[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6501 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6501

    To amend the Social Security Act to establish a trust fund with 
proceeds from the taxing of internet gambling to provide opportunities 
  to individuals who are, or were, in foster care and individuals in 
                   declining sectors of the economy.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 15, 2008

 Mr. McDermott (for himself, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, and Mr. George 
Miller of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, 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 amend the Social Security Act to establish a trust fund with 
proceeds from the taxing of internet gambling to provide opportunities 
  to individuals who are, or were, in foster care and individuals in 
                   declining sectors of the economy.

    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 ``Investing in our Human Resources Act 
of 2008''.

SEC. 2. BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES FOR TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE.

    The Social Security Act is amended by adding at the end the 
following new title:

    ``TITLE XXII--BLOCK GRANTS TO STATES FOR TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE

``SEC. 2201. TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE TRUST FUND.

    ``(a) Creation of Trust Fund.--There is established in the Treasury 
of the United States a trust fund to be known as the ``Transitional 
Assistance Trust Fund'', consisting of such amounts as may be 
appropriated or credited to the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund as 
provided in this section.
    ``(b) Transfer to Transitional Assistance Trust Fund of Amounts 
Equivalent to Certain Taxes.--
            ``(1) In general.--There are hereby appropriated to the 
        Transitional Assistance Trust Fund, out of any money in the 
        Treasury not otherwise appropriated, amounts equivalent to the 
        taxes received in the Treasury after September 30, 2009, that 
        the Secretary of the Treasury determines are attributable to 
        Internet gambling.
            ``(2) Method of transfer.--The amounts appropriated by 
        paragraph (1) shall be transferred from time to time from the 
        general fund in the Treasury to the Transitional Assistance 
        Trust Fund. Such amounts shall be determined on the basis of 
        estimates by the Secretary of the Treasury of the taxes, 
        specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection, paid to or 
        deposited into the Treasury. Proper adjustments shall be made 
        in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior 
        estimates were in excess of or were less than the taxes 
        specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
    ``(c) Investment.--
            ``(1) In general.--It shall be the duty of the Secretary of 
        the Treasury to invest such portion of the Transitional 
        Assistance Trust Fund as is not, in his judgment, required to 
        meet current withdrawals. Such investments may be made only in 
        interest-bearing obligations of the United States. For such 
        purpose, such obligations may be acquired--
                    ``(A) on original issue at the issue price; or
                    ``(B) by purchase of outstanding obligations at the 
                market price.
            ``(2) Sale of obligations.--Any obligation acquired by the 
        Transitional Assistance Trust Fund may be sold by the Secretary 
        of the Treasury at the market price.
            ``(3) Interest on certain proceeds.--The interest on, and 
        the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obligations 
        held in the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund shall be 
        credited to and form a part of the Transitional Assistance 
        Trust Fund.
    ``(d) Expenditures From Transitional Assistance Trust Fund.--
Amounts in the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund shall be available, 
as provided by appropriation Acts, for making expenditures--
            ``(1) to carry out section 2202; and
            ``(2) to carry out the Safe Internet Gambling Practices 
        Program established under section 3 of the Investing in our 
        Human Resources Act of 2008.

``SEC. 2202. TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--Each State shall be entitled to a payment under 
this section for each fiscal year in an amount equal to its allotment 
for such fiscal year, to be used by such State to carry out the State's 
plan for transitional assistance described in subsection (c), subject 
to the requirements of this section.
    ``(b) Plan Approval Required.--No State may receive a payment under 
this section unless the State submits the State's plan for transitional 
assistance described in subsection (c) to the Secretary and the 
Secretary approves such plan.
    ``(c) State Plan for Transitional Assistance.--A State plan for 
transitional assistance is described by this subsection if the plan--
            ``(1) provides for expanded education opportunities for 
        individuals who are, or were formerly, in foster care, 
        including streamlining and coordinating education financing 
        opportunities and providing counseling and assistance to such 
        individuals for the purpose of ensuring completion of their 
        academic goals;
            ``(2) provides for job training opportunities for 
        individuals who are, or were formerly, in foster care;
            ``(3) provides, primarily through expanding access to and 
        investment in community colleges, for expanded post-secondary 
        education and job training opportunities that lead to a 
        certificate, for individuals who are working in, or had worked 
        in, declining sectors of the economy, as defined by the 
        Secretary, and who want to pursue a new career in a sector of 
        the economy with the potential for high wages and high growth, 
        as defined by the Secretary; and
            ``(4) provides a subsidy for the use of public 
        transportation by--
                    ``(A) individuals qualifying for benefits or 
                services under title XX, including the Federal-State 
                Unemployment Insurance Program; and
                    ``(B) individuals participating in programs under 
                the Workforce Investment Act.
    ``(d) Allotment.--The allotment for a fiscal year for a State 
receiving an allotment for such fiscal year shall be an amount equal 
to--
            ``(1) the amount appropriated for such fiscal year under 
        subsection (f), multiplied by
            ``(2) the ratio by which the population of the State bears 
        to the population of all the States receiving an allotment for 
        such fiscal year as determined by the Secretary (on the basis 
        of the most recent data available from the Department of 
        Commerce).
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) In foster care.--The term `in foster care' means, 
        with respect to an individual, an individual who is under the 
        care and placement responsibility of the State agency 
        responsible for administering a plan, in connection with such 
        individual, under part B or part E of title IV.
            ``(2) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Health and Human Services.
            ``(3) State.--The term `State' means the 50 States of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
        Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
        Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
    ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for each fiscal year to the Secretary an amount from the 
Transitional Assistance Trust Fund equal to 90 percent of the total 
amount deposited into the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund pursuant 
to section 2201 during the previous fiscal year to carry out this 
section.''.

SEC. 3. SAFE INTERNET GAMBLING PRACTICES PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
establish a national program to be known as the ``Safe Internet 
Gambling Practices Program''. The Safe Internet Gambling Practices 
Program shall--
            (1) promote responsible Internet gambling behavior; and
            (2) promote the awareness of unsafe Internet gambling 
        practices.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for each fiscal year to the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services an amount from the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund equal to 
the amount deposited in the Transitional Assistance Trust Fund during 
the previous fiscal year not otherwise authorized to be appropriated 
under section 2202(f) of title XXII of the Social Security Act for such 
year to carry out this section.
                                 <all>