Today is the first legislative deadline of the 2024 session, meaning that bills that have not passed out of their policy committee are dead for session. For bills that are still moving, however, there's no time to take a breath - the next committee deadline is this upcoming Monday, February 5.
This means that lawmakers only have 5 days to move forward bills that would help tens of thousands of Washingtonians access the help they need to meet their most basic needs and find a pathway out of poverty.
One bill that would help cash assistance programs work better for the people they serve is HB 2007, which would permanently reinstate broad hardship time limit exemptions for families on TANF. When broad hardship exemptions were temporarily restored during the pandemic, access to help during times of need significantly increased, with families of color benefitting most. Unfortunately, the temporary restoration of broad hardship exemptions expired in June 2023, reinstating recession-era policy with documented racist outcomes that has already begun kicking people off of TANF who still need (and qualify for) benefits.
Another bill that would make TANF a more effective pathway out of poverty is SB 6135, which would reinstate support services that help families transition off of TANF to supporting themselves independently. Prior to the Great Recession, families leaving TANF voluntarily received 12 months of support services for items like car repairs, gas, work clothing, and tools after their TANF benefits ended. For families receiving low cash grants, a $2000 transition stipend provided the financial stability needed to leave TANF and land on their feet.
Since the recession, that support has been cut to only 3 months, and families have been trapped at the edge of the benefits cliff, unable to leave TANF and still support their families.
Together, these bills would provide lifeline assistance to families that need it most and help families transition off of benefits when they are ready and able to support themselves independently.
Tell Your Lawmakers: Make TANF a Pathway out of Poverty!
