Tag: TANF

State Accepting Public Comments On The Future Of TANF

Public comments will be accepted on the Federal Fiscal Year 2024 State Plan for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF program.

The West Virginia Department of Human Services (DoHS) Bureau for Family Assistance announced it would accept public comments on its plan for the future of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federal block grant program that allows states to help low-income families achieve stability and self-sufficiency.

There are some new additions to the state plan including fatherhood programming, enhanced adolescent pregnancy prevention efforts, and strengthening of Family Support Centers across the state.

“Ensuring that West Virginia’s most vulnerable families have the support they need is paramount to our mission at DoHS,” said Janie Cole, DoHS’s Bureau for Family Assistance Commissioner. “We invite the public to actively engage in shaping the trajectory of the TANF program by providing feedback, which will be instrumental in its refinement as we continue our dedication to strengthen families statewide.”

Comments will be accepted from Feb. 5 to March 18. The plan is available to view at local Department of Human Services offices, the Secretary of State’s office and online.

Comments may be submitted in writing to the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Bureau for Family Assistance, Division of Family Support, 350 Capitol Street, Room B -18, Charleston, West Virginia 25301-3705, via email to DoHSPublicComments@wv.gov, or by calling (304) 352-4431.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Officials Report ‘Positive Momentum’ In Restructuring

During a briefing, Dr. Jeff Coben, interim secretary of the DHHR, was asked multiple questions about the progress of the restructuring process of the agency.

Officials said in a Justice administrative briefing they have “positive momentum” toward restructuring the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR).

Legislation passed earlier this year directed the DHHR to separate after years of turmoil within the agency. House Bill 2006 terminates the DHHR beginning Jan. 1, 2024 and creates three departments: the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health and the Department of Health Facilities. The bill was signed into law on March 4.

During the briefing, Dr. Jeff Coben, interim secretary of the DHHR, was asked multiple questions about the progress of the restructuring process.

“The legislation that’s been introduced is important, but equally, if not more important, is it’s building on our programs, getting the workforce in place that we need, strengthening that workforce, strengthening the families, and making it so that people are through the economic work that’s been done through the gut by the governor and the legislature, through creating jobs and opportunities for people,” Coben said.

Coben said the DHHR hired 40 new Child Protective Service (CPS) workers since January. The department is currently 72 percent staffed according to the Child Welfare Dashboard.

Coben also noted that the structure of the agency has been in place for about 35 years and said it is important to communicate with federal partners as the restructuring progresses.

“We’ve got a nine-month timeframe to prepare for the three new departments that will be in place,” he said. “We have to work very closely with our federal agencies, and federal partners, because so much of the funding that supports the programs of DHHR, and the future programs of the three new departments is done in collaboration with our federal partners.”

The DHHR reported a $7,674,467,799 budget for the fiscal year 2024 during January’s Interim legislative session. Tara Buckner, chief financial officer of the DHHR testified at that hearing that 75 percent of the DHHR’s budget is made up of federal funding.

These federal funds provide for programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

“Our goal from the beginning has been to really focus and strengthen our child protective services agencies, our foster care system, and really at our most vulnerable citizens across the state,” Coben said. “And I think that we’ve we’ve really had some strong positive momentum and continue to build on that momentum.”

Bill Requiring Drug Tests for Parents to Receive Public Assistance Awaits Governor’s Signature

The West Virginia Legislature has passed a bill today that would require low-income parents get drug tested in order to receive public assistance.

With recent approval from the House, West Virginia’s senators passed Senate Bill 387 along party lines. It now heads to Gov. Jim Justice’s desk.

Low-income parents can apply for cash assistance for themselves and their children through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. The federal program provides monthly checks to families.

Senate Bill 387 would require applicants to have an initial drug test. If an applicant tests positive for anything from opioids to marijuana, that triggers a requirement to enter drug treatment or counseling, or else lose benefits.

The Department of Health and Human Resources has been testing TANF applicants for three years under a pilot program. The bill would extend the process until the end of 2026.

Republicans have said the practice helps get those with substance use disorder in treatment.

The Department of Human Resources reports that only one of the roughly 130 pilot applicants that failed a drug test ended up getting treatment through the program. But Republican Sen. Michael Maroney of Marshall County, who sponsored the bill, has said many more sought treatment outside of the DHHR program, according to Medicaid claims data.

Democrats have said the bill deters those in need from receiving benefits for themselves and their dependents.

As of December there were 6,000 TANF recipients in West Virginia. Of those, 75 percent are children.

Two bills filed this session by Democrats, one in the House and one in the Senate, would have required legislators to be drug-tested, or forgo their legislative salary. Neither bill made it to their respective chamber floor.

Drug Screening Now Required for W.Va. TANF Applicants

The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources announced it has started drug screening benefits applicants of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

DHHR said in a news release it began screening people who apply for TANF, also known as WV WORKS, early last week.

The screening requirement is part of a three-year pilot program that state lawmakers passed in 2016, but required approval from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families.

To be eligible for benefits, applicants must now complete a drug-screening questionnaire to determine if there’s reasonable suspicion of drug use. If there is suspicion, that individual will be required to take a drug test.

Those who test positive will be referred to a substance abuse treatment and counseling program, as well as a job skills program. 

West Virginians enrolled in WV WORKS receive financial and supportive services such as training assistance, occupational skills development, job search support and child care assistance.

Tomblin Signs Bill to Drug Test Certain Welfare Recipients

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has signed a bill that requires the state Department of Health and Human Resources to apply for permission to drug test TANF recipients.

TANF is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that provides government benefits to working, low-income families.

If the state receives federal approval, the DHHR would then be charged to administer the three strike system.  

After one failed drug test, a recipient does not lose any benefits, but is required to enter a workforce or rehabilitative program. After a second failed test, the recipients loses benefits until they complete that program, and after the third failed test, he or she loses benefits for life.

Drug tests will be administered to TANF applicants who have been convicted of a drug crime in the past three years or if a DHHR employee believes there is a “reasonable suspicion” that the applicant may be abusing drugs.

The bill takes effect in June.

House Passes TANF Drug Testing Bill

The House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday that would require drug testing for recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

 
Senate Bill 6 passed 91 to 8 in the House. The bill requires the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources to apply for permission from the federal government to begin a drug screening and testing program.

 
In that program, applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, benefits could be tested if there’s “reasonable suspicion” those applicants are using drugs or if they’ve been convicted of a drug crime in the past three years.

 
The bill creates a three strike system within the program. After one failed drug test, the TANF recipient does not lose any benefits, but must enter a rehabilitative or workforce training program. After the second failed test, the recipient loses benefits for one year or until completion of the workforce or rehabilitative program. After a third failed test, he or she loses benefits for life.

 
In any step in the process, the benefits given to children in the home will not be taken away. The DHHR is required to find another adult to distribute the benefits to, just like they do in other programs.

 
Those in opposition to the bill argue it’s singling out low-income people, while those in support say it will help those who struggle with drug abuse and ensure state dollars are being used honestly.

 
Democrats attempted to amend the bill on Tuesday evening, however all four proposed amendments were rejected or ruled not relevant to the bill.

 
The bill did see two amendments from the House Judiciary Committee, so the bill will go back to the Senate for consideration before being sent to the Governor’s desk.

 
In a recent poll of likely West Virginia voters, 77 percent supported drug testing welfare recipients.
 

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