HHS Modifies TANF Data System: Bolstering Program Integrity and Oversight with Expanded Data Sharing

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Office of Family Assistance (OFA) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), has announced significant modifications to an existing Privacy Act System of Records (SORN), specifically SORN 09-80-0375, known as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Data system. This federal action, detailed in a Federal Register notice published June 23, 2026, underscores a heightened focus on program integrity and grantee compliance within the vital TANF welfare block grant program. The changes, largely effective June 23, 2026, with a new routine use becoming active July 23, 2026, establish a more robust framework for verifying recipient eligibility and ensuring adherence to federal regulations by states, territories, and Tribal organizations that administer TANF funds.

The TANF Data System and Its Purpose

Historically, the TANF Data system has served as a repository for information about TANF clients, collected from grantee agencies across the nation. This data is crucial for reporting to Congress and for research into caseload dynamics and employment trajectories of recipients. Under federal law, states and Tribes operating TANF programs are mandated to collect specific core data elements. The OFA oversees this block grant, which provides federal funds and flexibility to these grantees to develop and implement their welfare programs, assisting needy families with cash assistance and work opportunities.

Bolstering Program Integrity and Oversight

The modifications to SORN 09-80-0375 are primarily geared towards strengthening HHS's capacity for program integrity reviews and ensuring grantee compliance. Several key changes reflect this objective. First, the Authority section has been updated to include 42 U.S.C. 1320b-7, which pertains to income and eligibility verification requirements, and 8 U.S.C. 1373, which addresses communication between government agencies and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regarding immigration status. These additions provide a clearer legal foundation for increased scrutiny.

The Purpose section has also been significantly revised. Previously, it focused on whether grantees were meeting