[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1950 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1950

To clarify the family violence option under the temporary assistance to 
                        needy families program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 1997

    Ms. Roybal-Allard (for herself and Mrs. Myrick) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To clarify the family violence option under the temporary assistance to 
                        needy families program.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that:
            (1) The intent of Congress in amending part A of title IV 
        of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) in section 
        103(a) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
        Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2112) 
        was to allow States to take into account the effects of the 
        epidemic of domestic violence in establishing their welfare 
        programs, by giving States the flexibility to grant individuals 
        temporary waivers for good cause to victims of domestic 
        violence who meet the criteria set forth in section 
        402(a)(7)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        602(a)(7)(B)).
            (2) The allowance of waivers under such sections was not 
        intended to be limited by other separate and independent 
        provisions of part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 601 et seq.).
            (3) Under section 402(a)(7)(A)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        602(a)(7)(A)(iii)), requirements under the temporary assistance 
        for needy families program under part A of title IV of such Act 
        may, for good cause, be waived for so long as necessary.
            (4) Good cause waivers granted pursuant to section 
        402(a)(7)(A)(iii) are intended to be temporary and directed 
        only at particular program requirements when needed on an 
        individual case-by-case basis, and are intended to facilitate 
        the ability of victims of domestic violence to move forward and 
        meet program requirements when safe and feasible without 
        interference by domestic violence.

SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF WAIVER PROVISIONS RELATING TO VICTIMS OF 
              DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

    (a) In General.--Section 402(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 602(a)(7)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) No numerical limits.--In implementing this 
                paragraph, a State shall not be subject to any 
                numerical limitation in the granting of good cause 
                waivers under subparagraph (A)(iii).
                    ``(D) Waivered individuals not included for 
                purposes of certain other provisions of this part.--Any 
                individual to whom a good cause waiver of compliance 
                with this Act has been granted in accordance with 
                subparagraph (A)(iii) shall not be included for 
                purposes of determining a State's compliance with the 
                participation rate requirements set forth in section 
                407, for purposes of applying the limitation described 
                in section 408(a)(7)(C)(ii), or for purposes of whether 
                to impose a penalty under paragraph (3), (5), or (9) of 
                section 409(a).''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) takes 
effect as if it had been included in the enactment of section 103(a) of 
the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 
1996 (Public Law 104-193; 110 Stat. 2112).
                                 <all>