HB 6629 Summary

• Extends the temporary family assistance (TFA) benefit time limit from 21 months to 60 months for eligible families, effective July 1, 2023

• Excludes months of assistance received during the COVID-19 public health emergency declared by Governor Lamont from counting toward the 60-month limit

• Expands exemptions from time-limited benefits to include families that have encountered circumstances preventing employment, including domestic violence, physical harm to children, or other circumstances beyond the family's control

• Establishes annual cost-of-living adjustments to TFA benefits equal to the most recent consumer price index increase for urban consumers, using available lapsed funds

• Eliminates the six-month extension petition process that previously allowed extensions beyond the benefit limit, replacing it with automatic exemptions for specified hardship circumstances