S. 3672: Pandemic TANF Assistance Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-05-11 · Social Welfare · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-05-11 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Pandemic TANF Assistance Act

Plain summary

Pandemic TANF Assistance Act This bill temporarily suspends certain Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program requirements and establishes a grant program in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. Specifically, states, tribes, and territories may not deny, reduce, or terminate TANF assistance because a recipient does not meet specified conditions of TANF participation from October 1, 2019, to November 30, 2020. These conditions include time limits for receiving assistance, work requirements, and compliance with paternity establishment or child support procedures. During that time period, the bill also restricts the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from penalizing jurisdictions that fail to meet TANF requirements such as work participation standards. However, HHS may reduce grants for jurisdictions that improperly deny, reduce, or terminate TANF assistance in violation of the bill. Additionally, HHS must award grants to states, tribes, and territories for short-term cash, noncash, and in-kind assistance and other activities to assist families meet their basic needs from April 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021. Families eligible for assistance must be impacted by COVID-19 and have monthly income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. The bill provides funding for this purpose.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Pandemic TANF Assistance Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] · 10 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] reported raising $1.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s3672.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s3672 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116