SB 1623 Summary

• Increases the minimum cash assistance benefit from 36% to 40% of the prior calendar year's federal poverty level, adjusted for family size.

• Allows persons convicted of felony drug offenses involving distribution, use, or possession of controlled substances to be eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, removing the federal ban on such eligibility.

• Extends the cash assistance time limit from 12 months to 60 months for heads of household and other eligible adults receiving benefits, effective retroactively from June 30, 2022.

• Allows pregnant women without dependent children to receive cash assistance under TANF.

• Modifies the sanction structure for noncompliance by requiring written notice and warnings before benefit reductions, and implements a graduated three-tier sanction system rather than immediate termination.

• Prohibits drug testing for TANF recipients, except as required under SNAP eligibility provisions for individuals with drug-related felony convictions.