A few pregnant women could get cash from Georgia’s government under a bill the state House approved Monday.
The measure would allow poor pregnant women to seek cash assistance under the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. But because of Georgia’s work requirements and long-frozen income guidelines, it’s unlikely to aid many people.
Representatives voted 173-1 to pass House Bill 129, sending it to the Senate for more debate.
Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and others say it’s another way Georgia can support women before and after birth, aiming to reduce the rate at which new mothers and babies die. It’s also driven in part by Georgia’s ban on abortion except in the earliest weeks of pregnancy. The state in November extended Medicaid coverage for new mothers for a year after birth.
“There are a lot of very needy families that are taking advantage of TANF benefits and this bill would expand that to pregnant women,” said Rep. Soo Hong, a Lawrenceville Republican sponsoring the measure.
But the measure is unlikely to lead to a boom in payments. Currently, fewer than 500 adults get aid under the program statewide, officials said in a hearing earlier this month. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimates about 300 women might benefit, said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, a Decatur Democrat.
