Tina Smith: “I rise today to introduce Pathways to Independence Act of 2007, along with Senators Conrad, Stabenow, Snowe, and…”

“I rise today to introduce Pathways to Independence Act of 2007, along with Senators Conrad, Stabenow, Snowe, and Collins. This legislation includes two important provisions that will help States transition Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, TANF, recipients who have disabilities into work. States currently face a conflict between the new Federal TANF requirements, as reauthorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, DRA, and the nondiscrimination requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In order to comply with the ADA, States must make modifications to the work requirements they impose on TANF recipients with disabilities to ensure that they can participate in the program and move toward gainful employment. However, under new Federal TANF rules, States only get credit when recipients participate in a narrow set of activities for a specific number of hours each week, with limited flexibility for people with disabilities. Our legislation would allow States to create modified employability plans for people with disabilities and get credit toward the TANF participation rate if recipients comply with the requirements in those plans. This would encourage States to engage people with disabilities in appropriate employment-focused activities without fear of facing Federal penalties for not meeting their TANF work rates.”