2 percent of the grant to fund activities promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to override a veto of a bill that reduces the lifetime limit for certain government benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Highlights:

• Reduces the lifetime limit for assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from 60 to 45 months (Sec. A).

• Requires an individual to be engaged in work activities before he or she is eligible for benefits under TANF or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including, but not limited to, the following activities (Sec. A):
• Engagement in subsidized private or public employment;
• Engagement in community service programs; or 
• Engagement in job search and readiness assistance.

• Requires a representative of the Department of Social Services to meet face-to-face with an individual who is not complying with the work activity requirement to explain potential sanctions (Sec.  A).

• Specifies that the department will apply a sanction terminating 50 percent of the individual’s benefits for up to 10 weeks, if the work activity requirement is not met 6 weeks after the meeting (Sec. A).

• Requires the individual to work a minimum average of 30 hours per week for 1 month in order to remove the sanction (Sec. A).

• Requires the department to set aside funds from the federal TANF block grant, including the following funds (Sec. A):
• 2 percent of the grant to fund the Alternatives to Abortion Services Program and the Alternatives to Abortion Public Awareness Program; and
• 2 percent of the grant to fund activities promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood.

Full Bill Text

Vetoed by Governor Jay Nixon

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to repass a bill after having adopted a conference report that reduces the lifetime limit for certain government benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Highlights:

• Reduces the lifetime limit for assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from 60 to 45 months (Sec. A).

• Requires an individual to be engaged in work activities before he or she is eligible for benefits under TANF or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including, but not limited to, the following activities (Sec. A):
• Engagement in subsidized private or public employment;
• Engagement in community service programs; or 
• Engagement in job search and readiness assistance.

• Requires a representative of the Department of Social Services to meet face-to-face with an individual who is not complying with the work activity requirement to explain potential sanctions (Sec.  A).

• Specifies that the department will apply a sanction terminating 50 percent of the individual’s benefits for up to 10 weeks, if the work activity requirement is not met 6 weeks after the meeting (Sec. A).

• Requires the individual to work a minimum average of 30 hours per week for 1 month in order to remove the sanction (Sec. A).

• Requires the department to set aside funds from the federal TANF block grant, including the following funds (Sec. A):
• 2 percent of the grant to fund the Alternatives to Abortion Services Program and the Alternatives to Abortion Public Awareness Program; and
• 2 percent of the grant to fund activities promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to repass a bill after having adopted a conference report that reduces the lifetime limit for certain government benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Highlights:

• Reduces the lifetime limit for assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from 60 to 45 months (Sec. A).

• Requires an individual to be engaged in work activities before he or she is eligible for benefits under TANF or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), including, but not limited to, the following activities (Sec. A):
• Engagement in subsidized private or public employment;
• Engagement in community service programs; or 
• Engagement in job search and readiness assistance.

• Requires a representative of the Department of Social Services to meet face-to-face with an individual who is not complying with the work activity requirement to explain potential sanctions (Sec.  A).

• Specifies that the department will apply a sanction terminating 50 percent of the individual’s benefits for up to 10 weeks, if the work activity requirement is not met 6 weeks after the meeting (Sec. A).

• Requires the individual to work a minimum average of 30 hours per week for 1 month in order to remove the sanction (Sec. A).

• Requires the department to set aside funds from the federal TANF block grant, including the following funds (Sec. A):
• 2 percent of the grant to fund the Alternatives to Abortion Services Program and the Alternatives to Abortion Public Awareness Program; and
• 2 percent of the grant to fund activities promoting healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces the lifetime limit for welfare benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reduces the lifetime limit for welfare benefits, effective January 1, 2016.

Highlights:

• Reduces the lifetime limit for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to 48 months, except in the following cases (Sec. A):
• The individual receiving TANF benefits is a minor child that is not the head of household or married to the head of household; or
• The family receiving TANF benefits is granted exemption for reasons of hardship.

• Requires a parent or caretaker to be engaged in certain work related activities in order to be eligible for TANF benefits including, but not limited to, the following activities (Sec. A):
• Unsubsidized employment;
• Subsidized private or public sector employment;
• Community service programs; or
• On-the-job or job skills training. 

• Authorizes an individual that has been sanctioned by the Department of Social Security Services for not abiding by the TANF work requirements to cure the sanction and reapply for benefits by completing at least 30 hours of work activity per week within one month of the eligibility interview (Sec. A).

• Repeals the waiver of the work requirement for an individual seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (Sec. A).

• Establishes a cash diversion program that provides TANF recipients with lump sum cash grants for short-term needs with the following conditions (Sec. A):
• The cash grants can be given once every 12 months for no more than 5 instances; and
• The cash grants have a maximum limit set at 3 times the family size allowance.  

• Specifies that ongoing savings from the modifications of SNAP and TANF will be used to provide child care assistance for single parent households, education assistance, transportation assistance, and job training for individuals receiving benefits (Sec. A). 

Full Bill Text