HB 1582-FN – AS INTRODUCED
2008 SESSION
05/01
HOUSE BILL 1582-FN
AN ACT relative to eligibility decisions under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.
SPONSORS: Rep. B. Richardson, Ches 5; Rep. Davis, Merr 7; Rep. Julie Brown, Straf 1; Rep. Gargasz, Hills 5; Rep. Donovan, Sull 4; Sen. Sgambati, Dist 4; Sen. Estabrook, Dist 21; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 24
COMMITTEE: Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs
This bill establishes a timeline for eligibility determinations of former TANF recipients.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
08-2315
05/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eight
AN ACT relative to eligibility decisions under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Temporary Assistance to Needy Families; Eligibility Determination Timeline. Amend RSA 167:79 by inserting after paragraph III the following new paragraph:
III-a. In the case of a former recipient whose children had been removed from the home pursuant to a proceeding under RSA 169-C and who subsequently reapplies for assistance, the department shall make an eligibility decision within 15 business days of receipt of a completed application for assistance, unless further delay is the result of the applicant’s circumstances or actions.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
08-2315
12/17/07
HB 1582-FN - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to eligibility decisions under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Department of Health and Human Services states this bill may have an indeterminable fiscal impact on state, county, and local expenditures in FY 2008 and each year thereafter. This bill will have no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue.
METHODOLOGY
The Department states currently the Division of Family Assistance (DFA) is required by federal regulation to make decisions on all applications for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance within 45 calendar days of the date of application. The average processing time for TANF applications is currently 21 days. Because the proposed bill does not change the TANF eligibility criteria, it will not increase the number of TANF recipients. There were 176 children reunified with their families after being in DCYF custody in 2006. Any of these families could potentially apply for TANF benefits following reunification. The Department states the bill would result in a slightly shorter processing timeframe for a small number of TANF reapplications. The Department states they are unable to determine total cost or savings without knowing how many of the 176 former DCYF involved children will apply for TANF. The Department further states the New HEIGHTS computer system, which DFA uses to determine eligibility, would have to be modified at a one-time cost of approximately $115,000. The exact fiscal impact cannot be determined at this time.