Bill > HB500

This bill proposes several amendments to Georgia's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to increase access to and amount of benefits. The bill revises the definition of "cash assistance" to set benefits at 40 percent of the federal poverty level, with a maximum monthly amount equal to 75 percent of that level for each family size. It extends the lifetime maximum for cash assistance recipients who are not minor children from 48 to 60 months, with the starting date shifted from January 1, 1997, to July 1, 2025. The bill also modifies eligibility requirements by introducing new resource limits: applicants cannot have resources exceeding $5,000, with a special provision for vehicles used for work, training, or education. Specifically, the equity value of one vehicle used for these purposes will not be counted as a resource, and an additional vehicle can have up to $4,650 in equity value excluded. These changes aim to provide more flexible and supportive assistance to families in need by increasing benefit amounts, extending the duration of support, and creating more lenient resource calculations for potential recipients.

Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70424