AN ACT CONCERNING THE MITIGATION OF BENEFITS CLIFFS.

House of Representatives
sHB5540 / File No. 444 1

General Assembly File No. 444
February Session, 2026 Substitute House Bill No. 5540

House of Representatives, April 7, 2026

The Committee on Human Services reported through REP.
GILCHREST of the 18th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on
the part of the House, that the substitute bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MITIGATION OF BENEFITS CLIFFS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 17b -112 of the 2026 supplement to the general 1
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 2
(Effective July 1, 2026): 3
(a) The Department of Social Services shall administer a temporary 4
family assistance program under which cash assistance shall be 5
provided to eligible families in accordance with the temporary 6
assistance for needy families program, established pursuant to the 7
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 8
1996. The Commissioner of Social Services may operate portions of the 9
temporary family assistance program as a solely state-funded program, 10
separate from the federal temporary assistance for needy families 11
program, if the commissioner determines that doing so will enable the 12
state to avoid fiscal penalties under the temporary assistance for needy 13
families program. Families receiving assistance under the solely state -14
funded portion of the temporary family assistance program shall be 15
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subject to the same conditions of eligibility as those receiving assistance 16
under the federal temporary assistance for needy families program. 17
Under the temporary family assistance program, benefits shall be 18
provided to a family for not longer than thirty -six months, except as 19
provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section. For the purpose of 20
calculating said thirty -six-month time limit, months of assistance 21
received on and after January 1, 1996, pursuant to time limits under the 22
aid to families with dependent children program, shall be included. For 23
purposes of this section, "family" means one or more individuals who 24
apply for or receive assistance together under the temporary family 25
assistance program. If the commissioner determines that federal law 26
allows individuals not otherwise in an eligible covered group for the 27
temporary family assistance program to become covered, such family 28
may also, at the discretion of the commissioner, be composed of (1) a 29
pregnant woman, or (2) a parent, both parents or other caretaker relative 30
and at least one child who is under the age of eighteen, or who is under 31
the age of nineteen and a full -time student in a secondary school or its 32
equivalent. A caretaker relative shall be related to the child or children 33
by blood, marriage or adoption or shall be the legal guardian of such a 34
child or pursuing legal proceedings necessary to achieve guardianship. 35
If the commissioner elects to allow state eligibility consistent with any 36
change in federal law, the commissioner may administratively transfer 37
any qualifying family cases under the cash assistance portion of the 38
state-administered general assistance program to the temporary family 39
assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and enrollment 40
procedures. If such families become an ineligible coverage group under 41
the federal law, the commissioner shall administratively transfer such 42
families back to the cash assistance portion of the state -administered 43
general assistance program without regard to usual eligibility and 44
enrollment procedures to the degree that such families are eligible for 45
the state program. 46
(b) The Commissioner of Social Services shall exempt a family from 47
such time-limited benefits for circumstances including, but not limited 48
to: (1) A family with a needy caretaker relative who is incapacitated or 49
of an advanced age, as defined by the commissioner, if there is no other 50
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nonexempt caretaker relative in the household; (2) a family with a needy 51
caretaker relative who is needed in the home because of the incapacity 52
of another member of the household, if there is no other nonexempt 53
caretaker relative in the household; (3) a family with a caretaker relative 54
who is not legally responsible for the dependent children in the 55
household if such relative's needs are not considered in calculating the 56
amount of the benefit and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative 57
in the household; (4) a family with a caretaker relative caring for a child 58
who is under one year of age if there is no other nonexempt caretaker 59
relative in the household; (5) a family with a pregnant or postpartum 60
caretaker relative if a physician has indicated that such relative is unable 61
to work and there is no other nonexempt caretaker relative in the 62
household; (6) a family with a caretaker relative determined by the 63
commissioner to be unemployable and there is no other nonexempt 64
caretaker relative in the household; and (7) minor parents attending and 65
satisfactorily completing high school or high school equivalency 66
programs. 67
(c) A family who is subject to time -limited benefits may petition the 68
Commissioner of Social Services for six -month extensions of such 69
benefits. The commissioner shall grant not more than two extensions to 70
such family who has made a good faith effort to comply with the 71
requirements of the program and despite such effort has a total family 72
income below one hundred per cent of the federal poverty level, or has 73
encountered circumstances preventing employment including, but not 74
limited to: (1) Domestic violence or physical harm to such family's 75
children; or (2) other circumstances beyond such family's control. The 76
commissioner shall disregard ninety dollars of earned income in 77
determining applicable family income. The commissioner may grant a 78
subsequent six-month extension if each adult in the family meets one or 79
more of the following criteria: (A) The adult is precluded from engaging 80
in employment activities due to domestic violence or another reason 81
beyond the adult's control; (B) the adult has two or more substantiated 82
barriers to employment including, but not limited to, the lack of 83
available child care, substance abuse or addiction, severe mental or 84
physical health problems, one or more severe learning disabilities, 85
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domestic violence or a child who has a serious physical or behavioral 86
health problem; or (C) the adult is employed and works less than thirty-87
five hours per week due to (i) a documented medical impairment that 88
limits the adult's hours of employment, provided the adult works the 89
maximum number of hours that the medical condition permits, or (ii) 90
the need to care for a disabled member of the adult's household, 91
provided the adult works the maximum number of hours the adult's 92
caregiving responsibilities permit. Families receiving temporary family 93
assistance shall be notified by the department of the right to petition for 94
such extensions. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the 95
commissioner shall not provide benefits under the state's temporary 96
family assistance program to a family that is subject to the thirty -six-97
month benefit limit and has received benefits beginning on or after 98
October 1, 1996, if such benefits result in that family's receiving more 99
than sixty months of time -limited benefits unless that family 100
experiences domestic violence, as defined in Section 402(a)(7)(B), P.L. 101
104-193. For the purpose of calculating said sixty -month limit: (I) A 102
month shall count toward the limit if the family receives assistance for 103
any day of the month, provided any months of temporary family 104
assistance received during the public health emergency declared by 105
Governor Ned Lamont related to the COVID -19 pandemic shall not be 106
included, and (II) a month in which a family receives temporary 107
assistance for needy families benefits that are issued from a jurisdiction 108
other than Connecticut shall count toward the limit. 109
(d) (1) Under said program, no family shall be eligible that has total 110
gross earnings exceeding the federal poverty level, however, in the 111
calculation of the benefit amount for eligible families and previously 112
eligible families that become ineligible temporarily because of receipt of 113
workers' compensation benefits by a family member who subsequently 114
returns to work immediately after the period of receipt of such benefits, 115
earned income shall be disregarded up to the federal poverty level. 116
When calculating the earnings of a family with income from self -117
employment, the commissioner shall apply a standard deduction 118
equivalent to fifty -one per cent of the total monthly income derived 119
from such self -employment, provided the family verifies at least one 120
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allowable expense directly related to earning such income. A family 121
may instead deduct all allowable monthly expenses directly related to 122
the self-employment earnings if such expenses are verified and, in the 123
aggregate, exceed the amount of the standard deduction. On and after 124
October 1, 2023, the commissioner shall not deny a family assistance 125
under said program on the basis of such family's assets unless such 126
assets exceed six thousand dollars. On and after July 1, 2027, the 127
commissioner shall not deny a family assistance under said program on 128
the basis of such family's assets. Except when determining eligibility for 129
a six -month extension of benefits pursuant to subsection (c) of this 130
section, the commissioner shall disregard the first fifty dollars per 131
month of income attributable to current child support that a family 132
receives in determining eligibility and benefit levels for temporary 133
family assistance. Any current child support in excess of fifty dollars per 134
month collected by the department on behalf of an eligible child shall be 135
considered in determining eligibility but shall not be considered when 136
calculating benefits and shall be taken as reimbursement for assistance 137
paid under this section, except that when the current child support 138
collected exceeds the family's monthly award of temporary family 139
assistance benefits plus fifty dollars, the current child support shall be 140
paid to the family and shall be considered when calculating benefits. 141
The commissioner shall refer any family who reports to the department 142
that such family has begun new employment or has increased 143
employment hours at a current employer to the child care subsidy 144
program established pursuant to section 17b-749. 145
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 146
subsection, [on] 147
(A) On and after January 1, 2024, in the first month in which a family's 148
total gross earnings exceed one hundred per cent of the federal poverty 149
level and for a period not to exceed six consecutive months, the 150
department shall disregard, for purposes of eligibility, a family's total 151
gross earnings in an amount not to exceed two hundred thirty per cent 152
of the federal poverty level. If a family's total gross earnings are an 153
amount between one hundred seventy -one per cent and two hundred 154
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thirty per cent of the federal poverty level, the department shall reduce 155
the household's benefit by twenty per cent for the months in which 156
earnings are between one hundred seventy -one per cent and two 157
hundred thirty per cent of the federal poverty level. 158
(B) On and after July 1, 2027, the commissioner shall grant a family 159
whose total gross earnings exceed one hundred per cent of the federal 160
poverty level one hundred per cent of previous benefits as a transitional 161
benefit. On and after the first six months of such transitional benefit, the 162
Commissioner of Social Services shall gradually decrease such 163
transitional benefit to zero dollars over the next six months on a 164
schedule to be determined by the commissioner. Within available 165
appropriations, the commissioner shall grant a labor force retention 166
bonus of five thousand dollars to any family that transitions out of the 167
program due to income that exceeds the eligibility standard after twelve 168
months of such transitional benefit. Any family receiving such 169
transitional benefit shall receive a referral to a Jobs First employment 170
services case manager to determine whether there are workforce 171
developmental services that may benefit any member of such family. A 172
transitional benefit received under this subdivision shall be disregarded 173
for purposes of a family's eligibility for benefits under the supplemental 174
nutrition assistance program. 175
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 176
subsection, the commissioner shall disregard any financial assistance 177
received by a family member to the extent the commissioner determines 178
that such financial assistance was provided to the family member as part 179
of such family member's participation in a pilot program that has 180
developed a plan to study and evaluate the impact and potential 181
benefits of direct cash transfers. Such disregard shall be applied for the 182
length of time the family member participates in such program, not to 183
exceed thirty-six cumulative months. Any pilot program subject to the 184
provisions of this subdivision shall have received approval from the 185
Department of Social Services to conduct such pilot program based on 186
the department's ability to receive required waivers authorizing such 187
income disregards in applicable federal and state benefits programs. 188
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The department shall request waivers authorizing such income 189
disregards from all federal, state and local agencies as necessary. The 190
department shall maintain a listing of approved pilot programs for use 191
by the public and department staff when determining continuing 192
eligibility of participants in existing benefits programs. The department 193
shall require an approved pilot program to (A) inform potential 194
participants, in writing in advance of participation in the pilot program, 195
of the potential impact of their participation on their current and future 196
eligibility for federal and state benefits, and (B) include contact 197
information in such written document to allow such participants to 198
obtain additional information or guidance on the impact of pilot 199
program participation on their eligibility for such benefits. 200
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 201
subsection, the commissioner shall disregard from an income eligibility 202
determination any stipend received by a family member as part of such 203
family member's participation in a job training program approved by 204
the commissioner, including, but not limited to, payments from 205
programs offered by or through the Office of Workforce Strategy 206
established pursuant to section 4 -124w, the Bureau of Rehabilitation 207
Services within the Department of Aging and Disability Services or a 208
private not-for-profit organization that is exempt from taxation under 209
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any 210
subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, 211
as amended from time to time. Such disregard shall be applied for the 212
length of time the family member participates in such program, not to 213
exceed thirty-six cumulative months. 214
(e) A family receiving assistance under said program shall cooperate 215
with child support enforcement, under title IV -D of the Social Security 216
Act. A family shall be ineligible for benefits for failure to cooperate with 217
child support enforcement. 218
(f) A family leaving assistance at the end of (1) said thirty -six-month 219
time limit, or (2) the sixty -month limit shall have an interview for the 220
purpose of being informed of services that may continue to be available 221
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to such family, including employment services available through the 222
Labor Department. Such interview shall include (A) a determination of 223
benefits available to the family provided by the Department of Social 224
Services; and (B) a determination of whether such family is eligible for 225
supplemental nutrition assistance or Medicaid. Information and 226
referrals shall be made to such a family for services and benefits 227
including, but not limited to, the earned income tax credit, rental 228
subsidies, emergency housing, employment services , child care 229
subsidies pursuant to section 17b-749 and energy assistance. 230
(g) Notwithstanding section 17b-104, commencing on July 1, 2023, the 231
Commissioner of Social Services shall provide an annual cost -of-living 232
adjustment in temporary family assistance benefits equal to the most 233
recent percentage increase in the consumer price index for urban 234
consumers whenever funds appropriated for temporary family 235
assistance lapse at the close of any fiscal year and such adjustment has 236
not otherwise been included in the budget for the assistance program, 237
provided the increase would not create a budget deficiency in 238
succeeding years. The commissioner shall provide a prorated benefit 239
increase from such available lapsed funds in any fiscal year when such 240
funds are not sufficient to cover a cost -of-living adjustment in 241
accordance with this subsection. 242
(h) An applicant or recipient of temporary family assistance who is 243
adversely affected by a decision of the Commissioner of Social Services 244
may request and shall be provided a hearing in accordance with section 245
17b-60. 246
Sec. 2. Section 17b-105a of the general statutes is amended by adding 247
subsection (e) as follows (Effective July 1, 2026): 248
(NEW) (e) For purposes of income eligibility for the supplemental 249
nutrition assistance program, the commissioner shall disregard a 250
transitional benefit received on and after July 1, 2027, by a family under 251
the temporary family assistance program established pursuant to 252
section 17b-112, as amended by this act. 253
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Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) As used in this section, (1) "benefits 254
cliffs" means the loss or reduction of public assistance due to an increase 255
in employment income, and (2) "public assistance" means programs 256
including, but not limited to, temporary family assistance, supplemental 257
nutrition assistance or housing assistance. Within available 258
appropriations, the Department of Social Services and the Office of 259
Early Childhood, in consultation with the Labor Department, the 260
Department of Housing, the Office of Workforce Strategy and the two -261
generational initiative established pursuant to section 17b -112l of the 262
general statutes, shall enter into a public-private partnership to establish 263
a two -year pilot program to mitigate benefits cliffs for two hundred 264
households receiving public assistance. 265
(b) The pilot program established pursuant to subsection (a) of this 266
section shall be designed and evaluated in accordance with the 267
recommendations of a report that was produced pursuant to special act 268
24-8. Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter until the 269
pilot program concludes, the Commissioners of Social Services and 270
Early Childhood shall file a report, in accordance with the provisions of 271
section 11-4a of the general statutes, on the status of the pilot program 272
with the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having 273
cognizance of matters relating to education, human services, labor and 274
housing. The report shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) The 275
number of households enrolled in the pilot program, (2) transitional 276
assistance such households have received or will receive to avert 277
benefits cliffs, (3) the impact on the state economy of pilot program 278
enrollees retaining employment while in the pilot program, and (4) 279
resources needed to sustain the pilot program. 280
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 17b-112
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 17b-105a(e)
Sec. 3 July 1, 2026 New section

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Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
In Section 1(d)(1), brackets around existing statutory language were
deleted and "On and after July 1, 2027, the commissioner shall not deny
a family assistance under said program on the basis of such family's
assets." was inserted, for accuracy; in Section 1(d)(2), brackets around
existing statutory language were deleted, subparagraph designators
"(A)" and " (B)" were inserted and new language was moved to new
subparagraph (B), for accuracy; and in Section 2, the effective date was
changed and "on and after July 1, 2027," was inserted, for clarity.

HS Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO

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The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of
the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not
represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose. In general,
fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional
knowledge. Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final
products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note

State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 27 $ FY 28 $
Social Services, Dept. GF - Cost at least
$750,000
at least $2.6
million
Labor Dept. GF - Cost None Significant
Social Services, Dept.; Office of
Early Childhood
GF - Cost $1.4 million $1.7 million
Department of Housing GF - Cost $2.9 million $2.9 million
Note: GF=General Fund

Municipal Impact: None
Explanation
The bill results in increased costs to the state associated with
expanding eligibility under the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA)
program and establishing a two-year pilot program to mitigate benefits
cliffs for two hundred households receiving public assistance.
Section 1 results in a one-time cost to the Department of Social
Services (DSS) of at least $ 750,000 in FY 27 to support system
modifications due to changing eligibility and benefit levels under TFA.
Section 1 eliminates the TFA asset limit, effective 7/1/27. On average,
20 applications are denied each month due to exceeding the asset limit.
Assuming those denied will now be eligible under the bill’s provisions,
DSS will incur costs of at least $1.8 million in FY 28 and $2.3 in FY 29.
DSS will experience additional costs associated with newly applying
households, at an estimated average cost per household of
approximately $765 in FY 28.
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Section 1 also creates a transitional benefit for households with
income exceeding the federal poverty level (FPL) and requires DSS to
gradually reduce benefits over the course of six months. This is
anticipated to result in a cost of at least $850,000 in FY 28 and $1 million
in FY 29. Actual costs will depend on the reduced benefit levels
determined by DSS and eligible clients.
DSS will incur additional costs beginning in FY 29 associated with a
$5,000 labor force retention bonus provided to any family that
transitions out of the program due to income that exceeds the eligibility
standard after twelve months of such transitional benefit. Assuming the
same rate of participation as those under the transitional benefit, DSS
will incur additional costs of at least $2 million in FY 29.
Section 1 also requires that families receiving the transitional benefit
established by the bill be referred to a case manager from the Jobs First
Employment Services (JFES) program1, which is administered by the
Department of Labor (DOL). This results in a significant cost starting in
FY 28 associated with increases in workload and subsequent need for
additional staff. For reference, the cost of hiring an additional case
manager would be at least $60,0002.
Section 2 requires DSS to exclude the new transitional TFA benefit
when determining a family’s eligibility for SNAP benefits. SNAP
benefits are federally funded.
Section 3 results in a cost to DSS and the Office of Early Childhood
(OEC) related to establishing a two- year benefits cliff pilot program for
200 households receiving public assistance. The program must be
designed to align with the recommendations of the benefits cliff study
report required by Special Act 24-8.
The benefits of cliff pilot cost analysis provides a framework through

1 There are currently 42 Jobs First Employment Services case managers across the state,
averaging 53 clients each.
2 The DOL currently contracts with the five Workforce Regional Boards for the delivery
of the program.
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which different design parameters can be analyzed. The study presents
three pilot models to assist 200 families, resulting in costs from between
$3 million and $7 million over a three or four -year period. The study
suggests the stable benefit pilot design as the best fit to maximize family
supports. This is anticipated to result in annual costs of approximately
$1.4 million in FY 27, $1.7 million in FY 28 , $1.9 million in FY 29 , and
$1.7 million if continued in year four. Approximately 62% of annual
costs reflect benefit payments with the remaining funds used to support
operation costs. Actual costs depend on the final pilot design, related
federal funding and timeframe in which it is operational.
Additionally, the bill results in a cost to the Department of Housing
(DOH) of approximately $2.9 million in FY 27 and FY 28 due to
including housing assistance as part of the public assistance required
under the pilot (housing assistance was not included in the benefits cliffs
pilot cost analysis ). The average rental assistance program (RAP)
certificate costs the state approximately $14,400/annually. If the
program resulted in continuing a certificate at the same level for two
years for 200 households, this would result in a cost of about $2.9 million
in each year.
DOH does not remove households from the RAP program unless the
household is no longer eligible. However, changes in eligibility and
associated changes to the average RAP certificate cost may impact how
many certificates can be issued in the future.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to the structure of and benefits provided
under TFA and workload increases to the JFES program. The bill limits
the pilot program to two years.

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OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5540

AN ACT CONCERNING THE MITIGATION OF BENEFITS CLIFFS.

SUMMARY
This bill eliminates the asset limit for Temporary Family Assistance
(TFA), increases TFA benefits for certain households, and creates a
transitional benefit and a labor force retention bonus under the
program. The Department of Social Services (DSS) must refer families
that receive this transitional benefit to Jobs First Employment Services
to assess whether they would benefit from any workforce
developmental services. The department must also refer families to Care
4 Kids when they report new or increased employment or leave the
program because they reached the time limit.
The bill also requires DSS to disregard a TFA transitional benefit
when determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) (§ 2).
Lastly, the bill requires DSS and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC)
to enter into a public -private partnership to establish a two -year pilot
program to mitigate benefits cliffs for 200 households receiving public
assistance.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2026
TFA ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFITS
TFA is the state’s cash assistance program for low -income families
administered by DSS. The federal Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) block grant partially funds TFA.
Eliminated Asset Limit
Under current law, households with assets over $6,000 are ineligible
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for TFA. Starting July 1, 2027, t he bill eliminates this asset limit ,
prohibiting DSS from denying a family TFA benefits based on the
family’s assets.
Transitional TFA Benefit
By law, households with gross earnings (including earned and
unearned income) over the federal poverty level (FPL) are generally
ineligible for TFA. For a period starting when the family’s total earnings
exceed FPL and continuing for up to six months, the law requires DSS
to (1) disregard earned income up to 230% of FPL , which generally
allows more families to stay eligible for TFA during this period and (2)
give a reduced benefit to families with total gross earnings between
171% and 230% of FPL.
Beginning July 1, 2027, the bill requires DSS to give a transitional TFA
benefit, starting the first month that a family’s total gross earnings
exceed FPL. The transitional benefit must be 100% of the family’s
previous TFA benefit for the first six months . For the six months
following that period, DSS must gradually reduce the transitional
benefit to $0 on a schedule it sets.
Referrals for Other Programs and Services
The bill requires the DSS commissioner to refer a family to Care 4
Kids if the family reports to DSS that a family member has new
employment or increased employment hours. The Care 4 Kids program
offers child care subsidies to income -eligible families when the parents
are working or participating in certain education or job training
programs.
Federal law generally puts a 60 -month, lifetime limit on receiving
TANF-funded cash assistance. State law sets a 36 -month limit but
exempts families from it in certain circumstances (for example, a
recipient caring for a child under age one or a household member with
a disability). By law, DSS must inform a family leaving TFA at the end
of these time periods about other available services, including
employment services, the earned income tax credit, and emergency
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housing. The bill adds Care 4 Kids subsidies to this list.
Under the bill, DSS must refer any family that gets the transitional
benefit to a Jobs First Employment Services case manager to determine
whether there are any workforce developmental services that may
benefit the family. Jobs First Employment Services is a Labor
Department program that gives training and job search help to TFA
recipients.
Labor Force Retention Bonus
The bill requires DSS, within available appropriations, to give a
$5,000 labor force retention bonus to families that transition out of TFA
due to exceeding the eligibility standard after getting the 12 -month
transitional benefit described above.
SNAP ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS
The bill also requires DSS to exclude the transitional TFA benefit
described above when determining a family’s eligibility for SNAP
benefits.
PILOT PROGRAM ON BENEFITS CLIFFS
The bill requires DSS and OEC to enter into a public private
partnership and establish the two -year pilot program within available
appropriations and in consultation with the Labor Department, the
Department of Housing, the Office of Workforce Strategy, and the two-
generational initiative. The pilot program is to mitigate benefits cliffs for
200 families receiving public assistance, including TFA, SNAP, or
housing assistance.
The bill requires DSS and OEC , in consultation with the entities
above, to design and evaluate the pilot program following
recommendations from the two-generational initiative’s study required
under SA 24 -8. Among other things, the study recommends a pilot
program that ensures participant s get a stable, unchanging benefit for
the program’s duration, even if their income changes.
DSS and OEC must annually report on the pilot program, starting by
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January 1, 2027, to the Education, Housing, Human Services, and Labor
committees. The report must include:
1. the number of households enrolled in the pilot program,
2. transitional assistance these households received or will receive
to avert benefits cliffs,
3. impacts on the state economy of program enrollees remaining
employed during the pilot program, and
4. resources needed to sustain the program.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Human Services Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 16 Nay 7 (03/19/2026)