D.C. Code § 4-205.11a
This is the official text of D.C. Code § 4-205.11a, part of District of Columbia’s Code — part of the compiled statutory law of District of Columbia, published by the state as "Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 4-205.11a. Time limit for receipt of TANF benefits.
Official statutory text
(a) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, federally funded TANF benefits shall not be provided to any assistance unit that includes an adult who has received federally-funded TANF benefits for 60 months (whether or not consecutive) after February 28, 1997.
(a-1) After an assistance unit that includes an adult has reached the 60-month limit set forth in subsection (a) of this section or has received federally funded and District-funded TANF benefits for 60 months (whether or not consecutive) after February 28, 1997, District-funded TANF benefits shall be provided to the assistance unit in the reduced amounts set forth in § 4-205.52(c-4) , except as provided in subsection (e) of this section.
(b) In determining the number of months during which an individual has received TANF benefits, the District shall disregard any month for which TANF benefits were provided with respect to the individual when the individual was:
(1) A minor child; and
(2) Not the head of an assistance unit or married to the head of an assistance unit.
(c) For purposes of this section, a TANF recipient shall not be considered to have been provided benefits in any month in which the recipient did not actually receive TANF benefits, pursuant to § 4-205.51 , because the benefit check prior to adjustments would have been less than $10.
(d) In determining the number of months during which an adult has received TANF benefits, any month shall be disregarded if during that month the adult lived in Indian country (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151) or in an Alaskan Native village, if the most reliable data available with respect to the month or a period that includes the month indicate that at least 50% of the adults living in Indian country or in the Alaskan Native village were not employed.
dult has received TANF benefits, any month shall be disregarded if during that month the adult lived in Indian country (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151) or in an Alaskan Native village, if the most reliable data available with respect to the month or a period that includes the month indicate that at least 50% of the adults living in Indian country or in the Alaskan Native village were not employed.
(e) The Mayor may exempt an assistance unit from the restrictions imposed by subsections (a) and (a-1) of this section by reason of hardship or if the assistance unit includes an individual who has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty. For purposes of this subsection, an individual has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty if that individual has been subjected to:
(1) Physical acts that resulted in, or threatened to result in, physical injury to the individual;
(2) Sexual abuse;
(3) Sexual activity involving a dependent child;
(4) Forced engagement in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities;
(5) Threats of, or attempts at, physical or sexual abuse;
(6) Mental abuse; or
(7) Neglect or deprivation of medical care.
(f) A monthly average of no more than 20% of the average monthly number of assistance units for which federally-funded TANF benefits are provided during the current fiscal year or the prior fiscal year (as the Mayor may elect) may be exempted, under subsection (e) of this section, from the restrictions imposed by subsection (a) of this section of this section.
[(g)] A monthly average of no more than 25% of the average monthly number of assistance units for which District-funded TANF benefits are provided during the current fiscal year or the prior fiscal year (as the Mayor may elect) may be exempted, under subsection (e) of this section, from the restrictions imposed by subsection (a-1) of this section.
(a-1) After an assistance unit that includes an adult has reached the 60-month limit set forth in subsection (a) of this section or has received federally funded and District-funded TANF benefits for 60 months (whether or not consecutive) after February 28, 1997, District-funded TANF benefits shall be provided to the assistance unit in the reduced amounts set forth in § 4-205.52(c-4) , except as provided in subsection (e) of this section.
(b) In determining the number of months during which an individual has received TANF benefits, the District shall disregard any month for which TANF benefits were provided with respect to the individual when the individual was:
(1) A minor child; and
(2) Not the head of an assistance unit or married to the head of an assistance unit.
(c) For purposes of this section, a TANF recipient shall not be considered to have been provided benefits in any month in which the recipient did not actually receive TANF benefits, pursuant to § 4-205.51 , because the benefit check prior to adjustments would have been less than $10.
(d) In determining the number of months during which an adult has received TANF benefits, any month shall be disregarded if during that month the adult lived in Indian country (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151) or in an Alaskan Native village, if the most reliable data available with respect to the month or a period that includes the month indicate that at least 50% of the adults living in Indian country or in the Alaskan Native village were not employed.
dult has received TANF benefits, any month shall be disregarded if during that month the adult lived in Indian country (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1151) or in an Alaskan Native village, if the most reliable data available with respect to the month or a period that includes the month indicate that at least 50% of the adults living in Indian country or in the Alaskan Native village were not employed.
(e) The Mayor may exempt an assistance unit from the restrictions imposed by subsections (a) and (a-1) of this section by reason of hardship or if the assistance unit includes an individual who has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty. For purposes of this subsection, an individual has been battered or subject to extreme cruelty if that individual has been subjected to:
(1) Physical acts that resulted in, or threatened to result in, physical injury to the individual;
(2) Sexual abuse;
(3) Sexual activity involving a dependent child;
(4) Forced engagement in nonconsensual sexual acts or activities;
(5) Threats of, or attempts at, physical or sexual abuse;
(6) Mental abuse; or
(7) Neglect or deprivation of medical care.
(f) A monthly average of no more than 20% of the average monthly number of assistance units for which federally-funded TANF benefits are provided during the current fiscal year or the prior fiscal year (as the Mayor may elect) may be exempted, under subsection (e) of this section, from the restrictions imposed by subsection (a) of this section of this section.
[(g)] A monthly average of no more than 25% of the average monthly number of assistance units for which District-funded TANF benefits are provided during the current fiscal year or the prior fiscal year (as the Mayor may elect) may be exempted, under subsection (e) of this section, from the restrictions imposed by subsection (a-1) of this section.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in District of Columbia?
Find a District of Columbia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.