February 25, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To: Rep. Ben Keathley, Chairman, and Members, House Committee on General Laws<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Re: Our opposition to HB 1974<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri advocates for the well-being of Missourians through civic leadership, education, and research. As part of our work, we organize a statewide coalition called the Food Security Coalition. This coalition is made up of individuals and organizations who are working to ensure every Missourian has access to healthy and nutritious food and that Missouri has a strong safety net for those who need it. On behalf of our staff, board, and all of the members of the Food Security Coalition convened by Empower Missouri, I stand in opposition to HB 1974. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
HB 1974 would end the ability for TANF recipients to access cash with their TANF benefits. Empower Missouri believes that parents on TANF need access to cash to survive <\/strong>in the extremely dire financial circumstances their families are already living in. In Missouri, a single parent with two children has to make less than $3,504 per year<\/strong> to qualify for TANF benefits. A single parent with seven children has to make less than $6,168 per year<\/strong> to qualify. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are still many situations in which paying with cash is the only option for families. A few examples of when a person on TANF may need to access to cash include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides making it more difficult for families on TANF, this new law would not be allowable through current federal government regulations<\/strong>.\u00a0 The language of the bill states that Missouri would ask for a waiver to be allowed to do this. That sort of waiver has never been granted. In 2015, Kansas passed a bill that tried to cap TANF withdrawals to one $25 withdrawal per day. The Federal Government replied to Kansas stating this was not allowed and ultimately Kansas never implemented the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then in April 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published some clarifying and additional guidance on access provisions for states administering the TANF program. This guidance comes from Section 4004 of Public Law 112-96. ACF reiterates that \u201cPublic Law 112-96 also requires states to include in their state TANF plans an explanation of how the state will ensure that recipients of TANF assistance have adequate access to their cash assistance\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ACF reviewed each state\u2019s TANF plan and has outlined three principle areas of adequate access for state TANF programs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n