[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 886 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 886

   To reform the program of aid to families with dependent children.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 1995

   Mr. Wise introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Ways and Means and, in addition, to the Committees on 
Economic and Educational Opportunities and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To reform the program of aid to families with dependent children.

    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 ``Welfare Reform and Responsibility 
Act of 1995''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
            (1) welfare benefits are part of a compact between the 
        government and the individual under which both parties have a 
        responsibility to each other;
            (2) in this compact, the government agrees to provide basic 
        benefits to individuals who meet the qualifications;
            (3) in return, the individuals agree to assume 
        responsibility for doing everything necessary to move from the 
        welfare rolls to the work force; and
            (4) to meet these responsibilities, it is vital that the 
        State and the individual work together on an employability plan 
        with a timetable, which should be reviewed periodically to help 
        the government and the individual meet their goals.

SEC. 3. WORK REQUIRED IN EXCHANGE FOR AID TO FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT 
              CHILDREN.

    (a) States Required To Include a CWEP in the JOBS Program.--Section 
482(d)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 682(d)(1)(A)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subclause 
                (III); and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(V) community work experience programs as 
                described in subsection (f); and''; and
            (2) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) in subclause (II) by inserting ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subclause (III), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a period; and
                    (C) by striking subclause (IV).
    (b) States Required To Enroll AFDC Recipients who Are Not 
Participating in the JOBS Program and Are Not Exempt From Such 
Participation in a CWEP.--Section 402(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (44), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (45), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (45) the following:
            ``(46)(A) require each recipient of aid under the plan who 
        has received such aid for at least 6 consecutive months, is not 
        participating in the program of the State under part F or any 
        other program which offers substantially equivalent education, 
        job training, or work activities designed to lead to 
        employment, and is not described by any clause of paragraph 
        (19)(C), to participate in the State community work experience 
        program established in accordance with section 482(f) for a 
        number of hours per month equal to the amount of such aid 
        payable monthly with respect to the family of which the 
        recipient is a member, divided by the greater of the Federal 
        minimum hourly wage or the applicable State minimum hourly 
        wage;
            ``(B) prohibit any such aid recipient from being assigned 
        to any position of employment which was created before the date 
        of the enactment of this paragraph; and
            ``(C) require the State to regularly inspect and report to 
        the Secretary and the Secretary of Labor on the sites, 
        facilities, and procedures of the community work experience 
        program.''.

SEC. 4. FRAUD REDUCTION.

    (a) States Required To Operate Toll-Free Telephone Number To 
Receive Reports of Fraud or Abuse.--Section 402(a) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)), as amended by section 3(b) of this 
Act, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (45), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (46), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (46) the following:
            ``(47) require the State to operate on a 24-hour-a-day 
        basis, and publicize the existence of, a telephone number to 
        which calls may be placed, without charge to the caller, to 
        report fraud or abuse in the program carried out under the 
        plan.
    (b) Limitation on Authorization of Appropriations for the Office of 
Investigations in the Office of Inspector General of the Department of 
Health and Human Services.--For the Office of Investigations in the 
Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, 
there are authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $60,000,000 for 
fiscal year 1996.

SEC. 5. ASSESSMENTS OF NEEDS AND SKILLS; EMPLOYABILITY PLANS.

    Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)), as 
amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (46), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (47), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (47) the following:
            ``(48) provide that--
                    ``(A) during the first month after the effective 
                date of this paragraph in which aid is received under 
                the plan, the requirements of section 482(b)(1) shall 
                apply with respect to the recipient; and
                    ``(B) the employability plan developed for the 
                recipient must--
                            ``(i) be designed to move the recipient 
                        from aid to work in not more than 2 years;
                            ``(ii) set specific goals and timetables 
                        for reaching such goals; and
                            ``(iii) be reviewed and updated not less 
                        frequently than every 6 months.''.

SEC. 6. ELIGIBILITY REVIEW.

    Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)), as 
amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (47), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (48), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (48) the following:
            ``(49)(A) provide for the establishment of panels, each 
        composed of 3 former State judges, to--
                    ``(i) annually review the circumstances of 
                recipients of aid under the plan who have received such 
                aid for 2 consecutive years;
                    ``(ii) determine whether or not the recipient has 
                fully participated in the program of the State under 
                part F and has made an effort to become employed, and, 
                if not, whether or not circumstances beyond the control 
                of the recipient have prevented such full participation 
                or employment; and
                    ``(iii) reduce the amount of such aid payable to 
                the recipient if the recipient is not meeting the 
                participation requirements of the program under part F; 
                and
            ``(B) provide that the procedures established or required 
        by section 482(h) be used to resolve all disputes arising out 
        of determinations of such panels.''.

SEC. 7. FAMILY PROVISIONS.

    (a) States Required To Offer Parenting Courses to All Teenage 
Parents Not in School.--Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 602(a)), as amended by the preceding provisions of this Act, is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (48), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (49), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (49) the following:
            ``(50) require the State to make available to all parents 
        in the State who have not attained the age of 20 years and who 
        are not attending school, a course of instruction in parenting 
        which includes topics such as family planning, health, 
        nutrition, and child development.''.
    (b) States Required To Establish Incentives To Use Certain 
Contraceptive Methods.--
            (1) In general.--Section 402(a) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 602(a)), as amended by the preceding provisions of 
        this Act, is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (49), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (50), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (50) the 
                following:
            ``(51) require the State to establish a program that 
        provides incentives for recipients of aid under the plan to use 
        implanted, temporary, hormonal contraceptive devices.''.
            (2) Payments to states.--Section 403 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        603) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(o) In addition to any payment under subsection (a) or (l), each 
State shall be entitled to payments from the Secretary of an amount 
equal to the Federal medical assistance percentage (as defined in 
section 1905(b)) of the expenditures by the State in operating the 
program required by section 402(a)(51).''.

SEC. 8. EXPANSION OF JOB TRAINING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

    Section 403(l)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
603(l)(1)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``and'';
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting 
        ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(iii) notwithstanding clauses (i) and (ii), with respect 
        to so much of such expenditures in a fiscal year as exceed 60 
        percent of the State's expenditures to carry out a program 
        under part F in the fiscal year 1994, 100 percent.''.

SEC. 9. WORK INCENTIVES; REDUCTION OF BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT.

    (a) Earned Income Disregard Changed To Encourage Employment.--
            (1) In general.--Section 402(a)(8)(B)(ii) of the Social 
        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)(8)(B)(ii)) is amended--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``--'' and all 
                that follows through ``(b)''; and
                    (B) in subclause (II)--
                            (i) by striking ``the provisions of 
                        subclause (II) of such subparagraph to any 
                        month after such month, or apply''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``either''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Section 402(a)(37) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                602(a)(37)) is amended by striking ``paragraph 
                (8)(B)(ii)(II)'' and inserting ``the inapplicability of 
                paragraph (8)(A)(iv)''.
                    (B) Section 402(g)(1)(A)(ii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                602(g(1)(a)(II)) is amended by striking ``subsection 
                (a)(8)(B)(ii)(II)'' and inserting ``the inapplicability 
                of subsection (a)(8)(A)(iv)''.
                    (C) Section 482(e)(2)(G)(ii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                682(e)(2)(G)(ii)) is amended by striking ``the 
                provisions of subparagraph (A)(iv)'' and all that 
                follows and inserting ``section 402(a)(8)(A)(iv) 
                without regard to the time limitation of such 
                section''.
                    (D) Section 1925(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1396r-6(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``section 
                402(a)(8)(B)(ii)(II)'' and inserting ``the 
                inapplicability of section 402(a)(8)(A)(iv)''.
    (b) Optional State Extension of Medicaid Enrollment for Certain 
Former AFDC Recipients.--
            (1) Optional extension for 2 additional years.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 1925(b)(1) of such Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1396r-6(b)(1)) is amended by striking the period 
                at the end and inserting the following: ``, and may 
                provide that the State shall offer to each such family 
                the option of extending coverage under this subsection 
                for any of the first 4 succeeding 6-month periods, in 
                the same manner and under the same conditions as the 
                option of extending coverage under this subsection for 
                the first succeeding 6-month period.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--The heading for such 
                section is amended by striking ``Requirement'' and 
                inserting ``In general''.
            (2) Premium for additional extension periods based on 
        sliding scale.--
                    (A) In general.--Section 1925(b)(5)(B) of such Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 1396r-6(b)(5)(B)) is amended by adding at 
                the end the following new sentence: ``With respect to 
                such a premium in a premium payment period occurring 
                during the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th additional extension 
                period provided under this subsection, the State shall 
                (subject to subparagraph (C)) base the amount of the 
                premium on a sliding scale based on the family's 
                ability to pay the premium.''.
                    (B) Conforming amendment.--The heading for such 
                section is amended by striking ``offered'' and 
                inserting ``offered or family income''.
            (3) Other conforming amendments.--Section 1925(b) of such 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r-6(b)) is amended--
                    (A) in the heading, by striking ``Extension'' and 
                inserting ``Extensions'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(B)(ii)--
                            (i) in the heading, by striking ``period'' 
                        and inserting ``periods'', and
                            (ii) by striking ``in the period'' and 
                        inserting ``in each of the 6-month periods'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``the 6-month 
                period'' and inserting ``any 6-month period'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking ``the 
                extension period'' and inserting ``any extension 
                period''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (5)(D)(i), by striking ``is a 3-
                month period'' and all that follows and inserting the 
                following: ``is, with respect to a particular 6-month 
                additional extension period provided under this 
                subsection, a 3-month period beginning with the 1st or 
                4th month of such extension period.''.
            (4) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraphs (1), 
        (2), and (3) shall apply to calendar quarters beginning on or 
        after January 1, 1996.
    (c) State Option To Extend Child Care for up to 3 Years.--Section 
402(g)(1)(A)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 602(g)(1)(A)(iii)) is amended 
by inserting ``(or, at the option of the State, a period of not more 
than 36 months)'' after ``12 months''.
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