HHS Seeks Three More Years of TANF Welfare Reports
Published Date: 3/26/2026
Notice
Summary
The government is asking to keep collecting the Annual TANF and MOE Report for three more years to track how states help families in need. No big changes to the form, just updated instructions and workload estimates. States and territories will keep sharing info that helps Congress see how money is spent and how programs are working, with comments due by April 27, 2026.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Estimated Reporting Burden Reduced 32%
ACF updated burden estimates and proposes a 32% reduction in average time per response. The current table shows 54 respondents, an average of 80 hours per response, and an annual burden of 4,320 hours for the ACF-204 report.
3-Year Extension of TANF Reporting
The Administration for Children and Families is requesting a 3-year extension of the ACF-204: Annual TANF and MOE Report so states and territories must continue submitting this annual report after the current OMB approval expires on March 31, 2026. The request keeps the reporting requirement in place for the next three years.
Reports Must Tie Programs to TANF Purposes
The Annual TANF and MOE Report requires states to relate each TANF and MOE benefit or service program to the third and fourth statutory purposes of TANF. This supports oversight and aligns with a GAO recommendation referenced in the notice.
Instructions Clarify Use of Plan References
Instructions were clarified to emphasize that, under 45 CFR 265.9(d), states that already include required information in their TANF State Plan may reference that plan instead of re-submitting unchanged elements in the annual report. The notice states this clarification is intended to reduce burden.
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