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HR 706 108th Congress House Social Welfare Administrative procedure Agriculture and Food Aid to dependent children Caregivers Cash welfare block grants Child abuse Child health Child nutrition Child safety Child sexual abuse Child support Child welfare Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Congress Congressional reporting requirements Crime and Law Enforcement Custody of children Day care Demography

Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2003

Introduced: February 11, 2003 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 27, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
Feb 11, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Feb 11, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E180)
Feb 11, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2003 - Amends part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of title IV of the Social Security Act to revise the TANF program, with changes: (1) replacing grants for States to reward a decrease in illegitimacy with grants to States to promote and support secure families; (2) adding nondiscrimination requirements pertaining to marital status and family structure and participation in activities or services funded under the new grant; (3) authorizing a State to assist a teenage parent who does not attend high school or another equivalent training program to come into compliance with TANF work and education requirements; (4) deeming teenage heads of household who maintain satisfactory school attendance to meet work participation requirements; (5) requiring certain certifications regarding domestic or sexual violence in State TANF plans; (6) prohibiting a State from penalizing an individual for TANF requirement noncompliance where domestic or sexual violence is a significant contributing factor in the noncompliance; (7) deeming a TANF recipient who provides appropriate care to a child or other relative who has a serious health condition or a disability as engaged in work for work participation rate purposes; and (8) eliminating the termination of TANF assistance for an entire family where an individual in the family has refused to engage in required work.
What's happening now February 27, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 706: Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-706/
MLA
"H.R. 706: Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-706/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 706, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-706/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 706: Building Secure and Healthy Families Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-706/)
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