American Families First Assistance Act

The "American Families First Assistance Act" proposes to amend the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, primarily to limit the eligibility of non-citizens for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. This legislation establishes a new general rule making most qualified aliens ineligible for these federal benefits. The bill specifies that, notwithstanding other laws, qualified aliens will not be eligible for TANF. However, it provides narrow exceptions, allowing only lawful permanent residents , Cuban and Haitian entrants , and Amerasian immigrants to retain their eligibility for the program. This change would significantly reduce the categories of non-citizens able to access TANF assistance.