The following definitions apply under this part:

Absolute rate means the actual rate of performance achieved in the performance year or the comparison year.

Act means the Social Security Act, as amended.

Bonus year means each of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003 in which TANF bonus funds are awarded, as well as any subsequent fiscal year for which Congress authorizes and appropriates bonus funds.

CCDF means the Child Care and Development Fund.

Comparison year means the fiscal or calendar year preceding the performance year.

Fiscal year means the 12-month period beginning on October 1 of the preceding calendar year and ending on September 30.

Food Stamp Program means the program administered by the United States Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of 1977, U.S.C. 2011 et seq.

CMS is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Improvement rate means the positive percentage point change between the absolute rate of performance in the performance year and the comparison year, except for the calculation and ranking of States on the increase in success in the work force measure in §270.5(a)(4).

Medicaid is a State program of medical assistance operated in accordance with a State plan under title XIX of the Act.

MSIS is the Medicaid Statistical Information System.

Performance year means the year in which a State's performance is measured, i.e., the fiscal year or the calendar year immediately preceding the bonus year.

SCHIP is the State Children's Health Insurance Program as described in title XXI of the Act.

Separate State Program (SSP) means a program operated outside of TANF in which the expenditure of State funds may count for TANF maintenance-of-effort (MOE) purposes.

SSP-MOE Data Report is the report containing disaggregated and aggregated data required to be filed on SSP-MOE recipients in separate State programs as specified in §265.3(d) of this chapter.

State means each of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa.

TANF means The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program.

We (and any other first person plural pronouns) means the Secretary of Health and Human Services or any of the following individuals or organizations acting in an official capacity on the Secretary's behalf: the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Administration for Children and Families.