HHS Proposes to Cut Red Tape in Family Assistance Programs

You might care about this because the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) wants to make it easier to run family assistance programs. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing to remove many old or unnecessary rules. These rules cover various areas like public assistance, how grants are handled, and specific programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Tribal TANF, and Native Employment Works (NEW). The main goal is to reduce bureaucracy and make things simpler for states, territories, and tribal agencies that run these programs. The proposed changes would get rid of rules that are already covered elsewhere, rules that are too detailed and would work better as simple guides, and rules that are completely out of date. For example, some rules still on the books refer to programs like Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which stopped existing decades ago. By removing these, HHS hopes to modernize the rules and ensure that only relevant and current guidance is in place. This move could help programs focus more on helping families and less on outdated paperwork. Public comments on this proposal are welcome until June 25, 2026. What makes this proposal particularly interesting is that it shows a clear effort by a government agency to actively clean up its rulebooks. It is not every day that you see a department go through and identify regulations that are no longer useful. This action demonstrates a commitment to improving government efficiency and making it less complicated for those who manage and receive public assistance. The move to shift overly prescriptive technical details from formal regulations into more flexible guidance documents is also worth noting. This approach allows for quicker updates as program needs change without going through the lengthy rulemaking process for every small adjustment. Furthermore, getting rid of rules for defunct programs, like AFDC, cleans up the Code of Federal Regulations. This helps ensure that the current laws truly reflect the way these programs operate today. It is a practical step toward making government processes more understandable and less burdensome for everyone involved. Several groups would be especially interested in this legal document. First, state and local government agencies that administer family assistance programs, including TANF, will find these changes highly relevant. This is because the proposal directly impacts the rules they must follow. Staff members involved in program administration, financial management, and compliance will want to understand how these updates will affect their daily operations. Second, tribal governments and lead agencies running Tribal TANF and Native Employment Works programs will also be keenly interested, as the proposal specifically mentions their regulations. Third, legal professionals specializing in public benefits, administrative law, or poverty law will find this document important for understanding the evolving regulatory landscape. Fourth, advocacy groups and non-profit organizations that work with low-income families might follow these developments to see how reduced bureaucracy could affect service delivery. Finally, academics and researchers studying government efficiency, welfare reform, or regulatory policy would also find value in this example of regulatory streamlining.