Reduce Duplication and Improve Access to Work Act
The Reduce Duplication and Improve Access to Work Act would allow states to transfer a limited portion of funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to support activities under Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill sets a cap on how much of the transferred funds can be reserved for statewide WIOA activities and requires states that choose to transfer funds to submit a combined state plan under WIOA, aligning with existing WIOA planning requirements. The changes would take effect October 1, 2026. In short, the bill aims to improve coordination between welfare and workforce programs by enabling targeted use of TANF resources to fund workforce development, while preserving guardrails to limit funding diverted to statewide activities.
Key Points
- 1Creates authority for states to transfer a limited amount of TANF funds to Title I of WIOA to support workforce development activities.
- 2Place a cap: not more than 15% of transferred funds can be reserved for statewide WIOA activities under WIOA section 128(a)(1).
- 3Requires a combined state plan for the programs covered by the transfer, submitted to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor, with specific application of WIOA plan requirements (including section 102(c)(3)).
- 4Re-aligns cross-references in SSA § 404(d) to include Title I of WIOA in the list of programs that can receive transfers.
- 5Effective date: the amendments take effect October 1, 2026.