On May 11, the House Ways and Means Committee approved several bills to address employment among recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The bills included H.R. 2966, the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act, and H.R. 2990, the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act.
Sponsored by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), the Reducing Poverty through Employment Act would amend the purposes of the TANF program to include reducing “poverty by increasing employment entry, retention, and advancement.”
As amended, the Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act, sponsored by Rep. Robert Dold (R-IL), would authorize $100 million to provide wage subsidies to enable low-income TANF recipients to enter into and retain employment.