ACF-OFA-PI-24-04 (New TANF Work Outcomes Measures authorized by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023)
DATE:
July 19, 2024
TO:
State and territorial agencies (hereafter, states) administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program.
SUBJECT:
New TANF Work Outcomes Measures authorized by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
REFERENCES:
Public Law 118-5, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, Division C, Title I, Section 304; 45 C.F.R Part 265.
PURPOSE:
To provide technical support through the attached “TANF Work Outcomes Technical Resource” for the collection and reporting of the new TANF Work Outcomes Measures required by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
BACKGROUND:
On June 3, 2023, President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023, Public Law 118-5. Section 304 of the law requires all states to collect and report the data necessary to calculate outcome measures for work-eligible individuals who leave TANF. The measures specified in the statute include: unsubsidized employment two quarters after exit, employment retention, median earnings, and attainment of a high school diploma or equivalent. These outcomes measures are intended to assist federal—and state—policymakers in better understanding the effectiveness of TANF programs in promoting successful employment and education credential attainment. In accordance with the FRA, States and territories must begin reporting on these requirements in federal fiscal year (FY) 2025. Section 304 of the FRA is not applicable to Tribes and thus they are not required to collect and report this data.
On June 28, 2024, OFA published the Interim Final Rule (IFR), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Work Outcomes Measures . The IFR modified 45 CFR Part 265: Data Collection and Reporting Requirements and includes the measures specified in section 304 of the statute, new definitions, and information on the frequency of the reports needed to calculate these measures.
ACTION:
Beginning with FY 2025, a state should use the technical guidance contained in the attached “TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource” when preparing and submitting the required Work Outcomes of TANF Exiters Report (quarterly), the required Secondary School Diploma or its Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate (annually), and the Supplemental Work Outcomes Report (annually). The resource includes background, the measures, applicable definitions, and reporting requirements to support states as they begin to collect and report on data for the TANF Work Outcomes Measures.
ATTACHMENTS:
TANF Work Outcomes Measures Technical Resource (PDF)
TANF Work Outcomes Measures forms and instructions - OFA has posted the report forms and instructions as drafts on the TANF Provisions in the FRA page.
INQUIRIES:
Please direct inquiries to the TANF Program Manager in your region.
/s/
Ann Flagg
Director
Office of Family Assistance