Safety and Self-Sufficiency Act of 2002

The Safety and Self-Sufficiency Act of 2002 (H.R. 4655) proposed changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to better support individuals facing domestic or sexual violence. The bill would have required states to implement specific procedures for identifying survivors of violence and assessing how those experiences—along with other barriers like health issues or lack of childcare—impact a person's ability to work.

Under this legislation, states would be prohibited from penalizing or cutting off benefits for individuals if domestic or sexual violence was a significant factor in their inability to meet program requirements. Additionally, the bill would have allowed states more flexibility to count survivors toward work participation goals and granted exceptions to the standard five-year limit on federal assistance for those facing these hardships.