Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee
SSB 5838
Brief Description: Providing a monthly diaper subsidy for parents or other caregivers receiving temporary assistance for needy families.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation (originally sponsored by Senators Nobles, Rivers, Das, Frockt, Hasegawa, Hunt, Kuderer, Lovelett, Nguyen, Robinson, Salda?a, Stanford, Trudeau and Wilson, C.).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
  • Provides that, subject to appropriation, the Department of Social and Health Services may make additional monthly payments to recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families with children under the age of 3, for the purpose of child-related necessities such as diapers.
Hearing Date: 2/18/22
Staff: Lena Langer (786-7192).
Background:

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal block grant that provides temporary cash assistance, subsidized childcare, and work programs for low-income households with children.  The TANF program is administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

 

Adults in families receiving TANF participate in the WorkFirst program, which helps participants resolve barriers and prepare for and find jobs.  In fiscal year 2021, the average monthly TANF caseload was 29,701, with an average payment of $470.63, and 29.8 percent of the caseloads—13,556—included children 5 and under.

 

Cash and Food Assistance.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also referred to as Basic Food, provides food benefits to eligible low-income households.  A household is considered categorically eligible for Basic Food when all members of the household receive, or are authorized to receive, payments or services from certain programs, or the household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.  Families receiving TANF are categorically eligible for Basic Food.  Basic Food cannot be used to purchase diapers.
Summary of Bill:

Subject to appropriation, the DSHS may make additional monthly payments to recipients of TANF with children under the age of 3, for the purpose of child-related necessities such as diapers.  The DSHS must set the benefit amounts in rule in accordance with the amounts appropriated.

 

The DSHS must make reasonable efforts to timely communicate the new subsidy at implementation and as the diaper subsidy eligibility changes.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect on November 1, 2023. ?However, the bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.