REGARDING TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES FUNDING OF TANF SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS

WHEREAS, the purposes of the TANF program are to assist needy families to care for their children in their own homes; reduce dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage; prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies; and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families; and

WHEREAS, the TANF basic block grant was set at $16.5 billion nationally in 1996 and remains at that same level today; and

WHEREAS, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) authorized the TANF block grant through September 30, 2010.  The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 extended it through September 30, 2011 but provided funding for the Supplemental Grants only through part of the third quarter of federal fiscal year 2011; and

WHEREAS, the TANF Supplemental Grant funding that expired in July 2011 was a part of the TANF program since Welfare Reform in 1996; and

WHEREAS, Congress has consistently renewed the grants since 1996 and TANF Supplemental Grant funding has been supported in a bipartisan manner by Mayors, and Presidential administrations; and

WHEREAS, TANF Supplemental Grants were initially created due to the imbalances in the TANF funding formula; and

WHEREAS, Congress decided to supplement the $16.5 billion in basic annual TANF funding with Supplemental Grants for states with low federal AFDC spending per poor child and states with rapidly growing populations; and

WHEREAS, TANF Supplemental Grant funds assist low- and moderate-income households with basic cash assistance, child care services, work related activities and job training; and

WHEREAS, because of the loss of Supplemental dollars, local and state agencies and their non-profit partners, including economic development and workforce partners will have to lay-off staff; services will be reduced or eliminated; and the low- and moderate-income families served by the program will experience a loss of benefits at the community level; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls upon Congress to provide adequate funding and the reinstatement of the TANF Supplemental Grants; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on the Administration and Congress to support at least $ 319 million for TANF Supplemental Grant funding in FY13.