[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 220 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 220

 To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to deny aid to families 
 with dependent children to certain individuals for any week in which 
 the individuals work or attend courses at an educational institution 
                        for fewer than 30 hours.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

Mr. Cunningham introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to deny aid to families 
 with dependent children to certain individuals for any week in which 
 the individuals work or attend courses at an educational institution 
                        for fewer than 30 hours.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Responsible Welfare Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. DENIAL OF AFDC BENEFITS TO CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS SPENDING FEWER 
              THAN 30 HOURS PER WEEK AT WORK OR ATTENDING COURSES AT AN 
              EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (29) of section 402(a) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(29)) is amended by inserting after 
paragraph (28) the following:
            ``(29) provide that--
                    ``(A) during the 3-year period beginning on the 
                effective date of this paragraph the State may, and 
                thereafter the State must, require a recipient of aid 
                under the plan (other than one described in clause (i) 
                or (ii) of paragraph (19)(C)) to spend 30 hours per 
                week at work (whether or not paid) as directed by the 
                State or attending courses at an educational 
                institution, if--
                            ``(i) all of the dependent children of the 
                        recipient are enrolled in a preschool program 
                        or attend, full-time, an elementary, secondary, 
                        or vocational (or technical) school; or
                            ``(ii) the recipient has received aid under 
                        any number of State plans under this part for 
                        at least 84 months (whether or not 
                        consecutively); and
                    ``(B) aid under this part may not be provided to 
                any individual to whom the requirements of subparagraph 
                (A) apply, for any week during which the individual 
                fails to meet such requirements.''.
    (b) State Payments Reduced for Noncompliance.--Section 403 of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 603) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o)(1) The Secretary shall reduce the amount otherwise payable to 
a State under this section for any fiscal year by the applicable 
percentage if the Secretary finds that the State plan approved under 
this part was not carried out in substantial compliance with section 
402(a)(29) during any calendar quarter of the immediately preceding 
fiscal year.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term `applicable 
percentage' means--
            ``(A) 30 percent, if the failure to substantially comply 
        occurred for 3 or more calendar quarters;
            ``(B) 20 percent, if the failure to substantially comply 
        occurred for 2 calendar quarters; or
            ``(C) 15 percent, if the failure to substantially comply 
        occurred for 1 calendar quarter.''.
    (c) Regulations.--Within 2 years after the effective date of this 
section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall promulgate 
such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the amendments made 
by this section.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the first day of the first calendar quarter that begins after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to payments 
under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act for calendar 
quarters beginning after such date of enactment.
                                 <all>