TANF funds; prohibit use of for college scholarships for persons not receiving TANF benefits.

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To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Johnson

HOUSE BILL NO. 127

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-17-5, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
PROVIDE THAT NO TANF FUNDS SHALL BE USED TO PAY FOR COLLEGE 2
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PERSONS WHO ARE NOT RECIPIENTS OF TANF BENEFITS; 3
AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 5
SECTION 1. Section 43-17-5, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 6
amended as follows: 7
43-17-5. (1) The amount of Temporary Assistance for Needy 8
Families (TANF) benefits which may be granted for any dependent 9
child and a needy caretaker relative shall be determined by the 10
county department with due regard to the resources and necessary 11
expenditures of the family and the conditions existing in each 12
case, and in accordance with the rules and regulations made by the 13
Department of Human Services which shall not be less than the 14
Standard of Need in effect for 1988, and shall be sufficient when 15
added to all other income (except that any income specified in the 16
federal Social Security Act, as amended, may be disregarded) and 17
support available to the child to provide such child with a 18
reasonable subsistence compatible with decency and health. The 19
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first family member in the dependent child's budget may receive an 20
amount not to exceed Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) per month; the 21
second family member in the dependent child's budget may receive 22
an amount not to exceed Thirty-six Dollars ($36.00) per month; and 23
each additional family member in the dependent child's budget an 24
amount not to exceed Twenty-four Dollars ($24.00) per month. The 25
maximum for any individual family member in the dependent child's 26
budget may be exceeded for foster or medical care or in cases of 27
children with an intellectual disability or a physical disability. 28
TANF benefits granted shall be specifically limited only (a) to 29
children existing or conceived at the time the caretaker relative 30
initially applies and qualifies for such assistance, unless this 31
limitation is specifically waived by the department, or (b) to a 32
child born following a twelve-consecutive-month period of 33
discontinued benefits by the caretaker relative. 34
(2) TANF benefits in Mississippi shall be provided to the 35
recipient family by an online electronic benefits transfer system. 36
(3) The Department of Human Services shall deny TANF 37
benefits to the following categories of individuals, except for 38
individuals and families specifically exempt or excluded for good 39
cause as allowed by federal statute or regulation: 40
(a) Families without a minor child residing with the 41
custodial parent or other adult caretaker relative of the child; 42
(b) Families which include an adult who has received 43
TANF assistance for sixty (60) months after the commencement of 44
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the Mississippi TANF program, whether or not such period of time 45
is consecutive; 46
(c) Families not assigning to the state any rights a 47
family member may have, on behalf of the family member or of any 48
other person for whom the family member has applied for or is 49
receiving such assistance, to support from any other person, as 50
required by law; 51
(d) Families who fail to cooperate in establishing 52
paternity or obtaining child support, as required by law; 53
(e) Any individual who has not attained eighteen (18) 54
years of age, is not married to the head of household, has a minor 55
child at least twelve (12) weeks of age in his or her care, and 56
has not successfully completed a high school education or its 57
equivalent, if such individual does not participate in educational 58
activities directed toward the attainment of a high school diploma 59
or its equivalent, or an alternative educational or training 60
program approved by the department; 61
(f) Any individual who has not attained eighteen (18) 62
years of age, is not married, has a minor child in his or her 63
care, and does not reside in a place or residence maintained by a 64
parent, legal guardian or other adult relative or the individual 65
as such parent's, guardian's or adult relative's own home; 66
(g) Any minor child who has been, or is expected by a 67
parent or other caretaker relative of the child to be, absent from 68
the home for a period of more than thirty (30) days; 69
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(h) Any individual who is a parent or other caretaker 70
relative of a minor child who fails to notify the department of 71
the absence of the minor child from the home for the thirty-day 72
period specified in paragraph (g), by the end of the five-day 73
period that begins with the date that it becomes clear to the 74
individual that the minor child will be absent for the thirty-day 75
period; 76
(i) Any individual who fails to comply with the 77
provisions of the Employability Development Plan signed by the 78
individual which prescribe those activities designed to help the 79
individual become and remain employed, or to participate 80
satisfactorily in the assigned work activity, as authorized under 81
subsection (6)(c) and (d), or who does not engage in applicant job 82
search activities within the thirty-day period for TANF 83
application approval after receiving the advice and consultation 84
of eligibility workers and/or caseworkers of the department 85
providing a detailed description of available job search venues in 86
the individual's county of residence or the surrounding counties; 87
(j) A parent or caretaker relative who has not engaged 88
in an allowable work activity once the department determines the 89
parent or caretaker relative is ready to engage in work, or once 90
the parent or caretaker relative has received TANF assistance 91
under the program for twenty-four (24) months, whether or not 92
consecutive, whichever is earlier; 93
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(k) Any individual who is fleeing to avoid prosecution, 94
or custody or confinement after conviction, under the laws of the 95
jurisdiction from which the individual flees, for a crime, or an 96
attempt to commit a crime, which is a felony under the laws of the 97
place from which the individual flees, or who is violating a 98
condition of probation or parole imposed under federal or state 99
law; 100
(l) Aliens who are not qualified under federal law; 101
(m) For a period of ten (10) years following 102
conviction, individuals convicted in federal or state court of 103
having made a fraudulent statement or representation with respect 104
to the individual's place of residence in order to receive TANF, 105
food stamps or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance under 106
Title XVI or Title XIX simultaneously from two (2) or more states; 107
(n) Individuals who are recipients of federal 108
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) assistance; and 109
(o) Individuals who are eighteen (18) years of age or 110
older who are not in compliance with the drug testing and 111
substance use disorder treatment requirements of Section 43-17-6. 112
(4) (a) Any person who is otherwise eligible for TANF 113
benefits, including custodial and noncustodial parents, shall be 114
required to attend school and meet the monthly attendance 115
requirement as provided in this subsection if all of the following 116
apply: 117
(i) The person is under age twenty (20); 118
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(ii) The person has not graduated from a public or 119
private high school or obtained a High School Equivalency Diploma 120
equivalent; 121
(iii) The person is physically able to attend 122
school and is not excused from attending school; and 123
(iv) If the person is a parent or caretaker 124
relative with whom a dependent child is living, child care is 125
available for the child. 126
The monthly attendance requirement under this subsection 127
shall be attendance at the school in which the person is enrolled 128
for each day during a month that the school conducts classes in 129
which the person is enrolled, with not more than two (2) absences 130
during the month for reasons other than the reasons listed in 131
paragraph (e)(iv) of this subsection. Persons who fail to meet 132
participation requirements in this subsection shall be subject to 133
sanctions as provided in paragraph (f) of this subsection. 134
(b) As used in this subsection, "school" means any one 135
(1) of the following: 136
(i) A school as defined in Section 37-13-91(2); 137
(ii) A vocational, technical and adult education 138
program; or 139
(iii) A course of study meeting the standards 140
established by the State Department of Education for the granting 141
of a declaration of equivalency of high school graduation. 142
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(c) If any compulsory-school-age child, as defined in 143
Section 37-13-91(2), to which TANF eligibility requirements apply 144
is not in compliance with the compulsory school attendance 145
requirements of Section 37-13-91(6), the superintendent of schools 146
of the school district in which the child is enrolled or eligible 147
to attend shall notify the county department of human services of 148
the child's noncompliance. The Department of Human Services shall 149
review school attendance information as provided under this 150
paragraph at all initial eligibility determinations and upon 151
subsequent report of unsatisfactory attendance. 152
(d) The signature of a person on an application for 153
TANF benefits constitutes permission for the release of school 154
attendance records for that person or for any child residing with 155
that person. The department shall request information from the 156
child's school district about the child's attendance in the school 157
district's most recently completed semester of attendance. If 158
information about the child's previous school attendance is not 159
available or cannot be verified, the department shall require the 160
child to meet the monthly attendance requirement for one (1) 161
semester or until the information is obtained. The department 162
shall use the attendance information provided by a school district 163
to verify attendance for a child. The department shall review 164
with the parent or caretaker relative a child's claim that he or 165
she has a good cause for not attending school. 166
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A school district shall provide information to the department 167
about the attendance of a child who is enrolled in a public school 168
in the district within five (5) working days of the receipt of a 169
written request for that information from the department. The 170
school district shall define how many hours of attendance count as 171
a full day and shall provide that information, upon request, to 172
the department. In reporting attendance, the school district may 173
add partial days' absence together to constitute a full day's 174
absence. 175
If a school district fails to provide to the department the 176
information about the school attendance of any child within 177
fifteen (15) working days after a written request, the department 178
shall notify the Department of Audit within three (3) working days 179
of the school district's failure to comply with that requirement. 180
The Department of Audit shall begin audit proceedings within five 181
(5) working days of notification by the Department of Human 182
Services to determine the school district's compliance with the 183
requirements of this subsection (4). If the Department of Audit 184
finds that the school district is not in compliance with the 185
requirements of this subsection, the school district shall be 186
penalized as follows: The Department of Audit shall notify the 187
State Department of Education of the school district's 188
noncompliance, and the Department of Education shall reduce the 189
calculation of the school district's net enrollment that is used 190
to determine the allocation of total funding formula funds by the 191
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number of children for which the district has failed to provide to 192
the Department of Human Services the required information about 193
the school attendance of those children. The reduction in the 194
calculation of the school district's net enrollment under this 195
paragraph shall be effective for a period of one (1) year. 196
(e) A child who is required to attend school to meet 197
the requirements under this subsection shall comply except when 198
there is good cause, which shall be demonstrated by any of the 199
following circumstances: 200
(i) The minor parent is the caretaker of a child 201
less than twelve (12) weeks old; or 202
(ii) The department determines that child care 203
services are necessary for the minor parent to attend school and 204
there is no child care available; or 205
(iii) The child is prohibited by the school 206
district from attending school and an expulsion is pending. This 207
exemption no longer applies once the teenager has been expelled; 208
however, a teenager who has been expelled and is making 209
satisfactory progress towards obtaining a High School Equivalency 210
Diploma equivalent shall be eligible for TANF benefits; or 211
(iv) The child failed to attend school for one or 212
more of the following reasons: 213
1. Illness, injury or incapacity of the child 214
or the minor parent's child; 215
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2. Court-required appearances or temporary 216
incarceration; 217
3. Medical or dental appointments for the 218
child or minor parent's child; 219
4. Death of a close relative; 220
5. Observance of a religious holiday; 221
6. Family emergency; 222
7. Breakdown in transportation; 223
8. Suspension; or 224
9. Any other circumstance beyond the control 225
of the child, as defined in regulations of the department. 226
(f) Upon determination that a child has failed without 227
good cause to attend school as required, the department shall 228
provide written notice to the parent or caretaker relative 229
(whoever is the primary recipient of the TANF benefits) that 230
specifies: 231
(i) That the family will be sanctioned in the next 232
possible payment month because the child who is required to attend 233
school has failed to meet the attendance requirement of this 234
subsection; 235
(ii) The beginning date of the sanction, and the 236
child to whom the sanction applies; 237
(iii) The right of the child's parents or 238
caretaker relative (whoever is the primary recipient of the TANF 239
benefits) to request a fair hearing under this subsection. 240
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The child's parent or caretaker relative (whoever is the 241
primary recipient of the TANF benefits) may request a fair hearing 242
on the department's determination that the child has not been 243
attending school. If the child's parents or caretaker relative 244
does not request a fair hearing under this subsection, or if, 245
after a fair hearing has been held, the hearing officer finds that 246
the child without good cause has failed to meet the monthly 247
attendance requirement, the department shall discontinue or deny 248
TANF benefits to the child thirteen (13) years old, or older, in 249
the next possible payment month. The department shall discontinue 250
or deny twenty-five percent (25%) of the family grant when a child 251
six (6) through twelve (12) years of age without good cause has 252
failed to meet the monthly attendance requirement. Both the child 253
and family sanction may apply when children in both age groups 254
fail to meet the attendance requirement without good cause. A 255
sanction applied under this subsection shall be effective for one 256
(1) month for each month that the child failed to meet the monthly 257
attendance requirement. In the case of a dropout, the sanction 258
shall remain in force until the parent or caretaker relative 259
provides written proof from the school district that the child has 260
reenrolled and met the monthly attendance requirement for one (1) 261
calendar month. Any month in which school is in session for at 262
least ten (10) days during the month may be used to meet the 263
attendance requirement under this subsection. This includes 264
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attendance at summer school. The sanction shall be removed the 265
next possible payment month. 266
(5) All parents or caretaker relatives shall have their 267
dependent children receive vaccinations and booster vaccinations 268
against those diseases specified by the State Health Officer under 269
Section 41-23-37 in accordance with the vaccination and booster 270
vaccination schedule prescribed by the State Health Officer for 271
children of that age, in order for the parents or caretaker 272
relatives to be eligible or remain eligible to receive TANF 273
benefits. Proof of having received such vaccinations and booster 274
vaccinations shall be given by presenting the certificates of 275
vaccination issued by any health care provider licensed to 276
administer vaccinations, and submitted on forms specified by the 277
State Board of Health. If the parents without good cause do not 278
have their dependent children receive the vaccinations and booster 279
vaccinations as required by this subsection and they fail to 280
comply after thirty (30) days' notice, the department shall 281
sanction the family's TANF benefits by twenty-five percent (25%) 282
for the next payment month and each subsequent payment month until 283
the requirements of this subsection are met. 284
(6) (a) If the parent or caretaker relative applying for 285
TANF assistance is work eligible, as determined by the Department 286
of Human Services, the person shall be required to engage in an 287
allowable work activity once the department determines the parent 288
or caretaker relative is determined work eligible, or once the 289
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parent or caretaker relative has received TANF assistance under 290
the program for twenty-four (24) months, whether or not 291
consecutive, whichever is earlier. No TANF benefits shall be 292
given to any person to whom this section applies who fails without 293
good cause to comply with the Employability Development Plan 294
prepared by the department for the person, or who has refused to 295
accept a referral or offer of employment, training or education in 296
which he or she is able to engage, subject to the penalties 297
prescribed in paragraph (e) of this subsection. A person shall be 298
deemed to have refused to accept a referral or offer of 299
employment, training or education if he or she: 300
(i) Willfully fails to report for an interview 301
with respect to employment when requested to do so by the 302
department; or 303
(ii) Willfully fails to report to the department 304
the result of a referral to employment; or 305
(iii) Willfully fails to report for allowable work 306
activities as prescribed in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this 307
subsection. 308
(b) The Department of Human Services shall operate a 309
statewide work program for TANF recipients to provide work 310
activities and supportive services to enable families to become 311
self-sufficient and improve their competitive position in the 312
workforce in accordance with the requirements of the federal 313
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 314
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1996 (Public Law 104-193), as amended, and the regulations 315
promulgated thereunder, and the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 316
(Public Law 109-171), as amended. Within sixty (60) days after 317
the initial application for TANF benefits, the TANF recipient must 318
participate in a job search skills training workshop or a job 319
readiness program, which shall include resume writing, job search 320
skills, employability skills and, if available at no charge, the 321
General Aptitude Test Battery or its equivalent. All adults who 322
are not specifically exempt shall be referred by the department 323
for allowable work activities. An adult may be exempt from the 324
mandatory work activity requirement for the following reasons: 325
(i) Incapacity; 326
(ii) Temporary illness or injury, verified by 327
physician's certificate; 328
(iii) Is in the third trimester of pregnancy, and 329
there are complications verified by the certificate of a 330
physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or any other 331
licensed health care professional practicing under a protocol with 332
a licensed physician; 333
(iv) Caretaker of a child under twelve (12) 334
months, for not more than twelve (12) months of the sixty-month 335
maximum benefit period; 336
(v) Caretaker of an ill or incapacitated person, 337
as verified by physician's certificate; 338
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(vi) Age, if over sixty (60) or under eighteen 339
(18) years of age; 340
(vii) Receiving treatment for substance abuse, if 341
the person is in compliance with the substance abuse treatment 342
plan; 343
(viii) In a two-parent family, the caretaker of a 344
severely disabled child, as verified by a physician's certificate; 345
or 346
(ix) History of having been a victim of domestic 347
violence, which has been reported as required by state law and is 348
substantiated by police reports or court records, and being at 349
risk of further domestic violence, shall be exempt for a period as 350
deemed necessary by the department but not to exceed a total of 351
twelve (12) months, which need not be consecutive, in the 352
sixty-month maximum benefit period. For the purposes of this 353
subparagraph (ix), "domestic violence" means that an individual 354
has been subjected to: 355
1. Physical acts that resulted in, or 356
threatened to result in, physical injury to the individual; 357
2. Sexual abuse; 358
3. Sexual activity involving a dependent 359
child; 360
4. Being forced as the caretaker relative of 361
a dependent child to engage in nonconsensual sexual acts or 362
activities; 363
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5. Threats of, or attempts at, physical or 364
sexual abuse; 365
6. Mental abuse; or 366
7. Neglect or deprivation of medical care. 367
(c) For all families, all adults who are not 368
specifically exempt shall be required to participate in work 369
activities for at least the minimum average number of hours per 370
week specified by federal law or regulation, not fewer than twenty 371
(20) hours per week (thirty-five (35) hours per week for 372
two-parent families) of which are attributable to the following 373
allowable work activities: 374
(i) Unsubsidized employment; 375
(ii) Subsidized private employment; 376
(iii) Subsidized public employment; 377
(iv) Work experience (including work associated 378
with the refurbishing of publicly assisted housing), if sufficient 379
private employment is not available; 380
(v) On-the-job training; 381
(vi) Job search and job readiness assistance 382
consistent with federal TANF regulations; 383
(vii) Community service programs; 384
(viii) Vocational educational training (not to 385
exceed twelve (12) months with respect to any individual); 386
(ix) The provision of child care services to an 387
individual who is participating in a community service program; 388
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(x) Satisfactory attendance at high school or in a 389
course of study leading to a high school equivalency certificate, 390
for heads of household under age twenty (20) who have not 391
completed high school or received such certificate; 392
(xi) Education directly related to employment, for 393
heads of household under age twenty (20) who have not completed 394
high school or received such equivalency certificate. 395
(d) The following are allowable work activities which 396
may be attributable to hours in excess of the minimum specified in 397
paragraph (c) of this subsection: 398
(i) Job skills training directly related to 399
employment; 400
(ii) Education directly related to employment for 401
individuals who have not completed high school or received a high 402
school equivalency certificate; 403
(iii) Satisfactory attendance at high school or in 404
a course of study leading to a high school equivalency, for 405
individuals who have not completed high school or received such 406
equivalency certificate; 407
(iv) Job search and job readiness assistance 408
consistent with federal TANF regulations. 409
(e) If any adult or caretaker relative refuses to 410
participate in allowable work activity as required under this 411
subsection (6), the following full family TANF benefit penalty 412
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will apply, subject to due process to include notification, 413
conciliation and a hearing if requested by the recipient: 414
(i) For the first violation, the department shall 415
terminate the TANF assistance otherwise payable to the family for 416
a two-month period or until the person has complied with the 417
required work activity, whichever is longer; 418
(ii) For the second violation, the department 419
shall terminate the TANF assistance otherwise payable to the 420
family for a six-month period or until the person has complied 421
with the required work activity, whichever is longer; 422
(iii) For the third violation, the department 423
shall terminate the TANF assistance otherwise payable to the 424
family for a twelve-month period or until the person has complied 425
with the required work activity, whichever is longer; 426
(iv) For the fourth violation, the person shall be 427
permanently disqualified. 428
For a two-parent family, unless prohibited by state or 429
federal law, Medicaid assistance shall be terminated only for the 430
person whose failure to participate in allowable work activity 431
caused the family's TANF assistance to be sanctioned under this 432
paragraph (e), unless an individual is pregnant, but shall not be 433
terminated for any other person in the family who is meeting that 434
person's applicable work requirement or who is not required to 435
work. Minor children shall continue to be eligible for Medicaid 436
benefits regardless of the disqualification of their parent or 437
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caretaker relative for TANF assistance under this subsection (6), 438
unless prohibited by state or federal law. 439
(f) Any person enrolled in a two-year or four-year 440
college program who meets the eligibility requirements to receive 441
TANF benefits, and who is meeting the applicable work requirements 442
and all other applicable requirements of the TANF program, shall 443
continue to be eligible for TANF benefits while enrolled in the 444
college program for as long as the person meets the requirements 445
of the TANF program, unless prohibited by federal law. 446
(g) No adult in a work activity required under this 447
subsection (6) shall be employed or assigned (i) when any other 448
individual is on layoff from the same or any substantially 449
equivalent job within six (6) months before the date of the TANF 450
recipient's employment or assignment; or (ii) if the employer has 451
terminated the employment of any regular employee or otherwise 452
caused an involuntary reduction of its workforce in order to fill 453
the vacancy so created with an adult receiving TANF assistance. 454
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security, established 455
under Section 71-5-101, shall appoint one or more impartial 456
hearing officers to hear and decide claims by employees of 457
violations of this paragraph (g). The hearing officer shall hear 458
all the evidence with respect to any claim made hereunder and such 459
additional evidence as he may require and shall make a 460
determination and the reason therefor. The claimant shall be 461
promptly notified of the decision of the hearing officer and the 462
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reason therefor. Within ten (10) days after the decision of the 463
hearing officer has become final, any party aggrieved thereby may 464
secure judicial review thereof by commencing an action, in the 465
circuit court of the county in which the claimant resides, against 466
the department for the review of such decision, in which action 467
any other party to the proceeding before the hearing officer shall 468
be made a defendant. Any such appeal shall be on the record which 469
shall be certified to the court by the department in the manner 470
provided in Section 71-5-531, and the jurisdiction of the court 471
shall be confined to questions of law which shall render its 472
decision as provided in that section. 473
(7) The Department of Human Services may provide child care 474
for eligible participants who require such care so that they may 475
accept employment or remain employed. The department may also 476
provide child care for those participating in the TANF program 477
when it is determined that they are satisfactorily involved in 478
education, training or other allowable work activities. The 479
department may contract with Head Start agencies to provide child 480
care services to TANF recipients. The department may also arrange 481
for child care by use of contract or vouchers, provide vouchers in 482
advance to a caretaker relative, reimburse a child care provider, 483
or use any other arrangement deemed appropriate by the department, 484
and may establish different reimbursement rates for child care 485
services depending on the category of the facility or home. Any 486
center-based or group home child care facility under this 487
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subsection shall be licensed by the State Department of Health 488
pursuant to law. When child care is being provided in the child's 489
own home, in the home of a relative of the child, or in any other 490
unlicensed setting, the provision of such child care may be 491
monitored on a random basis by the Department of Human Services or 492
the State Department of Health. Transitional child care 493
assistance may be continued if it is necessary for parents to 494
maintain employment once support has ended, unless prohibited 495
under state or federal law. Transitional child care assistance 496
may be provided for up to twenty-four (24) months after the last 497
month during which the family was eligible for TANF assistance, if 498
federal funds are available for such child care assistance. 499
(8) The Department of Human Services may provide 500
transportation or provide reasonable reimbursement for 501
transportation expenses that are necessary for individuals to be 502
able to participate in allowable work activity under the TANF 503
program. 504
(9) Medicaid assistance shall be provided to a family of 505
TANF program participants for up to twenty-four (24) consecutive 506
calendar months following the month in which the participating 507
family would be ineligible for TANF benefits because of increased 508
income, expiration of earned income disregards, or increased hours 509
of employment of the caretaker relative; however, Medicaid 510
assistance for more than twelve (12) months may be provided only 511
if a federal waiver is obtained to provide such assistance for 512
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more than twelve (12) months and federal and state funds are 513
available to provide such assistance. 514
(10) The department shall require applicants for and 515
recipients of public assistance from the department to sign a 516
personal responsibility contract that will require the applicant 517
or recipient to acknowledge his or her responsibilities to the 518
state. 519
(11) The department shall enter into an agreement with the 520
State Personnel Board and other state agencies that will allow 521
those TANF participants who qualify for vacant jobs within state 522
agencies to be placed in state jobs. State agencies participating 523
in the TANF work program shall receive any and all benefits 524
received by employers in the private sector for hiring TANF 525
recipients. This subsection (11) shall be effective only if the 526
state obtains any necessary federal waiver or approval and if 527
federal funds are available therefor. Not later than September 1, 528
2021, the department shall prepare a report, which shall be 529
provided to the Chairmen of the House and Senate Public Health 530
Committees and to any other member of the Legislature upon 531
request, on the history, status, outcomes and effectiveness of the 532
agreements required under this subsection. 533
(12) Any unspent TANF funds remaining from the prior fiscal 534
year may be expended for any TANF allowable activities. However, 535
no TANF funds shall be used to pay for college scholarships for 536
persons who are not recipients of TANF benefits. 537
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ST: TANF funds; prohibit use of for college
scholarships for persons not receiving TANF
benefits.
(13) The Mississippi Department of Human Services shall 538
provide TANF applicants information and referral to programs that 539
provide information about birth control, prenatal health care, 540
abstinence education, marriage education, family preservation and 541
fatherhood. Not later than September 1, 2021, the department 542
shall prepare a report, which shall be provided to the Chairmen of 543
the House and Senate Public Health Committees and to any other 544
member of the Legislature upon request, on the history, status, 545
outcomes and effectiveness of the information and referral 546
requirements under this subsection. 547
(14) No new TANF program requirement or restriction 548
affecting a person's eligibility for TANF assistance, or allowable 549
work activity, which is not mandated by federal law or regulation 550
may be implemented by the Department of Human Services after July 551
1, 2004, unless such is specifically authorized by an amendment to 552
this section by the Legislature. 553
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 554
and after July 1, 2026. 555