U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Https

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

2 Year Modification

Plan: Mississippi PYs 2022-2023 (Mod)
Combined Plan C

Section: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program

Narrative: f.

Published
Located in:
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

    States that include TANF in the Combined State Plan must outline how the State will meet the requirements of section 402 of the Social Security Act including how it will:

    (OMB Control Number: 0970-0145)

f. Conduct a program designed to reach State and local law enforcement officials, the education system, and relevant counseling services, that provides education and training on the problem of statutory rape so that teenage pregnancy prevention programs may be expanded to include men (section 402(a)(1)(A)(vi) of the Social Security Act)

View corresponding narrative from PYs 2020-2023

Current Narrative:

Mississippi Code, Section 97-3-65, defines that a crime of statutory rape is committed when:

  1. Any person seventeen (17) years of age or older has sexual intercourse with a child who:

    (i)    Is at least fourteen (14) but under sixteen (16) years of age;
    (ii)   Is thirty-six (36) or more months younger than the person; and
    (iii)  Is not the person’s spouse; or
     
  2. A person of any age has sexual intercourse with a child who:

    (i)   Is under the age of fourteen (14) years/
    (ii)  Is twenty-four (24) or more months younger than the person; and
    (iii) Is not the person’s spouse.

MDHS will provide county offices with material, both printed and digital, about statutory rape for display where partner agencies, local schools, law enforcement, relevant counseling service agencies and the general public, including men who may have committed the crime, may view.

MDHS will use social media platforms to educate the general public on the problem statutory rape.

In addition and if funding is available, MDHS will continue to award TANF funding on a competitive basis to subgrantees that incorporate education and training about statutory rape within their teen pregnancy prevention programs or parenthood initiatives to include educators, law enforcement, relevant counseling services and other vital service providers to include programs expanded to include men.

MDHS staff is required to report suspected abuse or neglect to the appropriate entity.