Tennessee Works Act

The act governs a state's cash assistance program for low-income families with children, restructuring welfare around employment rather than open-ended aid. It sets eligibility and financial need standards, defines countable resources, and conditions benefits on work — requiring recipients to enter individual responsibility plans and participation agreements, meet work participation requirements through defined work activities, and comply with school attendance rules, with sanctions for noncompliance and durational limits on how long assistance may be received. It also provides supportive mechanisms and safeguards, including subsidized employment, education and work programs, individual development accounts for savings, related Medicaid and immigrant eligibility rules, confidentiality of records, and a fair hearing process with review and appeal.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.