This bill extends federal welfare and child support programs to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory that previously was not eligible for these benefits. The Northern Mariana Islands would receive an annual family assistance grant of $1,631,000 to help provide benefits and services to needy families, along with a $2,131,000 matching grant for additional support. The territory would also receive a one-time $5,000,000 startup grant to develop a child support enforcement program. The Northern Mariana Islands would need to submit a three-year family assistance plan for federal approval and would be required to follow most of the same work requirements and accountability rules that apply to states, with technical assistance provided by the federal government beginning October 1 of the first fiscal year after the bill's enactment. These provisions take effect for fiscal years beginning after the bill becomes law.
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