The General Assembly proposed a bill last session to reverse an arcane welfare policy limiting cash assistance for low-income families. Maryland was one of only a handful of states with this rule. The Department of Human Services told lawmakers it would change the policy without need for legislation. A year later, it still hasn’t. The inaction has confused legislators and advocates alike, who said the policy change could be funded through a multimillion-dollar surplus in federal funds set aside for Maryland’s cash assistance program.
