House committee advances bill to raise temporary cash aid amounts, increase asset limit for TANF child-only cases

Representative Tyler Paul Smith presented House Bill 500 to the committee, saying the bill would update Georgia’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child-only program, increase monthly benefits and raise the allowable asset limit for families receiving assistance.

The measure, Smith said, would increase monthly benefits for some cases to about 30% of the federal poverty line, raise the maximum asset and savings allowed to $5,000 and extend the time limit for benefit receipt from 48 months to 60 months. Smith said the changes are funded with a mix of the federal TANF block grant and state maintenance-of-effort funds and estimated the increase would cost roughly $12 million to $14 million a year for a caseload of about 4,000–5,000 families. "Last year, it was brought to my attention that families ... were being forced into a position of having to sell the vehicle just so they would be able to get diapers for their children," Smith said, explaining the rationale for the $5,000 asset threshold.

The bill drew testimony from kinship-care advocates and service providers who described how the current child-only grant—$155 per month for a child, speakers said—falls short of basic needs. "These caregivers are the absolute backbone of our child welfare system because they're keeping these kids out of foster care," said Rainey Jeske, executive director of Innovative Solutions for Disadvantage and Disability. Jeske told the committee the program serves about 900 Georgia children and adults through kinship arrangements and said 94% of Georgia TANF recipients are in child-only cases.

Jamie Lackay, founder and CEO of Helping Mamas, described on-the-ground examples in which families on TANF could not afford diapers or travel when cars failed. "We had 1 family living in buildings that were about to be condemned ... She's also working because of TANF, you have to be working," Lackay said, adding that when her organization supplied diapers, families were able to use the money saved for rent, utilities and food. Cindy Battles, policy director for the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, described selling a car to become eligible for TANF under the prior asset limit and thanked lawmakers for advancing the bill.

Ife Finch Floyd, director of economic justice at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, placed the proposal in national context and said several states have increased TANF grants in recent years without large caseload spikes. "We're not talking about massive expansion in the caseload," Finch Floyd told the committee, while also noting Georgia's comparatively strict work requirements and arguing the increased benefit would help families meet basic needs.

Committee members asked for data and clarifications. Representative Howard asked for statistics on Georgia's underspending of the TANF block grant; Smith said he could obtain specific figures. Smith cited a DFCS (Division of Family and Children Services) estimate that Georgia underspent the TANF block grant by about $61,000,000 in fiscal year 2024, a point used to frame funding for the proposed increases.

The sponsor offered a clerical amendment to insert additional language at line 31 clarifying certain program benefits and a provision to allow "netting up to $4,650" in a specified circumstance; committee staff read the amendment into the record. The committee approved the amendment by voice vote. The committee then voted by voice to approve House Bill 500 as amended; members voiced "aye" and no opposition was recorded on the transcript. The committee's action forwarded the bill from committee with a recommendation to pass.

Supporters emphasized the bill's effect on kinship caregivers and on preventing child-welfare involvement, while lawmakers who questioned the measure focused on outreach and program access. The bill record includes cost estimates presented by the sponsor, the revised asset limit, the benefit increase to approximately 30% of the federal poverty level for targeted cases, and an extension of the time limit to 60 months.

The committee record shows multiple public witnesses and policy organizations urging the committee to advance the bill, but no roll-call vote tally by named member was recorded in the transcript. The bill now leaves committee after the voice vote and will continue through the legislative process according to House rules.