AN ACT to expand temporary assistance for needy families (tanf)/work first program assistance benefits to include a woman who is pregnant, increase the cash assistance benefit amount, increase resource and income limits for cash assistance, and remove time limitations on cash assistance other than those required by federal law.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 108A‑24 reads as rewritten:

§ 108A‑24.  Definitions.

As used in Chapter 108A:

…

(3c)      Family means a unit consisting of a minor child or children and one or more of their biological parents, adoptive parents, stepparents, or grandparents living together. For purposes of the Work First Program, family also includes a pregnant woman, blood or half‑blood relative or adoptive relative limited to brother, sister, great‑grandparent, great‑great‑grandparent, uncle, aunt, great‑uncle, great‑aunt, great‑great‑uncle, great‑great‑aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, stepbrother, and stepsister.

…

(15)      Work First Family Assistance is a program of time‑limited periodic payments to assist in maintaining the children of eligible families while the adult family members engage in activities to prepare for entering and to enter the workplace.

….

SECTION 2.  G.S. 108A‑27.01 reads as rewritten:

§ 108A‑27.01.  Income eligibility and payment level for Work First Family Assistance.

The maximum net family annual income eligibility standards for Work First Family Assistance are as provided in the table below. shall be equal to seventy‑five percent (75%) of the federal poverty level for the applicable family size. The payment level for Work First Family Assistance shall be fifty percent (50%) of the standard of need.forty percent (40%) of the federal poverty level for the applicable family size.

Family                                    Income

Size                                         Level

1                                        $ 4,344

2                                           5,664

3                                           6,528

4                                           7,128

5                                           7,776

6                                           8,376

7                                           8,952

8                                           9,256

SECTION 3.  Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 108A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 108A‑27.02.  Resource limits.

The resources of a person or family for cash assistance shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000). However, the equity value of one vehicle per family shall not be counted as a resource of the family if the vehicle is used for work, training, or education in preparation for employment or a job search; provided, further that an exclusion in the amount of four thousand six hundred fifty dollars ($4,650) of the equity value of one additional vehicle is allowed.

SECTION 4.  G.S. 108A‑27.1 reads as rewritten:

§ 108A‑27.1.  Time limitations on assistance.

(a)        Under the Standard Work First Program, unless an extension or an exemption is provided pursuant to the provisions of the Part or the State Plan, any cash assistance provided to a person or family in the employment program shall only be provided for a cumulative total of 24 months. After having received cash assistance for 24 months, the person or the family may reapply for cash assistance, but not until after 36 months from the last month the person or the family received cash assistance. This subsection shall not apply to child‑only cases.

(b)        Electing Counties may set any time limitations on assistance it finds appropriate, so long as the time limitations do not conflict with or exceed any federal time limitations.

The State shall not impose any time limitations on eligible families receiving Work First Family Assistance, except for those time limitations set by federal law or regulations.

SECTION 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law.