article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``TANF Recipients' Lifeline Act''. SEC. 2. REPEAL OF 5-YEAR LIMIT ON BENEFITS. (a) In General.--Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (7). (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 409(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (9). SEC. 3. EXCEPTION FOR TANF TO 5-YEAR BAN ON BENEFITS FOR QUALIFIED ALIENS. (a) In General.--Section 403(c)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1613(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(L) Benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program described in section 402(b)(3)(A).''. (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 402(b)(2) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1612(b)(2)) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (A)(ii) by striking ``subparagraph (C))'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) and (C))''; and (2) by striking subparagraph (B). SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE TRANSLATION SERVICES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. (a) Requirement.--Section 408(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 608(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(12) Use of bilingual personnel and printed material.--A State to which a grant is made under section 403 shall use appropriate bilingual personnel and printed material in the administration of the State program funded under this part in those portions of the political subdivisions in the State in which a substantial number of recipients of assistance under the State program speak a language other than English.''. (b) Penalty.--Section 409(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 609(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``(15) Failure to use bilingual personnel and printed material.--If the Secretary determines that a State to which a grant is made under section 403 for a fiscal year has violated section 408(a)(12) during the fiscal year, the Secretary shall reduce the grant payable to the State under section 403(a)(1) for the immediately succeeding fiscal year by an amount equal to 2 percent of the State family assistance grant.''. SEC. 5. INFLATION ADJUSTMENT OF BLOCK GRANT. (a) Extension of Block Grant.--Section 403(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``1996'' and all that follows through ``2002'' and inserting ``2002 through 2005''. (b) Inflation Adjustment.--Section 403(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 603(a)(1)) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (B)-- (A) by striking ``means the greatest of--'' and inserting ``means, with respect to a fiscal year specified in subparagraph (A)-- ``(i) the greatest of--''; (B) by redesignating each of clauses (i), (ii)(I), (ii)(II), and (iii) as subclauses (I), (II)(aa), (II)(bb), and (III), respectively; (C) by indenting each of the provisions specified in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph 2 additional ems to the right; (D) by striking the period and inserting ``; mulitplied by''; and (E) by adding at the end the following: ``(ii) if the fiscal year specified in subparagraph (A) is-- ``(I) fiscal year 2002 or 2003, 1.00; or ``(II) fiscal year 2004 or 2005, 1.00 plus the inflation percentage (as defined in subparagraph (F) of this paragraph) in effect for the fiscal year specified in subparagraph (A).''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(F) Inflation percentage.--For purposes of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, the inflation percentage applicable to a fiscal year is the percentage (if any) by which-- ``(i) the average of the Consumer Price Index (as defined in section 1(f)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) for the 12-month period ending on September 30 of the immediately preceding fiscal year; exceeds ``(ii) the average of the Consumer Price Index (as so defined) for the 12-month period ending on September 30, 2002.''. SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2002.
summary: TANF Recipients' Lifeline Act - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSA) to: (1) repeal the five year limit on TANF benefits; (2) require a State to which a TANF grant is made to use appropriate bilingual personnel and printed material in the administration of the State program in those portions of the State in which a substantial number of TANF recipients speak a language other than English; and (3) provide for inflation adjustment of the TANF block grant.Amends the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to exempt TANF benefits from the ban on Federal means-tested public benefits for qualified aliens for the first five years after lawful entry into the United States.