TANF; lifetime limit; drug testing

SB1783 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
TANF; lifetime limit; drug testing

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1783

Introduced by

Senator
Gonzales

AN
ACT

amending section 46-294, Arizona
Revised Statutes; amending title 46, chapter 2, article 5, Arizona Revised
Statutes, by adding section 46-300.08; relating to temporary assistance
for needy families.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 46-294, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
46-294.

Duration of assistance

A. A needy family is ineligible for a cash
assistance grant awarded under this article, except in case of hardship
or as provided in subsection G of this section
, if any of the
following applies:

1. The needy family includes a head of household or
the spouse of the head of household who has received cash assistance for
himself for a total of
twelve
sixty

months.

2. The needy family includes a cash assistance
ineligible parent or the spouse of the ineligible parent who has received cash
assistance on behalf of an eligible dependent child for a total of
twelve
sixty
months
or the
total number of months allowed by federal law
.

3. The needy family includes an adult nonparent
relative head of household or the spouse of the adult nonparent relative head
of household who has received cash assistance on behalf of an eligible
dependent child for a total of
twelve
sixty

months
or the total number of months allowed by federal law
.

B. The time
limit
frame
prescribed in subsection A of this section applies
retroactively to cash assistance received under this article or the Arizona
works program on or after October 1, 2002. The time
limit
frame
applies regardless of:

1. Whether the
twelve
sixty
months
are
or the
total number of months allowed by federal law is
consecutive.

2. The source of funding for the program.

C. The
twelve

sixty
month time
limit

frame or the
total number of months allowed by federal law
prescribed in this section
does not apply to child only cases.

D. In determining the number of months that
assistance has been received, the department shall disregard any month during
which assistance is received by:

1. A foster parent, an unrelated adult or a
nonparent relative, in a child only case.

2. An assistance unit during the time in which the
assistance unit resides on an Indian reservation in which the unemployment rate
of the adults residing on the Indian reservation exceeds fifty percent.

3. An assistance unit if the cash assistance grant
is less than the full monthly amount of cash assistance for which the
assistance unit qualifies based on the date of the application.

4. An adult recipient who as a minor child was not a
head of household or married to a head of household.

E. Except in case of hardship
or as
provided in subsection G of this section
, an assistance unit in which
any adult or minor parent of a dependent child who is a head of household or
married to a head of household has received sixty months of assistance funded
in whole or in part by the temporary assistance for needy families block grant
in this or any other state or United States territory or from a tribal
temporary assistance for needy families program shall not be eligible to
receive under any circumstances more than sixty months of such assistance.

F. Consistent with the adopted state plan, cash
assistance shall terminate on July 1,
2016

2025
for any family, without regard to whether the family meets the
financial criteria established for a needy family, that has received
twelve or more
sixty
months
or the total number of months allowed by federal law
of cash
assistance as of that date.

G. A needy family may receive cash
assistance for an additional twelve months if both of the following apply:

1. The head of household or other
adult household member who is required to participate in the work program is in
full compliance and remains in full compliance with all work activity
requirements of the program.

2. Each dependent child in the
assistance unit, who is required to attend school pursuant to section 15-803,
not including child only cases, has a school attendance record of at least
ninety percent unless the child was excused pursuant to section 15-802,
subsection D, paragraph 1, 3, 5, 6 or 7.

END_STATUTE

Sec. 2. Title 46, chapter 2, article 5, Arizona
Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 46-300.08, to read:

START_STATUTE
46-300.08.

Drug testing; prohibition

Except as provided in section 46-219, the
Department of Economic Security may not require drug testing for any TEMPORARY
assistance for needy families RECIPIENT.
END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.
Retroactivity

Section 46-294, Arizona Revised
Statutes, as amended by this act, applies retroactively to from and after June
30, 2026.